On Friday, Oct. 30, Red Devil Service Club and Peer Buddies worked together to host a pumpkin carving contest for Central students. Although they originally planned to host the event in person, the contest ended up being virtual due to poor weather conditions. Students were asked to submit photos of their pumpkins in order for the two clubs to determine a winner. In the end, all participants received a prize. 

Students were originally asked to bring their own pumpkins and tools to the auditorium doors at Central in order to participate. They were also encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to completely deck out the event. However, the contest ended up taking place within the comfort of the contestant’s own homes. 

“We changed [the contest] to be virtual because of the cold temperatures and snow in the morning,” said Mrs. Sally Phillip, activities director.

Although participants were stripped of the social aspect of the contest, the submission process was not affected much.

“The submission process was super quick and easy! All we had to do was upload a picture of our pumpkin through a Google Form,” said Paton Mehrhoff, junior. “We had to carve or paint a pumpkin and submit a picture, and it took anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. It was so fun.” 

Options were limited when it came to celebrating Halloween this year due to safety precautions surrounding COVID-19. Participants were able to escape the stress of the pandemic and stray away from their long hours on a screen, while also safely getting into the Halloween spirit. It was a light-hearted and stress-free event.

“Our goal was to create a fun opportunity for HC students to come together in a socially distanced way to celebrate Halloween,” said Mrs. Sara Pendergrass, sponsor of Red Devil Service Club. “Unfortunately the weather got in our way but there were many students who participated virtually and shared some great carvings. I’d say we achieved our goal even though we would have preferred to be in person.”

Participants unleashed their creativity through many different pumpkin designs, some being jack-o-lanterns with scary faces, others decorated with light-hearted Halloween characters. Certain participants opted to paint their pumpkins instead of carving them, adding to the diversity of submissions. 

“Participating in the event was overall a fun experience. My family and I all carved or painted pumpkins. Even though our submissions weren’t great, we enjoyed the overall experience and the change from the normal routine,” said Zakaria Azmy, junior.

Students were able to get into the Halloween spirit through this festive and covid-safe pumpkin carving contest.