The idea arose when physiology senior and RA Sara Dykowski saw a picture of pumpkins carved to represent each element on the periodic table and thought it would be a good idea to try.

Each pumpkin was assigned an element on the periodic table and the symbol and atomic number of each element was carved in the side.

“We wanted to create a really fun, community-building activity for the residents,” Dykowski said. “It’s also a way to celebrate Halloween with a scientific twist.”

After much organizing, planning and advertising for the event, participation was even higher than graduate student and Holmes Hall Assistant Community Director Lora DiBlasi and others had hoped.

“We had a lot of residents come up and say, ‘This is the best event of the year,’ and that they aren’t normally into this kind of stuff, but this was the first event they’ve ever really wanted to come to.” DiBlasi said. “Knowing that we actually reached a population that we might not usually reach out to was wonderful.”

Elementary education senior and RA Meg Thompson said she was happy to see how many students showed up to carve a pumpkin.

“My favorite part was just seeing the turnout in general and seeing so many of the residents together in one place,” Thompson said. “I definitely think, considering how successful this event has been, we’ll try to recreate something similar for next year.”