By Emily Huizenga

News Correspondent

To some, carving a pumpkin is an art. To others, it is a chore. To some Northeastern students, it is a tradition, a competition and, sometimes, a little piece of home.
Organized by Director of Dining Services Deb Fantasia and the Chartwells marketing team,  11th annual Great Pumpkin Carving Contest took place last Thursday in the Stetson East dining hall. The rules were simple: pick a partner, pick a pumpkin and carve until it is fit to be displayed in Stetson West’s Xhibition Kitchen, where students would vote the next day to determine the top three entries. The winning team would recieve $100.
Though gray and windy outside with frigid rain smacking the windows, Stetson East was bright and cozy for the event. Amid glistening caramel apples and steaming apple cider, plump, tall, stout and lean pumpkins sat gutted and ready for carving.
Fantasia, donning a ghoul-speckled ascot and welcoming the participants with a warm smile, said she and Dining Services look forward arranging the contest every year.
“I love seeing the fun they have. It’s like a little bit of a stress relief,” she said. “Students are away from their homes and this is a way to bring family traditions to campus – traditions they may miss when they’re away.”
Students of all majors and grades formed 25 teams of two and produced designs ranging from E.T. to Ryan Reynolds, with some Northeastern tributes scattered throughout. A few pairs had specific strategies for success.

The Dream Team

For freshman physics major Shongmas Nimnark and computer engineering major Brendan Downey, the recipe for the perfect pumpkin was part diligence and part enthusiasm. While Downey intently etched a skeletal Husky design into the gourd, Nimnark supplied spirited quips of encouragement.
“This is looking fantastic!” Nimnark said.
“Don’t jinx it,” Downey said. “And please don’t twitch while you’re holding that knife so near my face.”

The Science Majors

Junior computer science and digital arts major Andrea Skouras said she wanted something different for her design – something unlike anything else. Enter the Meta-Pumpkin, an eight-layer pumpkin within a pumpkin within a pumpkin that was destined to blow countless minds.
“I’ve never actually carved a pumpkin,” her partner, senior computer science and math major Dan Kreymer said. “But I’m prepared to help her with this one – the Meta-Pumpkin. Then I’m retiring. It’s been a long and fruitful career.”

Mr. Michelangelo

Unlike most pumpkin purists, senior religious studies and history major Christopher Rice preferred a more sophisticated carving method, shaving the outer rind off the pumpkin before sculpting an intricate design into its malleable flesh.
“It’s easy if you just want to carve it with a knife,” Rice said. “But to skin it – that’s a little more of a challenge.”
Last year, he reproduced Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” though he didn’t take home the prize. This year, he was back with both a vengeance and a landscape design, hoping his artistic flair would prevail.

The Activists

For junior communication studies and cultural studies major Erin McIver and international affairs, human services and social activism major Frank Marino, carving a pumpkin was a chance to make a statement. Both active Occupy Boston protesters, the pair devised a Husky sporting the iconic Occupy “X” over its mouth and said if they won, they would put the cash toward a potential protest bail fund.
“You don’t always need words to speak your mind, just a well-carved pumpkin,” McIver said.

The Rookie

While most competitors focused steadily on their pumpkins, freshman general studies and business major Nabilah Abuljadayel indulged in a steady stream of candy breaks to relax and absorb the surrounding festivities.
“It is so amazing,” she said. “I love the decorations, the food – it is so nice! To you it just may be Halloween, but to me it is so much more.”
A native of Saudi Arabia, Abuljadahyel had never experienced Halloween before, much less carved a pumpkin. She dove fearlessly into the gourd’s outer shell, creating a mash-up Michael Jackson and Husky paw print design, and loving every second of the celebration.

And the Winner is…

In the end, freshmen undeclared majors Mandy Woo and Jessica Chan placed first with their skillful Husky rendering. Freshmen business major Emily Iverson and civil engineering major Felipe Torres earned second with an Angry Bird icon, and freshmen civil engineering major Caitlyn Fischman and graphic design/game design major Micha Wood took third with a Lion King-themed Circle of Life design.
As in past years, the remaining pumpkins were donated to Rosie’s Place, a shelter for homeless women, and the Pine Street Inn, another homeless shelter, to instill holiday cheer.
“Food is about well-being and companionship,” Fantasia said. “And students are here for five years. Why not make campus feel like home?”