Accelerating at about 32 feet per second squared, the forecast around Tomlinson Library this Halloween called for raining pumpkins.

On Thursday, Oct. 31, The Society of Physics Students (SPS) held the 8th annual pumpkin drop from the roof of the library. Over 11 rounds, 18 pumpkins from Studt’s Pumpkin Patch were dropped to observe physics at work.

“We wanted to do a family fun event on campus,” said Jamie Stephens, senior physics student. “We basically bring campus and Little Mavs together.”

ceaconno@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Big pumpkins dropped next to small ones, some were thrown upwards, downwards, spun, and dropped almost every way imaginable.  The first large orange pumpkin was filled with candy for young onlookers.Along with pumpkins, SPS put on a barrel implosion demo.

“We’ve heated up water in the barrel and it caused all sorts of steam. Once it is all filled with steam, we seal it,” physics major Daniel Cicero said to the audience.

The club cooled down the barrel with a hose, which causes the barrel to implode.

“The pressure of the atmosphere is pushing in on the barrel,” Cicero said.

For more information on SPS contact coloradomesasps@gmail.com.

The sentence at the beginning of this story stating, “Accelerating about 32 square feet per second, the forecast around Tomlinson Library this Halloween called for raining pumpkins.” was incorrectly edited. The beginning of the sentence should have read. “Accelerating about 32 feet per second squared.” The correction has been made to this online edition.