On October 24, over 50 students were hard at work gutting and carving pumpkins in the Academic Science Center. The event was hosted by the chemistry department in preparation for the annual on-campus Haunted House “put on for the Girl Scout Service Unit 736, which services all troops that are located in the Romeoville and Bolingbrook areas,” according to Amy Mlynarski, Chemistry Instructor and Community Outreach Coordinator. The Haunted House took place on October 26, attracting “over 350 Girl Scouts, parents, and siblings for a day of science and fun.”
Mlynarski cited the inspiration behind the Periodic Table of Pumpkins was to provide “a photo opportunity for the participants,” and “bring some science into the Halloween holiday.” Science students, math club members, and the entire Women’s and Men’s volleyball teams alike banded together to make the artistry of the table possible. In total, all 118 elements from the periodic table were engraved onto pumpkins, covering every single one from Actinium to Zircronium.
The pristine display rested behind the Academic Science Center for the duration of the Haunted House event and beyond. Students admired the spooky decorum, appreciating its festiveness and craftsmanship until it was eventually taken down on October 29.
As for the Haunted House event, Mlynarski voiced that there were an “additional approximately 50 student volunteers to help with the Haunted House event itself.” In the six years of the event’s occurrence, this year “had the most collaborations throughout the university” Mlynarski had seen. The departments of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Nursing, Communications, and Athletics all participated, as well as the Flyer Fanatics, the Latinos in Medicine, and the Business department, which was represented through the Women in Business Club. All in all, the ample participation from students across the board led to the ultimate success of the Periodic Table of Pumpkins and Haunted House event.
