Video: Ghoulish Gourds at Annual Fall Festival

A very terrifying student loan officer. A carnivorous squash devouring a disembodied hand. A double “hand” burger with “finger” fries. These were just some of the haunted vignettes carved into life by NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) and NYIT School of Health Professions students and faculty members at the Annual Interprofessional Pumpkin Carving Contest.

The smashing event, hosted by the NYITCOM Academic Technologies Group on October 26, was part of NYITCOM’s Fall Festival, which gave students a chance to forget about class for an afternoon and to play corn toss and snack on fall-themed treats like candy apples and apple cider. It also served as a good cause by raising funds the Community Free Clinic.

Dost Khalique, information technology manager in the Academic Technologies Group, was one of the organizers of the festival. Events like these, he explained, are important when it comes to interprofessional community building. “We wanted to give everyone a chance to talk to each other, to mingle, and enjoy and get to know each other,” he said.

As for the winners of the great pumpkin carving contest? That hallowed honor was bestowed on the team of Feona Elliott, Elena DeMayo, Shannon Chambers, Angela Lawrence, Janalyn Georgens, Kelly Ryan, Shannon McCartan, and Grace Grigoleit from Academic Affairs at NYITCOM for their creation “Maternity Ward.”

Watch the video.

Video produced by Steven Gaines.