Stacy Hutto
Managing editor
Halloween came early to the Visual Arts and Ceramics Organization. The VACO Pumpkin Carving Contest was held Oct. 30, and five students entered six pumpkins.
According to Associate Professor Jack Ousey, there was such a wide variety of pumpkins that they were going to have different categories. The pumpkins entered ranged from zombie pumpkins, mythical and intricately carved.
The contestants were Russell Poole, Pat Barrett, Clay Moore, Brealyn Lewis and Ethan Prus. The winners were Ethan Prus, Russell Poole and Clay Moore. The winners of the contest each won $25 from VACO.
Ethan Prus called his pumpkin “Woogylar.” “Woogylar” is an intricately carved pumpkin with only a small part that wasn’t carved. “Woogylar” won the Best Carved Pumpkin category.
When talking about his pumpkin, Prus said, “I carved it with my friend Jayce Cogburn’s artwork in mind. He created a small creature called a Woogylar, and that’s what I carved. They don’t usually have goggles on; that was just something I wanted to try with the carving.
“They are just cute, round, furry things, so I thought it would be a good pumpkin. I was actually surprised so few people entered the competition. I’m glad I won because I could really use the money, and I’m happy for my two friends Clay Moore and Russell Poole, who won ‘Most Creative’ and ‘Best Concept’ respectively.”
Russell Poole’s entry titled “Cannibalistic Pumpkin” actually included two pumpkins, with one being eaten by the other. Poole’s entry won the Best Pumpkin Narrative category.
Clay Moore’s entry “Feedus” was a pumpkin with numerous objects stuck in it, including a jar of small pumpkins, a shoe, a cup and dental floss. “Feedus” won Most Creative Pumpkin.
The remaining contestants were Pat Barrett and Brealyn Lewis.
Pat Barrett had two entries in the contest. “Ethyl” was a white pumpkin that had snakes carved into the top like hair. Barrett’s second entry was “Squish,” a carved, whitewashed pumpkin with the top carved to look like a brain.
Brealyn Lewis entered “Zombie Pumpkins” into the contest, which consisted of three mini pumpkins painted green to look like zombies and the pumpkins came complete with pumpkin guts and seeds.
November 15, 2012