Correction: The original version of this article contained an error. The winning entry was from the staff of the ASUCLA New Textbook Office.
Carved pumpkins, ranging in theme from Angry Birds to the Occupy movement, perched in a tabletop display on the first floor of Ackerman Union today in a Halloween-spirited showcase.
The displays were part of the 34th annual Pumpkin Patch competition, hosted by Associated Students UCLA. ASUCLA departments submitted a total of 21 displays for judging.
The judges, members of ASUCLA’s executive management team and board of directors, scored the displays on a scale of one to ten based on originality, creativity and presentation.
The winning entry, from the staff of the ASUCLA New Textbook office, was decorated with Kandy Korn to look like a swimming puffer fish.
ASUCLA Marketing took second place with the “Angry Birds” submission, and Greenhouse ASUCLA took third place with a Star Wars-themed pumpkin.
Another display depicted characters from Despicable Me stealing cookies from a pumpkin atop a remote-controlled car. Herbert Serrano, office manager of Academic Publishing Services, said he and a group of students spent two days creating their mechanized project.
First-year student Michael Burks said he was pleasantly surprised to see the display. Burks said he especially liked the pumpkin featuring the Occupy movement “”mdash; a large jack-o’-lantern with the number “99%” posted on top, holding in its grinning mouth a smaller pumpkin with the number “1%.”
Organizer Raymond Juarez, Ackerman Student Union division manager, said the contest reflects the fun of the Halloween season.
“We just want to show our support and spirit for Halloween,” Juarez said.
– compiled by Mary Clark, Nicole Chiang and Alex Moskowitz, Bruin contributors