ST. LOUIS – Students from the Saint Louis University School of Science and Engineering took a break from midterms and exams to participate in a pumpkin carving contest.

Fourteen teams of students showcased their creativity for one of three cash prizes: $1,000 to the winner, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place.

“The requirements for this were that students picked up a pumpkin and the students had to convey the science and engineering fields. And how do they convey that in the pumpkin as their medium?” Scott Sell, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education in the School of Science and Engineering, said.

The only trouble with these building materials is time.

“We’re going to have to work through that for next year,” Amy Price, outreach coordinator for the School of Science and Engineering, said. “The competition began last week. Then, the students went on fall break. So we’ve seen some of the decomposition of the pumpkins. So, maybe we’ll have to incorporate that next year.”