Pumpkin Chuckin’ brings physics to life at Washington State College of Ohio
Marietta residents Katie Lemasters, Allyson Johnson and Cora Lemasters pick out a pumpkin at the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon at Washington State College of Ohio. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Ben Harris asks attendees if they're ready for the first pumpkin at the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon at Washington State College of Ohio. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Desmond Varhola, a Cambridge resident, slams a hammer into a pumpkin during the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Marietta residents Katie Lemasters, Allyson Johnson and Cora Lemasters pick out a pumpkin at the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon at Washington State College of Ohio. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Ben Harris asks attendees if they're ready for the first pumpkin at the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon at Washington State College of Ohio. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Desmond Varhola, a Cambridge resident, slams a hammer into a pumpkin during the Pumpkin' Chuckin' event Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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MARIETTA -- Old jack-o'-lanterns found a new purpose at Washington State College of Ohio's Pumpkin Chuckin' 2026, where a student-built trebuchet turned a fall tradition into a lesson in physics.
Now in its fourth year, the event combined pumpkin launching with crafts, inflatables, live music, three food trucks and a petting zoo. Visitors could bring pumpkins from home and try to hit targets with them.
Kayla Harris, a nursing instructor and assistant event coordinator, said the event began as a way to help students see science in action.
"It started really as a way to kind of bring physics to life for students," she said.
Her husband, Ben Harris, the college's networking systems administrator, worked with students to design and build the launching equipment. Welding students helped assemble it, bringing several areas of study into the project.
The first version was wooden. Two years ago, organizers upgraded to a metal structure, Kayla Harris said.
"We just wanted to get people interested in math and science and show them what it looks like for fall," she said.
The idea grew from pumpkin-launching events Ben Harris had seen in the South, where people brought their old jack-o'-lanterns the weekend after Halloween. At the college, the activity became an opportunity to connect science, technology, engineering and math with a community celebration.
Ben Harris said the current machine is a floating-arm trebuchet, a design that uses falling weights and wheels moving along rails to launch a pumpkin.
Compared with the original trebuchet, the newer design can send a pumpkin the same distance using considerably less counterweight, he said. The first machine used about 1,000 pounds, while the current version uses about 360 pounds.
"So it's much less weight to throw a pumpkin the same distance," he said.
Students built the metal frame and used computer-aided design to plan the machine, Ben Harris said. The project included welding blueprints and brought together engineering and fabrication work.
"The whole frame, everything was made by students," he said.
For Ben Harris, the project began with a simple question.
"Can I make a catapult?" he recalled asking.
The event also gave children opportunities to make pine cone bird feeders and nature wands using gathered sticks.
Ginger Hollen returned to the event this year with her grandchildren from Cambridge, Ohio. She recalled the variety of pumpkins available during last year's festivities.
"That wagon was like overfilled with different colors of pumpkins that we never even seen before," Hollen said.
Kayla Harris thanked Stacy's Farms for donating pumpkins, saying the farm has supported the event for several years.
Organizers wanted to offer free community fun while giving visitors a chance to learn more about the college and ask questions about attending, she said.
"We just wanted to bring something to the community that was fun and free for kids and people all ages," she said.