Buffalo State has some odd traditions but this one may be the oddest of them all. The annual Pumpkin Drop has been held for the past 8 years on the last day of summer to allow students to enter fall in a fun way. Stephen Vermette, a professor in the Geography and Planning department, said the event came about from a lesson that geography students are taught. Students learn about the changes in the seasons and soon the department got together to have this turned into a celebration.

The event is sponsored by ISACC, Informed Students Addressing Climate Change and the Geography & Planning department. The event starts with all people in attendance or any passerby signing one or both of the pumpkins. As people watched in anticipation Professor Vermette and two members from ISACC went up to the roof. Finally, both pumpkins hit the ground with a mighty SPLAT! Despite the hope of hitting the bullseye, both pumpkins missed, and entered “the shrapnel zone”. However, the two pumpkins did create a nice creamsicle color when they were on the ground together.

Natalie Murphy, Communications Manager for the Alumni Association, is new to campus and attended the event. She said it’s really fun and gets departments together. Lisa Rizzo, a students said the pumpkin drop is a celebration of the end of the summer, and signing the pumpkin brings good luck to students throughout the seasons.

Despite temperatures being in the 80s until next Wednesday, students and professors stood in the heat to welcome in the hopefully cooling temperatures of fall. Though these pumpkins were massive, the Great Pumpkin is still out there waiting to visit those in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night.