10/31/2024

Teams of students in Saint Louis University’s School of Science and Engineering put their critical thinking and carving skills to work using pumpkins to represent their majors in the School’s October Innovation Challenge. 

The pumpkins went on display on Wednesday in the lobby of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering building, allowing the SLU community an opportunity to vote on their favorite pumpkin. Five hundred individual votes were cast for one of the 16 pumpkins during the voting window.

The top three teams received a cash prize. Scott Sell, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering and associate dean for undergraduate education in SSE, announced the winners Thursday. 

The winning pumpkins are: 

• First Place: Which Witch is Which? 
• Second Place: Poltergeist
• Third Place: Pumpken

Ayden Wells, Julia Vitale and Olivia King constructed Which Witch. The pumpkin, based on the game Operation, draws on their majors of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering. 

The pumpkin features a Billiken with a few missing parts and an operation board of pieces. The team created a backstory for his injuries. It read: 

One crisp autumn afternoon, the SLU Billiken was riding across campus on his handcrafted scooter, whistling a tune and high-fiving students as they passed. Suddenly, a feisty campus squirrel ran in front of him. Narrowly dodging the squirrel, the Billiken lost control, and fell off his scooter. He tumbled down West Pine, arms and legs flailing, and crashed into the koi pond in a spectacular, glittery burst. Piece of the Billiken scattered everywhere and now it’s up to YOU to put him back together again! His missing parts are laid out, and the Billiken’s health is in your hands.

Start with his heart - because that’s where his SLU spirit lives.

Next, take his brain and put it where it belongs so he can ace his finals this semester. 

Equally important is his kidney, which will keep him healthy.

Now his mind, body and spirit are whole again! 

His funny bone goes next; he’ll need that to keep everyone laughing.

Add his stomach after to prepare him for a tasty meal at his favorite restaurant, Bill Grill.

He then needs his femur and his shoe for his lengthy walks to Litteken, and don’t forget his ear so he can tune into KSLU later.

Last, but certainly not least, reattach his hand so he’s ready for more high-fives. 

With a smile on his face, the Billiken is now as he “ought to be.”

See all the pumpkins below: