Illinois Central College Pumpkin Painting Falls Into The Student Lounge

Oct 26, 2022

S. Patrick Rolling

Illinois Central College’s (ICC) Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted Pumpkin Painting on Wednesday, October 26. Students, faculty, and campus visitors were encouraged to grab a gourd, some splashes of assorted pigments, and brushes to decorate pumpkins in an effort to create magic this fall season. CAB has not hosted an event like this since prior to COVID-19. 

Pumpkins were locally sourced from Smith Farms in East Peoria. Mr. Smith supplied ICC pumpkins of perfect proportions, as Abbie Alsene, director of ICC’s Student Life explained.

“We drove to the farm five days ago; Mr Smith worked with us – stores always have wrong sizes. This year working with a local farm we got a good deal and they got to sell their pumpkins,” Alsene said.

Workplaces and homes were the most popular locations when asked where students would be displaying their art. One gourd featured a skull inspired by Dia de los Muertos, or “The Day of the Dead”, a lively Mexican holiday, which had been painted by ICC student Jaelynn Stauthammer, a first year student from Peoria, majoring in Biology. 

“I feel I love the fall because it’s so pretty but at the same time I know winter is coming so I’m mentally preparing for the cold, and in that I’m kind of a little sad,” Stauthammer said.. 

There was a colorful turnout and many pumpkins of many shapes and sizes, all acquired artistically applied acrylic layers before finding new homes to haunt. For the many pumpkins to be rotting away soon, ICC Student Association For the Environment (SAFE) is featuring a Pumpkin Drop-off and composting Saturday, November 5, 2022 in the Horticulture Lab from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., East Peoria Campus, Parking Lot G, Hosta Drive.