Traditional Bisque and Brew spiced up with pumpkins
The Student Activities Board, in addition to planning many of the Halloween festivities, hosted an event called PumpkinFest on Monday, Oct. 26.
“PumpkinFest is a program that started probably about seven or eight years ago, and basically it’s a spin-off of our Bisque and Brew,” said Pat Bristor, associate dean of students and advisor of Student Activities Board. “Bisque & Brew is our ‘Paint-Your-Own-Ceramics.'”
PumpkinFest gave students the chance to participate in arts and crafts but with a distinct harvest theme.
“It’s just an opportunity for students to come together, more of a craft type of thing,” said Bristor.
Bristor explained the justification for the occasion, saying, “We just basically focus the ceramics on pumpkins. So there will be a variety of different pumpkins that students can paint, along with a few other Halloween types of ceramics.
We also will have real pumpkins for students to paint faces on as well as to carve.”
Students who attended the event on Monday noticed the thoroughness and attention to detail.
Tables were set up in the Beehive and covered with newspapers.
“[There were] ceramics that were fall-themed, pumpkins and skulls,” said Megan Joyce, freshman secondary education major, who attended. “They also had carving stations, and they had an instructor from a nearby art shop.”
The instructor was Patty Rohanna, the owner of Gloria’s Ceramics and Greene Gifts, a local craft shop in Rogersville, Pennsylvania. Rohanna stocks her shop only with the work of local artists and craftsmen. She regularly supplies bisque materials for the Bisque and Brew, complying with the changing themes. Keeping with the tradition, Rohanna provided the Halloween and harvest-themed ceramics for PumpkinFest.
“They were all very festive [and] there was a large variety,” said Joyce.
The event was part of an effort by the Student Activities Board to immerse Waynesburg University students in the spirit of Halloween and encourage involvement on campus.
“The effort is made to provide opportunities for them to come together and fellowship,” said Bristor. “There would have been a Bisque and Brew [no matter what] and we’re just focusing on the theme.”
Student Activities Board worked diligently to create a wholesome ‘pumpkin’ theme.
“We also have foods related to pumpkins-pumpkin pie, pumpkin gobs, stuff like that,” said Bristor.
The effect was to “tie in the Halloween theme, and make it just a little more festive.”
Bisque and Brew has grown in popularity over the years since its commencement, as students show more interest in the activity.
Likewise, PumpkinFest has been widely accepted in the past, averaging anywhere from 50 to 80 students in attendance.
PumpkinFest was considered to be largely successful this year as well, living up to its mission as a fun and relaxing way for students to gather and interact.