“At the Movies”: Engineers Show Spirit for Halloween Contests

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Andrew Gallaher

Engineering faculty and staff delivered once again with their Halloween spirit and creativity for “Boo in the Courtyard,” the college’s annual costume contest between departments. This year’s theme was “At the Movies,” with administration judges dressed as a film crew and departments picking movie-related team costumes. New this year was an Office Decorating Contest, with separate prizes for the site-based décor efforts.

For the courtyard Halloween day event, the October weather cooperated and participants were able to fully get their “boo” on in the engineering courtyard.

The electrical engineering and computer science department won first place with their “Toy Story” costumes and a skit that had former department head Leon Tolbert, as the cowboy character Woody, greeting the new “sheriff in town,” current department head Greg Peterson, as space hero Buzz Lightyear. To that, Peterson said, “To electricity and beyond.”

The nuclear engineering department won second place as “The Addams Family”—or was that the “Atoms Family”? Professor Lawrence Heilbronn was Gomez Addams, and Tonya Mathes was Morticia, with Lydia Sharp disguise as the long-haired Cousin Itt.

In third place, materials science and engineering Department Head Veerle Keppens had fun as Cruella DeVil from “101 Dalmatians,” with other department faculty and staff in appropriately spotted Dalmatian attire.

For the Office Decorating Contest, votes were cast in five categories: creativity, best fit to the theme, originality, most Halloween spirit, and best participation. Civil and environmental engineering won first place in each category and received the most overall votes with their multi-room “Clue” décor. Department Head Chris Cox portrayed “Professor Plum in the Library,” and something terrible befell Col. Mustard in the conservatory.

The chemical and biomolecular engineering office won second place in most categories and received the second most votes overall with their depiction of the movie “Up.” Professor Robert Counce took on the role of main character Carl, they filled the room with balloons, and a live dog played Doug.