BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Students from Bay Middle School gathered outside Thursday for a unique gourd tossing event called Punkin Chunkin. Students used everything from catapults to slingshots to see who could chuck a pumpkin the farthest.
The fourth annual event is hosted at Cahoon Park as a learning opportunity for sixth-grade students to understand the physics behind launching a pumpkin with a catapult.
Brent Illenberger, a science teacher in the district, started the event four years ago after being inspired by a national Punkin' Chuckin' event hosted in Delaware each year.
Since its conception in 2018, a majority of the sixth-grade class participates in the event. One hundred and forty students participated on Wednesday, showcasing either their skills.
For weeks leading up to the event, students researched and designed their devices. Along with the help of parents and other adults, their creations were brought to life and put to the test.
There are four awards given out at the end of the day:
- Farthest distance in all four categories
- Catapults
- Trebuchets
- Slingshots
- Human pumpkin toss
- Most decorative device
- Most team spirit
- Accuracy
- There are 12 random objects in the field, a prize is awarded if hit
"It's also definitely rewarding and amazing to see the variety of devices created and watching the student working together as a team," said Illenberger. "The excitement is contagious and hopefully this event will fuel these students to take an interest in a STEM-related career later in life."
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