10/31/13 Boston, MA – Julie Williams, center, and Jessica Allan, right, moves a large pumpkin filled with paint together to a chute on the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center for physics professor Karl Ludwig, left, to push off. "I'm a rookie," said Ludwig. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
For a photojournalism class that I took in fall 2013, I had to turn in a complete picture story every Monday. One of them was the annual Boston University Pumpkin Drop, held by the Boston University physics department. Staff and students fill some 40 pumpkins with paint and flour, and then push the pumpkins off the roof of the Boston University Metcalf Science Center.
I met Julie Williams, a freshman majoring in physics at Boston University from St. Louis, Missouri, and a first-time volunteer for the event. Williams helped gut and fill the pumpkins before the drop, but did not think that she would be able to be on the roof to help, until right before the drop. An aspiring particle physicist, Williams is taking French lessons in hope that she would be able to go to CERN in Geneva in the future.
10/29/13 Boston, MA – Julie Williams, left, and Clover Su, right, remove the seeds and strings from pumpkins on the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – Julie Williams, center, and Shanni Agagi, right, fill pumpkins with paint on the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – “They’re the only Halloween-y thing I own,” said Williams who did not dress up for the day, referring to her Halloween-themed socks. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – Students, staff of Boston University and passers-by wait in front of the Boston University Metcalf Science Center for the next pumpkin to be dropped from the roof. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – Julie Williams, center, and Jessica Allan, right, moves a large pumpkin filled with paint together to a chute on the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center for physics professor Karl Ludwig, left, to push off. “I’m a rookie,” said Ludwig. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – Julie Williams reacts as she watches a pumpkin explode after falling from the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center. “I‘m so glad that I got to take part in this,” said Williams, who thought that she would not get to be on the roof to help with the Pumpkin Drop until right before it began. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
10/31/13 Boston, MA – 40 pumpkins filled with paint were dropped from the roof of Boston University Metcalf Science Center. Photo by XiaoZhi Lim
