MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The ground outside of West Virginia University’s Engineering Sciences Building was filled with cheers got a little messy as hundreds of pumpkins plummeted 11 stories to the ground during WVU’s 36th annual Pumpkin Drop Friday morning.

The event, hosted by the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, brought together more than 1,000 students and teachers from across West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Over 300 K–12 teams competed to design a device capable of protecting an eight-inch or larger pumpkin from a dramatic fall — a challenge that blends fun with lessons in science, math, and engineering.

“This is our annual Pumpkin Drop event for K–12 students, primarily middle schoolers,” said Scott Wayne, associate professor in the Department of Mechani

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