Pumpkin Carving With FFA

November 15, 2023

With Halloween coming to a close, it feels like the perfect time to showcase one of the many amazing Halloween events that went down at our school, the FFA Pumpkin Carving Contest. This contest took place on Wednesday, October 25th directly after an FFA Morro Bay chapter meeting. Each team of two was given one pumpkin and 40 minutes to carve. Each team had the chance to win or come in second place in three different categories, Scariest, Most creative, and Most ag. related.

With many different emotions swirling round the room as the clock moves closer to the starting time, teams are stressing for many different reasons. There are teams with no idea what they’re going to carve while some teams are overly confident in their design idea. As the clock hits 6:55, the contestants start. Well, most of the contestants start. There are still teams scrolling through Pinterest and Google, trying to find an idea for their carving. As some teams struggle, others have come into the competition with confidence in their carving skills and the readiness to win, which might just help these teams make it to first place. 10 minutes in, everyone has started on their pumpkin.

By 20 minutes, some teams are already done, while others continue to struggle. Nico Popoca has already changed his pumpkin design twice, starting with Bluey, then changing his mind and working on a Snoopy design before eventually giving up on the complicated designs due to the limited time left and finishing the competition with a last minute idea.

Nico with his finished pumpkin

The time continues to tick away, the clock is now at 7:25. It is announced, only 10 minutes till the end of the competition, this is not good news for some teams, as some designs are not coming together as the competitors hoped. The teams start to wrap up the last finishing touches on their carvings, as the clock ticks closer to 7:35. When time is called, all the competitors drop their carving tools.

The competitors are led outside to wait while the judge, Ms. Flynn, decides the winning teams. About ten minutes later, all teams file back into the classroom and go to sit by their finished pumpkins, all waiting anxiously to see who won.

They start with the first category, Most ag. related, with Graceyn Costa and Layna Myers coming in first and Lilo Costa and Lilah Green in second. Applause echos in the room as the teams walk over to claim their prizes. The winners of Most creative are called up once everyone is back in their seats. Ryanne Dedic and Reed Dennis in first, and close behind them in second is Jakob Korman and Daniel Cordes. And it’s down to the last category, Scariest. Suspenses fills the air as everyone waits anxiously. Second place is called first, Sabrina Dorado and Kasandra Biscay, applause follows. And the final winners are called. . .Max Fernandez and Gabby Matthews! Despite the lack of confidence both these teams have had throughout the competition, their hard work and dedication seems to have paid off as they walk up to the front of the classroom and claim their prize, ending the 2023 FFA Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Graceyn and Layna with their winning pumpkin