New: ATTENTION! Purple Panda and Taiwan Hippo Fan’s mother is VERY eager to involve Musers in the Pumpkin Drop and would like to hear from other potentially interested parents. Details below.
There was a flurry of interest in this event at the Kokonvention.
The sponsor, West Virginia University, has finally posted information about the drop. As feared, it takes place on a Friday, which may limit Musers’ ability to take part. Anyone possibly interested can find out all about it here (remove spaces):
http:// www. mae.cemr.wvu.edu/ news/20pumpkindrop.php
Muse fielded a team a few years ago, with results recounted in the Koko Bomb Saga.
First post! Now where does this take place?
It’s at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, on the morning of Friday, October 26.
cool, so are you making a Koko Bomb 2?
Yes! THF and I are almost definitely going to go – Robert, can you come? What about Nak?
I would love to go. Too far away for me. I:P
5-Me too, I live in Northern VA.
I’m too far(well, not really very far), and it’s on a Friday, but I’d love to discuss possible designs here to aid anyone who’s going.
2-Oh…
7- As well, I.
Chicago is WAY too far away from ANY of the virginias. I think that we in the midwesternish area should have another Kokonvention…. Any thoughts on this subject? Kiki, you’re nearby, aren’t you?
yeah…mom said i definitely can’t skip school to launch pumpkins off a building. i told her it would be highly educational, but she still said no
Maybe this will help.
Purple Panda and Taiwan Hippo Fan’s mother just e-mailed a note about the Pumpkin Drop. The whole family is very excited and is eager to recruit more Musers for the project. I’ll quote her directly here:
I would like to re-extend the invitation for folks to stay at our house. It’s a very easy drive to Morgantown from Pittsburgh, and we could detour in either direction to visit MUSE, PA!
We have tons of floor space and many showers, so if the kids want to camp here and parents want to get a hotel . . . . or everyone is welcome to camp!
Arriving on Thursday to construct the pumpkin protector would be fine….
Any adults interested in discussing the Drop can communicate with everyone via the Yahoo group for Kokonvention parents (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KoKonvention2007), or just e-mail the MuseBlog administrators (gapa@musefanpage.com).
*sob*
I asked my mother. But it won’t work out. We have a ball on the 27th anyway.
*cries*
Robert – can you come? Do you know if Nancy Kangas can come? That would be really fun!
I like the design of the last punpkin drop. Can we use rubber bands or huge rubber ropes of some sort? I read the requirements and didn’t see it, so I guess that means yes. I think if we stretched rubber bands around it, from one side to the other of the trash can, it might stay better. This is hard to explain. *sigh* Does anyone have any idea what I’m talking about?
I would love to come but My mom doesn’t believe in driving me anywhere after the marching band season is over. She’s been driving me EVERYWHERE lately.
If anyone needs another reason to come to the Pumpkin Drop, there is an amazing exhibit called “Bodies” coming to Pittsburgh, which is very educational. (I haven’t seen it yet, but I saw one just like it called “Body Worlds 2” in Cleveland a few years ago).
16- I think there was something similar at . . . a museum a while ago.
(16) “Bodies” has been here in Washington, D.C., for months. I haven’t gone to see it. It sounds a bit gruesome.
(14) I’m planning to take a day or two off from work for the Pumpkin Drop. I’m not sure whether I’ll go there via Pittsburgh or drive straight to Morgantown. It would be fun to visit Muse, PA, with you all.
I also have a brilliant idea for a pumpkin capsule, which I’ll post on the blog as soon as I get a chance. Of course, it’s possible that MBers have come up with even more brilliant ones. If so, please send them in. The restrictions are that the capsule has to be no bigger than 30″x30″x60″ and can’t have lots of loose parts that might fly off and endanger the audience below. The ground crew has to be able to extract the pumpkin within 30 seconds after the capsule hits the ground. (The crewpeople have scissors, knives, and other tools for the purpose.) There’s a weight restriction, too, but I’ve forgotten what it is. The pumpkin has to be at least 10″ in diameter and can’t be artificially treated beforehand (i.e., no freezing, hollowing out, or plasticizing). Last time one surviving pumpkin was disqualified because the inspectors determined it to some weird knobby kind of gourd.
Nowhere near the pumpkin drop
I saw body worlds 2 last year in Boston. It was cool.
oo i wanna gom coool
18 (Robert) – The exhibit is really cool! I’m sure Rosanne would appreciate it more, being the “wet stuff” person, but I saw Body Worlds 2 and stayed in the exhibit for 3-4 hours.
What’s your pumpkin idea?!?!
Getting there on thursday? I doubt we could afford that or be able to take that much time away, I’m afraid.
I have many ideas but wouldn’t be able to meet everyone on thursday…We might be able to go straight there, but then I wouldn’t be able to help with construction.
The only way I could be a part of it at all would be for me to make my own, but I don’t know if that would be allowed/if anyone would speak to me again!
/ 
Purple Panda (21),
You’re right. I can’t wait to see Bodyworlds 2, which just opened in San Jose, Calif., not too far from where I live. I do think it’s going to be disturbing, though. But I can’t resist the chance to see how everything fits together. On the other hand, my husband will never be convinced to go with me. His reaction is more in line with Robert’s: Ick!
23 – I went with my school in 7th grade. We drove all the way to Cleveland to go see it! There was limited space, so the first 30 or so people to turn in their permission slips could go. I lived a few houses away from my teacher, so I just gave it to her at her house so I would definitely have a spot!
i wanted to see the bodies show in NYC, but it closed
I heard something about one of them that was closed because the bodies were from Chinese prisoners or something.
Must the pumpkin fall straight down?
I saw mention of Bodies on the recent comments sidebar…
it’s amazing. I went in 6th grade, with my class (in NYC). not actually all that freaky, but the fetuses were really sad. and the smoker’s lungs… after seeing that, I can’t imagine anyone starting.
22 (Red-tailed HAWK) – you should ride on Hot-Pink Bunnies, they’re super fast! Plus, if you stay at my house you don’t have to pay anything.
Robert – what’s your pumpkin-encasing-thing idea?
*hits self for pressuring GAPAs, and for being impatient.*
We should name the pumpkin Phil. There is a character in a movie I don’t like named Phil (i like the movie, i just don’t like Phil).
*plans snowball drop* THAT would be hard!!! Packing it in a way that keeps it from melting if the temperature was above freezing!!!
Red-tailed HAWK
