Weber State University is diving into the Halloween spirit with paint, glitter and pumpkins – especially at the Davis campus pumpkin carving and decorating contest that occurred Monday night.

Students were encouraged to bring friends and family with them to the event, where they got to choose the perfect pumpkin and prepare it for the competition. One free pumpkin was provided per Wildcard.

Gabriela Castellanos, a freshman on the Davis Programming Board, said she intended to it to be a family event.

“I just thought it would be fun because usually this is something you would do as a family,” Castellanos said.

With a turnout of about 20 students, a few of whom brought along younger siblings and family members, Castellanos deemed the activity a success.

“People had a great time,” she said.

Michelle Diez, a senior in the health field, heard about the event through an advertisement in The Signpost.

“I have always loved pumpkin carving and I look forward to it every year, so I try to carve as much as I can,” Diez said.

She added that she hasn’t carved much this month, but she has aimed to do so at least three times a month in past years.

As a family tradition, the Diez family explores the culinary area.

“We’ll each cook a pumpkin dish and check each other’s out,” she said.

For Mitch Talbot, another Weber State student, this was the first Davis campus event he attended.

“I think I’ll go to more, though. This was fun!” he said.

Talbot encouraged others to be involved in social activities such as this, which he believes help support the school.

Talbot chose to decorate his pumpkin with a picture of a witch and a cat sitting on a tree limb.

According to Talbot, he goes all out for Halloween, which is by far his favorite holiday.

“I usually start in August with my Halloween costumes and build them all myself,” he said.

Last year, he decked out his house and yard with decorations to throw a festive party.

Talbot admitted he has not yet decided on a costume for this year .

“It kind of snuck up on me, but last year I was Pee-wee Herman. The year before that, I was a Lego man,” he said.

Steven Child heard about the event through a friend.

“I thought ‘It’s Halloween!’ I wanted to get out and do something,” he said.

Child confessed it had been a while since he carved a pumpkin, so he went with a simple, classic design.

Castellanos had a similar case – she had never carved a pumpkin until the day of her event.

“I actually thought it was a lot of fun. The inside of the pumpkin was weird,” she said.

At the end of the two-hour event, attendees voted on pumpkins to choose their favorite.

As a way to thank their hostess, a few NUAMES students stayed to help clean up by folding table and wiping messes.

According to the Davis Programming Board, almost 50 10-pound pumpkins were bought in preparation for the event.

“We have quite a lot left over, but we’ll be able to use them for other events,” Natalie Barcelo, the Davis campus vice president, said.