BU Physics Dropped 30-Plus Pumpkins 70 Feet for Its 19th Annual Pumpkin Drop. Then the Dean Sent a Horror-Movie Warning for Halloween Night

Boston University's physics department sent more than 30 pumpkins plunging about 70 feet off the Metcalf Science Center onto the plaza below Friday afternoon, the 19th year of the university's Pumpkin Drop, according to the university's event listing and Boston 25 News.

The event, held from 2 to 2:45 p.m. at the front plaza of the science center at 590 Commonwealth Ave., was billed by BU as a lesson "where gravity takes center stage." The pumpkins were filled with compostable materials "for an equal measure of gravity and fun," the event page said, and the BU Pep Band played beforehand, with cider for early arrivals. Students and staff were invited to come in costume.

Each pumpkin had a different filling, giving the crowd a demonstration of gravity and velocity, Boston 25 News reported. BU Sustainability planned to compost the pumpkins afterward.

The physics is simpler than it looks. Ignoring air resistance, an object dropped from 70 feet hits the ground in a little over two seconds at roughly 45 mph. The different fillings change what the impact looks like, not how fast the pumpkin falls.

The more serious Halloween message came a day earlier. On Thursday, Dean of Students Jason Campbell-Foster sent a message to all students, posted on the Dean of Students website, that used horror movie titles to deliver safety reminders for a holiday that falls on a Saturday this year.

"Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. I have reviewed the calendar and the powers bestowed upon me and can confirm there is absolutely nothing I can do about this," he wrote. "So, in the great tradition of horror movies everywhere, a warning: the call is coming from inside the house."

His point was that most Halloween problems are ordinary. "Most Halloween disasters do not begin with anything particularly sinister," he wrote. "They begin with someone losing track of a friend, drinking more than they intended, ignoring the feeling that something isn't right, or deciding that a roof, deck, or fire escape looks like an excellent place to gather."

It was not a lecture against going out. "Have fun. Truly," he wrote. "We are deep enough into the semester that you've earned a night to exhale." And he warned against the classic horror-movie lines: "Don't say things like 'it's going to be fine' or 'I'll be right back!' Don't be the character everyone in the theater is screaming at."

The message listed six reminders, each named for a movie. Under "Us," he told students to stay with their friends and have a plan to get home. Under "Misery," he urged them to know their limits, pace themselves, get their own drinks and keep them in hand. Under "Signs," he wrote that if something feels wrong, "Leave. Help a friend leave."

Under "Scream," the message gave the numbers: BU Police at 617-353-2121, or 911 off campus in an emergency. It also cited BU's Good Samaritan Policy, which exists "so that fear of getting in trouble never gets in the way of getting someone the help they need."

Under "The Thing," he asked that costumes be "clever, strange, obscure, or wildly overcommitted," while reminding students that "another person's culture or identity is not a costume" and that replica or toy weapons should stay home. Under "A Quiet Place," he reminded students that "Boston remains inhabited" and to respect neighbors' homes, property and sleep, pointing them to a message from the Boston Police Department.

"Every horror movie depends on someone ignoring the obvious warning sign," Campbell-Foster wrote. "You have the advantage of having seen the genre." He signed off: "Look out for one another. Have a great night (or nights). And come back to us safely." A postscript pointed students to the Instagram accounts of Student Health Services, the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center and the Dean of Students office for support.

The weekend also brings transit complications for students. The MBTA has suspended Green Line service between North Station and Kenmore on the C and D branches and Babcock Street on the B branch, which runs along Commonwealth Avenue past BU, through Sunday. Shuttle buses are running to Copley and Back Bay.

Still unknown: how BU and Boston police will staff the weekend around campus, and whether the Green Line closure will change how students get to and from Halloween events.