Costumed Characters Create Spooktacular Setting in Lynn Hall for Halloween Traditions

Gru and his Minions gathered on Halloween in the Veterinary Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Service, looking just like several faculty and staff members.

With Halloween falling on a Friday this year, some spooky scenes appeared in areas of the College of Veterinary Medicine on October 31, as several costumed characters showed-up to continue some fun Halloween traditions. A closer look revealed a striking resemblance between these characters and some faculty, staff and students.

Rumor quickly spread that a troupe of Minions had been spotted in the college. The rumor was readily confirmed with a visit to the Diagnostic Imaging Service of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. There the Minions were gathered with their fearless leader, Gru, and a random Ninja Turtle, to oversee the annual Diagnostic Imaging Halloween Dessert Baking Contest.

The contest was a mouthful to manage this year, to say the least. A Minion who bore a striking resemblance to Diagnostic Imaging Lead Veterinary Technologist Lydia Trott said they had excellent turnout, with more than 125 people participating in judging to determine the winners in the categories of best design and best taste. And the winners are:

Diagnostic Imaging Veterinary Technologist Christy DeYoung displays her winning entry in the Halloween Dessert Baking Contest.

Best Design Category:

Category A – Cakes, Cake pops, Cupcakes: Chocolate Cupcakes by Kristy Faulkner, Specialty Intern, Neuro
Category B – Muffins, Breads, Rolls: Caramel Apple Bats and Quad Chocolate Chip by Tami Lind, Veterinary Technician Supervisor, IMC
Category C – Pies, Cobblers, Crisps: Apple Crisp by Lydia Trott, DXI Veterinary Technologist
Category D – Cookies, Bars, Brownies: Jack O Lantern Cookie Cake by Christy DeYoung, DXI Veterinary Technologist
Category E – Other Desserts: Chilled Cherry Eyeball Soup by Dr. Lori Corriveau, Small Animal Primary Care Clinician

OVERALL Best Design Winner: Chocolate Cupcakes by Kristy Faulkner, Specialty Intern, Neuro

Best Taste Category:

Category A – Cakes, Cake pops, Cupcakes – Looks can be Deceiving Cake Pops by Katie Stolarz, Veterinary Technologist, SAIM; Megan Scheulin, Veterinary Technician, Ophthalmology; and Araynna Holland, Veterinary Technician, Oncology
Category B – Muffins, Breads, Rolls – Caramel Apple Bats by Tami Lind, Veterinary Technician Supervisor, IMC
Category C – Pies, Cobblers, Crisps – Apple Crisp by Lydia Trott, DXI Veterinary Technologist
Category D – Cookies, Bars, Brownies: Jack O Lantern Cookie Cake by Christy DeYoung, DXI Veterinary Technologist
Category E – Chilled Cherry Eyeball Soup by Dr. Lori Corriveau, Small Animal Primary Care Clinician

Cinnamummy Roll Cookies by Megan Brashear, ICU/ER Technician Supervisor, tied with two other entries as OVERALL winners in the Best Taste category.

OVERALL Best Taste Winners: A three way tie! Apple Crisp by Lydia Trott, DXI Veterinary Technologist; Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies by Jessica DeSutter, SAIM Technician; and Cinnamummy Roll Cookies by Megan Brashear, Senior Manager, Veterinary Technology

Congratulations to all the Diagnostic Imaging Halloween Dessert Baking Contest winners!

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the college, another spooky scene commanded attention as several characters appeared at the Veterinary Technology Program Office, wearing signs announcing the sudden “demise” of several Veterinary Technology team members. Strangely the characters looked just like the staff who had allegedly vanished. Check the photo to see if you can figure out whether the supposed decedents might be dead or alive?

People enjoyed seeing that the Veterinary Technology Program Office’s annual tradition of donning costumes as a team on Halloween was continuing. Past costume themes have included Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, and characters from the movie Inside Out.

Tombstone-shaped signs explained the “reasons” for the supposed demise of several Veterinary Technology Program Office staff members: (left-right) Angela Arellano, Beth Laffoon, Holly McCalip, Molly Cripe Birt, Holly Englert, and Taryn Adams, who was joined by her daughter Monroe.

In a random coincidence, even a rogue Minion made a Halloween appearance in Lynn Hall, and he was not connected to the Diagnostic Imaging Team. As it turned out, that Minion looked just like Payton Love, of the DVM Class of 2027. Over the course of the day, the costumes and traditions all contributed to a fun and festive Halloween in the hallowed halls of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

This Lynn Hall Minion was discovered impersonating second-year veterinary student Payton Love.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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