UW president visits Superior to smash pumpkins, encourage vaccines

Normally, smashing pumpkins is frowned upon. At least when they’re taken from doorsteps.

But Thursday afternoon at UWS, smashing pumpkins was perfectly sanctioned. In fact, UW System President Tommy Thompson was encouraging it.

"Alright, go ahead, Alex!" Thompson shouted to one student holding a mallet.

When Alex missed, Thompson jokingly chided him. UWS Chancellor Renee Wachter said there was tremendous energy on campus.

"This is so exciting to see the students so excited and to have them come up and smash a pumpkin. It’s absolutely humiliating, but it’s a lot of fun," she said.

Thompson was in town not just for the fun but also to tour Superior’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

"Superior is 100 students lacking to get to the 70%," Thompson said. "So I’m here to encourage students by having fun, smashing pumpkins, smashing the Vax Up machine, which just got broken from one of the students, to get vaccinated."

Students who get vaccinated will be entered into a drawing for a $7,000 scholarship.

"This is a great campus," Thompson said. "Superior is a fantastic university."