You know summer is here when the annual ‘Watermelon Drop’ hits town.
This annual event is UC San Diego’s oldest tradition and will take place Friday, when UC San Diego’s “Watermelon Royalty” will race up seven stories of Urey Hall and drop the sacrificial fruit into history.
This year’s “Watermelon Royalty” will be the assistant dean of student affairs at Revelle College, Liora Kian Gutierrez (UC San Diego, Class of ’84), who will be retiring at the end of June. Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to come wish her well, after 35 years of service at the campus.
Sponsored by Revelle College, the event will begin at noon with a kick-off from the UC San Diego Pep Band. The goal is to break the 1974 splat record of 167 feet, 4 inches. Following the splat, Revelle College will offer attendees treats including cake and plenty of watermelon. This event has had an attendance of over 500 in the past and is free and open to the public. Click here to see a video from a previous watermelon drop.
This campus ritual started in 1965 when physics professor Bob Swanson asked this question on an exam: “What would be the terminal velocity of a watermelon dropped from the seventh floor of Urey Hall and how far would it splat?” The first year’s splat measured 91 feet. The terminal velocity of a watermelon when it hits the ground is about 112 miles per hour. Each year, a pageant is held by Revelle College to elect a student who has the honor of dropping the watermelon. Elizabeth Huller was the first “Watermelon Queen” in 1965. Since then, the title, which is now referred to as “Watermelon Royalty,” has been bestowed on multiple students, both men and women.
