Students crossing the intersection between Bennett Hall and Hill Field on Wednesday afternoon witnessed something bizarre -- even by Halloween standards.
Undergraduates in Penn's 3-D Design class paraded across the street donning large, white prosthetic sculptures.
"I can't get over it, how seriously they took the project," Fine Arts lecturer Elizabeth Doering said of the walking work of art. "It made me cry."
The sculptures were the culmination of an assigned project, "Doing More With Less," exploring the construction ideas of designer R. Buckminster Fuller as expressed through silhouette. Students were told to create a self-extension out of wooden sticks, a lightweight fabric called interlining and glue.
Results varied from a pregnancy strap-on to oversized hats and sword-hands. Each student applied a different artistic meaning to his or her project.
College senior Albert Sultan wore two stars on each hand and one around his head.
"I was emphasizing the strength of my hands and the strength of my thoughts as my creative forces," he said.
The students journeyed from Addams Hall through College Green and onto Hill Field in the show advertised around the University as "Silhouettes, Straps, Structure."
"Some people obviously didn't understand," said College junior and 3-D design student Julie Brown of the spectators. There were plenty of perplexed looks and cheers throughout the promenade.
At Hill Field, the entire class congregated in an interactive art display -- laughing, dancing and jumping around in their pieces while forming a circle.
In addition to the approximately 20 people who turned out at Hill to see this sight, a handful of film makers and photographers recorded the event.
Wrapping up, the students paraded back through the Green, ending at the Institute of Contemporary Art on 36th and Sansom streets.
But Doering doubts there will be a repeat performance of the spectacle for future classes.
"I'm threatening to retire its number now because it was just so good," she said.
