As Halloween rolls around yet again, the dreaded choice of whether or not to wear a costume looms over everyone’s heads. Then, for those who do decide to dress up, there’s the even harder decision of what exactly that costume should be. Some choose to keep it simple while others throw something together at the last minute. However, there are always the Halloween enthusiasts who plan their costumes meticulously weeks in advance; those are the ones that go above and beyond. With Clark’s annual Halloween costume contest this year, that last group certainly made themselves known to everyone on campus.
Vahag Matevosian, ASB president and coordinator of the event, thought that this year’s contest was definitely more successful than last year’s. “We got a lot more contestants and a lot more people were involved in the amphitheater watching and cheering for the contestants,” he said.
Dressed up as Gru from Despicable Me, Matevosian announced each contestant as they strutted down the red carpet set up in the Panther Pit while classic Halloween hits blasted from the speakers. From the classics to more obscure costumes, the red carpet hosted a plethora of Halloween looks. Teletubbies skipped down the carpet right alongside The Mask, a massive inflatable pig, and a student dressed in a rubber duck mask and crab claws. There were resounding cheers for a student dressed up as Andrew Tate, and two students went as the iconic Breaking Bad duo, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Judging the competition were Mr. Doom, Mrs. Paronikyan, and Mrs. Ohanian, who were also dressed up in their own fun Halloween costumes.
Senior Lauren King, who participated in the contest as a 1920s flapper, thought that the contest was smooth and efficient. “I think it was organized really well,” she said. “I like how it went fast and everyone lined up quickly.” She thought she did great, despite the fact that she put her costume together in just ten minutes.
Third place was awarded to senior Jack Capell who was dressed as Uncle Sam. He truly embodied the patriotic figure with his star-spangled top hat and coat. Capell even did Uncle Sam’s signature point at the end of his red carpet walk.
Senior Joshua Ahlers, who was dressed as a cop, got second place. Though his costume initially seemed basic, it was elevated by his performance with one of the Clark security guards who was dressed as a prisoner. Ahlers chased him down the red carpet and pretended to handcuff him, garnering a massive reaction from the crowd. As a regular annual competitor in the contest, when asked how he felt about placing top three, he said it “…feels good. Finally won after three years.”
Taking first place was sophomore Alexander Jasso-Prieto, who was dressed up as the Engineer from the popular video game Team Fortress 2. His costume stayed completely true to the character, and he even wielded the Engineer’s signature wrench.
Though the top three winners all had exceptional costumes, it must’ve been hard for the judges to choose between so many creative options. With Bob Ross, Mr. Mikayelyan, and even a Swiftie nurse (who ended her carpet walk with a cartwheel) all competing, it was an extremely close call.
This year’s contest was incredibly fun for both the audience, judges, and contestants.
