The first thing students noticed when they walked onto campus on Friday, October 31st, was the sea of creatively dressed peers embracing the Halloween spirit, dressed as “performative males” with their tote bags and labubus, dalmations, the thieves from the Louvre, and much more. The annual Halloween Costume Contest transformed the school campus, drawing students from their usual lunch spots inside the cafeteria to the Rohr Terrace, where they could watch the contest. Cheers and laughs roared through the crowd as the contestants showcased their costumes to the panel of faculty judges: Transportation Driver and Athletics Coach Mr. Myles Bacon, Dean of Students Ms. Michelle Shea, Associate Dean of Students Mrs. Jasmyn Tanner, Assistant Head of School for Curriculum & Academics Mr. Brian Ogden, Director of Student-Athlete & Coaching Development Mr. Shane Walton, and Assistant to the Dean of Students Ms. Becky Young.
Inspired by a TikTok and the spirit of Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival and folk festival, held annually in Germany, Evan Hamadeh (‘26) came up with the group idea. Ved Ghosh (‘26), Javier Serhan (‘26), Theo Johnson (‘26), Diego Mireles (‘26), Wyatt Stone (‘26), Clyde Kates (‘26), and Gustav Westlake (‘26) said they wanted to share German culture. When it came to the choreography, it was a collaboration between Ved, Wyatt, Evan, and Gustav. After testing out other dance moves, the group decided to stick with a keg stand and took home the award for “Funniest”.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of JAWS, Laird Murfey (‘28) worked with a costume creator to bring his idea to life and snatched (pun intended) the “Best Individual” award. When it came to creating the costume itself, Laird said that he and the costume designer discussed how they were “going to make it come to life with the materials, color, and design.” Having dressed up for Halloween since the age of two, Laird’s favorite costumes have been “Ron Burgundy and a poker dealer at a table.” Aside from his creativity, Laird said his favorite part of Halloween is "all the Reese’s peanut butter cups that I get to eat.”
Aska Enomoto (‘28) and Abigail Guo (‘28) won “Best Duo” for the second year in a row! Aska’s younger sister came up with the idea and helped them craft the costume, which “snowballed into a full-on DIY project.” The fries were made out of balloon sticks, and the chicken nuggets were “sewn from scratch: soft brown cloth, a little bit of padding (the tangy BBQ sauce), and a lot of trial and error to get that crispy look.” She added, “Seeing everyone’s reactions made it all worth it.”
Although the costume showcase came to an end, the Halloween Costume Contest highlighted students’ creativity and enthusiasm for the holiday, leaving a lasting impression of community and festive spirit. Events like this continue to bring the school together, creating memories that students will carry long after the costumes are put away.
![In the words of future ASB President Charlie Ahn (‘26), this is our “super charged…high energy group who are…ready to make [2025-2026] the best school year possible!”](https://thebishopstower.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ASB-25-26-Tower-Collage-2-1200x960.png)
