Hungry for the first-place prize of skipping the lunch line for a week, students strutted across the stage for the Upper School’s annual Halloween costume contest during Gathering last Friday.

There were three categories of contestants: faculty, individual students, and student groups.

The reigning faculty costume riffed on a recent faux-pas for the seniors: Upper School College Counselors Devon Jones, Alexander Zotos, Alexandra Fields, and Jennifer Taylor won by wearing shirts with the numbers six and seven, accompanied by the “6-7” hand gesture popularized on social media.

Sophomore Jacob Hooker caught the audience’s attention and won the solo competition in his handmade costume as Lord of the Nazgul, a fictional character from The Lord of the Rings.

To determine the winner of the student group costume, a first round of judging narrowed choices to the Dr. Seuss ensemble worn by seniors Sienna Meyers, Lia Goldstein, Sam Micheli, and Riley Jacobson, and the Austin Powers costume worn by seniors Miles Stagman, Nicholas Wheatley, and Tucker Thayer.

The ultimate victors were chosen by an applause meter from the audience.

“We have a clear winner, Austin Powers!” senior and Social Chair Vivian Lee-Yee announced.