Halloween ball brings out the character in everyone

The Average Joes, The Three Amigos and The Ghostbusters last Friday night visited the Larrick Student Center on the Medical Center Campus. And they weren’t there to play dodge ball, bust ghosts or even compete for best group or duo from a movie.

So why the visit?

To celebrate Halloween, of course. Students evoked the spirits of film and television favorites at the annual Halloween Ball sponsored by MCV’s Student Government Association and Phi Omega, a society for dental students. Guests paid $5 or donated two cans of food with a $3 admission.

Giza High, the student government’s co-social vice president, said more than 200 guests arrived, and by the end of the night a large box overflowed with about 200 cans of food for the Virginia Food Bank. Moreover, the group raised $630 to pay for food, beverages and music entertainment for the evening.

Amy Brown, a 30-year-old dental student, and her husband arrived at the party dressed in full 1920s getup. She wore a tan flapper dress with a matching hat while he wore a gangster-style pinstripe suit and hat.

Brown said she already owned the dress, but the couple spent almost $100 on their costumes. She rationalized the cost because they could wear their outfits again and again.

“We don’t spend that much every year, but we usually do get dressed up and go out or throw a party (for Halloween),” said Brown, who explained that when she was younger, her family didn’t have the money to buy her ideal Halloween costume. Furthermore, as an undergraduate, she often volunteered to work Halloween night, so her co-workers with children could take their families trick-or-treating.

In contrast, Trevor O’Neil, a 23-year-old dental student, and his roommates budgeted their purchases and spent about $20. The night of the party, they became The Three Amigos from the film “Three Amigos!” that starred Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short. O’Neil recalled watching and laughing at the film with his roommates several times before the night of the party.

O’Neil said to prepare for the party, the trio shopped at a thrift store for the costumes, stenciled a design on their sombreros and jackets and bought some pizza cutters for about $1 each. The Three Amigos attached the pizza cutters to the heels of their shoes to serve as metal spurs.

“We did a lot more this year than we have in the past because we wanted to win best costume,” said O’Neil, who portrayed Dusty Bottoms, the amigo played in the movie by Chevy Chase.

After all their efforts, the Browns reached the semifinals of the costume competition. Best individual costume went to a student dressed as the daisy-duke-wearing cop Jim Dangle from the Comedy Central show “Reno 911.”

The Three Amigos received the award for judges’ favorite and rushed to the front of the stage. Cheered by the crowd, one of the amigos placed his drink on the floor and break-danced, just barely missing his cup. Nonetheless, top honors for best duo or group costume went to a couple dressed as Napoleon and Deb from the film “Napoleon Dynamite.”

Prizes for the contest included tickets to the annual winter ball set for February 2006 or a $50 gift certificate for one of three restaurants in the Short Pump Town Center.