Students at UNC Asheville come together to celebrate Halloween with the Anime Club’s third annual Halloween Party and Cosplay Contest. With snacks, anime screenings and many costumes, students have the opportunity to show off their cosplays and bond with fellow anime enthusiasts.
“We have a lot of really talented cosplayers in the club,” Anime Club President Sedona Murdock said. “We want to give them the opportunity to showcase that and to feel like another one of their hobbies is being appreciated.”
Despite being the third year of the contest and party, this is only the second time it has happened in person because of Hurricane Helene last year. Started by their former president, Murdock has kept the tradition alive.
“They get fired up about it, probably in part because of the prizes and food, but also just because it’s fun,” she said.
The prizes include two anime-themed wall collage kits and an anime character keychain set. Luggage tags and decorations, sent from Aniplex as a prize for the club requesting the rights to stream some of their shows, are also up for potential grabs.
As the cosplayers went to the front one by one, Murdock had them introduce themselves and talk about their costumes, except for a skeleton duo who committed to being mute. With handcrafted, thrifted and store-bought costumes alike, it quickly became time for the club to determine the podium finishers.
The cosplay contest winners are determined by a group vote with a ranked choice voting system, according to Murdock. It is up to the club members, not just her and the club officers, so that it is fair for everyone involved.
Rae Jones, club secretary, finished in first place for their cosplay as Sylveon from Pokémon. The mute skeleton duo of Carter Bopp as Jerry the Skeleton and Caleb Wyman as “some skeleton dog” (according to what he wrote on the whiteboard) finished in second place. Finally, third place went to Maddy Hayler as Tails from Sonic.
Jones said it was very nice to win, but they did not expect it.
“Sylveon’s been my favorite Pokémon since it came out,” they said. “I was really excited to get to dress up all fluffy and girly.”
Jones said they have always been a huge Pokémon fan and believes Sylveon is the best Eevee evolution. They were not the only Eevee evolution present, with another in the contest and Murdock as a third.
“I think everyone should join Anime Club,” Jones said. “We watch shows, we giggle.”
Freshman Lydia Owen participated in the cosplay contest for her first time ever in cosplay as Hatsune Miku.
“It was kind of a nightmare to set up, particularly the wig,” she said. “One of the pigtails got really matted and tangled up, so I spent a couple of hours trying to brush it out.”
Owens has been coming to the club throughout the semester, where they have been watching “Cells at Work,” a show about cells in the human body that she says is silly but also educational because of the biology facts.
“I’ve had a pretty good experience here, and this has been very fun dressing up,” Owens said.
