The second (potentially) annual Biology Department Halloween Party was held on Oct. 29 at the home of Patricia Slev and Wayne Potts. David Witherspoon's brain won first prize in the "best costume" category (and some argue first prize for "most out of character" category). He took home the latest edition of "Tales of Terror and the Supernatural". First prize for scariest food went to Libby McGrane (Erin McClelland's roomate) for her horrifically scrumptious cockroach tartar with xenopus stuffing. Libby will enjoy eating lunch packed into her new sumo wrestler novelty lunchbox. Second prize for costume, an authentic Nepalese mask, went to Brent Helliker, who looked divine in a form fitting duct tape suit (stay away girls, he's sticky!). Leslie Sieberth won second scariest food prize for her vomitously delicious stuffed squash recipe (what was in that stuffing Leslie?). She took home a plastic transformer figurine with tooth breaking candy filling.

Dale Clayton was stunning in his starring role as Top Eek, and brought the house down as he went over Chairman Sandy's head and sang/bellered the following lines to the Dean:

"My department treats me ruff,

And they wont give me enough"

Sandy Parkinson distinguished himself by keeping a straight face while playing three roles (Chairman Sandy, The Dean and Narrator); he was the only voice of reason throughout the entire night. He was also the primary target of ridicule by all other cast members, which is the normal role of rational thought around here.

There was a moment of truthful introspection as the entire cast sang:

"Chairman Sandy, you've done it again,

Deep down inside us we're no good<"

But this brief introspective moment was quickly dashed as mindless tribalism took over. The taboo love affair of the starcrossed lovers, Duck 5 (Michael Bastiani) and Eek 3 (Denise Dearing), ignite clan warfare leading to the bloody deaths of Top Duck and Top Eek, followed quickly by the Romeo and Juliet-style suicides of Michael and Denise. The haunting rendition of, "Make of these clans, one clan", sung stirringly by Kristin Clayton, seemed to bring a moment of healing, which quickly collapsed as the stars and the rest of the cast (Leslie Sieburth, Martin Horvath, David Blair, Michael Bastiani, Mary Beckerle, Jon Seger, Denise Dearing, Dustin Penn, Kate McColluh, Kristin Clayton, Janet Richmond, Emma Rushton) taunted each other during the curtain calls. With choreography by Lara Carroll, lyrics and stageplay by Wayne Potts, direction by Denise Dearing and a special dance number by the wannabe phd dancers (Andy Pacejka, Erin McClelland, Bret Moyer, Brad Demarest, Lora Richardson, Tania Brenes), Best Side Story is a must see, all thumbs up musical, if it ever plays again.