{"id":104119,"date":"2019-10-31T11:21:42","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T15:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=104119"},"modified":"2019-10-31T13:37:20","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T17:37:20","slug":"svad-alumnus-carves-way-to-second-halloween-wars-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/svad-alumnus-carves-way-to-second-halloween-wars-win\/","title":{"rendered":"SVAD Grad Carves Way to Second ‘Halloween Wars’ Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting into the spooky season through over-the-top confectionery, Food Network’s Halloween Wars<\/em> returned for another season of ghoulish storytelling through sweets.<\/p>\n

The reality show premise is for five teams of cake decorators, candy makers and pumpkin carvers \u2014 one of whom was School of Visual Arts and Design<\/a> grad James Hall \u201905 \u201910MFA <\/strong>\u2014 to compete for a $50,000 cash prize. Hall was on the winning team in 2016 and returned to compete again this season as part of the Frosted Freakshow team.<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert:<\/strong> Frosted Freakshow won the cash prize in the season finale. The two-time winner of Halloween Wars<\/em> and two-time alumnus studied art<\/a> as an undergraduate student and earned a master\u2019s in studio art and the computer<\/a> from the university. Hall took a break from his whirlwind week to share some pumpkin carving tips and chat about how he came to sculpt squash.<\/p>\n

How did you get into pumpkin carving?
\n<\/strong>I started carving pumpkins when I was about 7\u2014when my parents trusted me to use a knife instead of a marker. I always loved it, and I started trying out tools and techniques from clay and wood working. While it always meant a lot to me, it never really occurred to me that it could be anything more than holiday fun to anyone else. Then I started entering into online contests, and after I won some prizes I started realizing that other people loved this stuff, too.<\/p>\n

How does it feel to win Halloween Wars <\/em>again?
\n<\/strong>I have been fortunate to be on Food Network’s Halloween Wars<\/em> twice, and to win both times. I watched the show every year with my mom\u2014she loved Halloween. After she died I decided to try out for the show in her honor, and I was selected for the 2016 season. Winning once was amazing, I went in not knowing what to expect, and I just wanted to do well for my team. Winning a second time was really unbelievable. I knew what I was in for, and decided to take bigger risks.<\/p>\n