Last night marked the 81st Academy Awards, and sophomore Andrew Metcalf hosted a top-notch celebration in the rec room of Atherton Hall.

Andrew and friends spent the day creating movie-themed food dishes, including “Benjamin Button’s Banana Brownies,” “Penélope Cruz’s Spanish Tortillas,” and a “Milk Tray” of cheese.  The food was delectable and quickly disappeared.

Andrew’s glassware included some great finds from the nearby Goodwill, where he frequently lands quality purchases overlooked by other shoppers.  Additionally, he supplied handheld, electronic voting clickers to all of his guests, which created an interactive experience.  The lottery system awarded over 100 dollars to the guest with the most correct projected winners.

About 30 students, all friends of Andrew, attended the event.  He’s been hosting similar parties for the Academy Awards since high school.  His reasoning?  “I like throwing fancy parties.  Not big in volume, but big in preparation,” he explained to Onward State.

Read the rest after the jump.

Some important wins:

• Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
• Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
• Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
• Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Animated Feature: WALL-E

• Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk
• Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
• Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Other highlights:

• Entertaining-yet-unnecessary inclusion of Beyoncé
• Realization that Hugh Jackman can sing
• The hilarious Pineapple Express skit

Overall, the Academy Awards were quite spectacular, and props to Andrew for hosting the upscale event.