This fall, twelve senior contestants were each on a mission to win the hearts of the judges and the audience in order to take home the Mr. Morris Hills crown. The senior boys were selected as contestants by a vote of the senior class. For three weeks leading to the pageant, the contestants and their managers worked hard to raise money for the Senior Class treasury, Camp Kindle, and the Turner family, whose home was destroyed by fires days before the pageant. The 12 boys spent countless hours perfecting all of their acts and learning the choreography for the show. Bridget Miceli and Alyssa Powell choreographed the opening dance, and the boys spent hours learning its moves and perfecting their own acts for the talent show. Although the boys struggled with some of the the dances, they managed to pull it together. With the help of many, the Mr. Morris Hills pageant was a success.

When asked about the group of boys that participated this year, senior class assistant adviser Mrs. Schwartz had nothing but great things to say. “The boys were very cooperative. They always did what they were supposed to do. They were all enthusiastic and fun to work with,” she said.  She said that no contestant is really the same and that they all have their strengths and weaknesses. A challenge the boys faced this year was having everyone attend rehearsals because many contestants had other commitments. Even though there may have been some bumps in the road, Mrs. Schwartz believed that “this year was definitely a success. The boys did a great job and put in a really good effort.”

Contestants Kevin Hogrelius and Jack Binkoski both agree that their favorite part about being in Mr. Morris Hills was being around a great group of guys. Hogrelius said, “They are all so funny and easygoing.” The boys looked great on stage, but behind the scenes they confess that they had a couple of struggles throughout the preparation process. “The most difficult part for me was definitely dancing,” Binkoski said. “I have never had to dance to something choreographed, so I did struggle with it a little bit, but after a couple of times, I just started to have fun with it no matter how funny I looked.”  The boys had advice for future Mr. Morris Hills contestants. Ryan Machuga said, “Don’t pay attention to what everyone else thinks. Just be yourself and enjoy it because you only have one shot.”

By the night of the pageant, all of the loose ends were tied. The boys did an amazing job,  but only one was able to rise above the rest. Ian Mcnally was awarded Mr. Money due his can shake collection, and Kevin Pratt won Mr. Congeniality. In the end, Will Taitel stole the crowd and the Mr. Morris Hills title. He simply blew the judges’ breath away with his outstanding performance. Mrs. Schwartz said that the show was a success, not only because of the participation of the candidates, but also because of  the people that worked behind the scenes. Senior class officers Brianna Gosden, Ashley Russo, and Isabella Grella were great and energetic hosts. Emmy Chan and Lauren Sysyn designed eye catching promotion posters, and the stage crew worked flawlessly to make the show run smoothly. Congratulations to everyone involved for a successful and entertaining show!