On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, twelve Morris Hills senior boys competed to earn the coveted title of Mr. Morris Hills in this year’s movie-themed pageant. Candidates were selected by class vote and included Steven Adames, Omar Acevedo, Husam Almanakly, Esteban Cambronero Saba, Vaughn Chegwidden, Gabriel Korish, Andruw Lisojo, Frankie Mastras, Kevin McNally, Isaiah Russell, Sam Valerio, and Abe Walayat. With help from their two selected managers, each candidate sold baked goods to raise money to provide help to the eighty families displaced and the six businesses destroyed in the Dover fire, this past October. The boys also honed in on their talents and attended several rehearsals to prepare them for the big night.

Before the show, energy was high backstage, with many prospective Mr. Morris Hills’s feeling both excited and nervous. As Steven Adames said, “I’m hyped, but also low-key scared.” Once the lights dimmed and the contestants rushed the stage for their opening dance, these fears seemed to melt away in a cloud of movie references, like Footloose, Rocky, Grease, and Dirty Dancing. Throughout the night, the seniors strutted their stuff in casual clothes, beachwear, and formal attire, answered movie-related questions, showed off their own unique talents, and topped it all off with impersonations of classic film characters. Some highlights from the night included an incredible violin solo (among other talents) from Abe, an unforgettable performance of the classic talent show scene from Mean Girls, Vaughn’s stylish white t-shirts and black sweatpants, and Mr. Toriello’s surprise proposal to Mr. Mein to go to Applebees.

Overall, every candidate stood out in their own way and truly demonstrated how much work they put into this special night. Only one person could take home the grand prize, though, and this year that was Gabriel Korish. With his comical impersonation of Rose from Titanic, banana costume, and phenomenal performance of Frank Sinatra’s, “Fly Me To The Moon”, this title was certainly deserved. Additionally, Omar Acevedo took the title of “Mr. Congeniality” for his dedication and enthusiastic spirit, while Kevin McNally was crowned Mr. Money, as he raised the most funds for the Dover Fire Relief.

For his win, Gabriel commented that he was ecstatic, but also praised the other candidates. In his words, “Everyone did so great today, we all helped each other succeed and make the crowd smile. Especially Vaughn. He was hilarious.” He also added, “We did amazing. At first, I wasn’t sure if we were ready, but it all came through in the end.”