Packed with philanthropy, entertaining campaigns, and hilarious performances, the Mr. Morris Hills pageant has been a cherished Scarlet Knights tradition for decades. And though the pandemic has brought on many challenges, this year is no exception: the Mr. Morris Hills  pageant for the Class of 2021 is virtual and still running.

This year, 12 candidates were chosen through student vote: Johnny Bartolazzi, Chris Coulter, Danny Dollase, Alec Ferguson, Quincy James, David Kattel, Ryan Keating, Nick Laux, Dennis Milazzo, Alex Patel, Aidan Ruane, and Dom Wallace. Their posters, which would usually be displayed in the Morris Hills lobby, are available for both hybrid and virtual students to view online. The theme for the 2020 pageant is “Through the Decades,” and the judges include Mr. Bermel, Mrs. Calzone, former Mr. Morris Hills winner Mr. Mein, Ms. Yaeger, and junior class president Christina Pinheiro. 

Preparations for this year’s virtual pageant are already underway. Contestants have filmed dance performances and a Q&A section, and are working on video recordings of the fashion show and talent portions of the pageant. And instead of the traditional can shake, through which contestants used to compete for the title of Mr. Money, this year’s candidates held a food drive to compete for a new title: Mr. Philanthropy. Taking place in the Morris Hills parking lot, the socially-distanced and touchless food drive was held on November 22nd to benefit Project Kind, an organization that has been supporting the homeless throughout the pandemic. 

When asked about this year’s virtual pageant, candidate Dennis Milazzo was optimistic. “I feel like there are some positives to the show going virtual. It allows us to take more time on some segments and really provide a quality show,” he explained. Currently, the pageant is slated to release for January 2021, and we can’t wait to see all the candidates’ performances!