Typically, the Mr. Morris Hills Pageant is held on the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving on the Morris Hills stage. Alumni and students gather to be a part of this memorable evening. Due to the pandemic, this year’s pageant was quite different. It was a pre-recorded show that was shown on a large inflatable screen on Gifford Field on the evening of May 14th. Although we had to wait for the show, this year’s pageant definitely did not disappoint.

The Mr. Morris Hills pageant is one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year. Featuring fashion shows, hilarious impressions, and much more, this year’s show starred 12 Morris Hills seniors: 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. Cracking jokes and introducing the different sections of the pageant, senior class officers Marti Colasurdo and Mahek Sansi were also prominently featured as emcees.

In preparation for the event, the Student Government Association purchased a large inflatable screen to make outdoor viewing events possible for the class of 2021. Candidate Ryan Keating, who will be attending Arizona State University to study film next year, did a phenomenal job editing the pageant together and helped in projecting the recording onto the screen. Meanwhile, masked audience members had the chance to settle in on picnic blankets and towels in anticipation of the event. By the time the sun began to set, the show was ready to begin.

The pageant began with a Full House-reminiscent introduction, as each candidate introduced themselves to the beloved sitcom’s theme song. Next, the candidates danced to several classics, including “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls and “Don’t Stop the Party” by Pitbull, in a smooth group number. Class valedictorian Aria Moreno was in charge of choreographing all the group numbers, and her incredible dedication to her craft can be seen in the candidates’ performances. 

Throughout the show, contestants were able to show off their best outfits, special talents, famous impressions, dance moves, and more. Nick Laux, who collected the most donations for the Project Kind food drive in the fall, earned the title of Mr. Philanthropy, while Ryan Keating, who graciously offered to edit the pageant, was named Mr. Congeniality. In the end, however, there could only be one Mr. Morris Hills, and this year, the title went to Danny Dollase. 

Congratulations to Nick, Ryan, and Danny, along with all of the other contestants for putting on an amazing show!