On Nov. 21, 2023, the Morris Hills senior class hosted its 21st annual Mr. Morris Hills Pageant.
According to Ms. Skutnik, “Mr. Morris Hills is a pageant where seniors pick 12 boys to compete for the coveted “Mr. Morris Hills” title. Up on stage they dance, walk the catwalk, show off their talents and perform their best impersonations. It is always a good show AND it is the biggest senior class fundraiser!”

The 2023 nominated contestants were Matt McGovern, Killian Yombor, Jack Dooley, Shane Davison, Brady Gaeb, Brendan Gleason, Roy Chavez, Chris Petit-Frere, Sam Heath, Hunter Lombardo, Waleed Rahman, and Ben Blender. With the theme of “Disney Royalty,” the contestants danced to numerous Disney songs such as “Un Poco Loco” from Coco, “Magic Happens,” and “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” from Teen Beach Movie, all choreographed by seniors Kayla Reid and Synthia Mani, who also beautifully sang the national anthem.

The pageant began with a fashion show where the contestants showed off their casual wear, Disney royalty fits, and formal wear. Following the runway struts came the infamous Q&A where the contestants revealed what Disney character would be their best friend and their favorite Disney songs. Then they did their best impressions of celebrities such as Barack Obama and Kanye West. The most action-packed segment was the talent portion of the pageant, where Hunter and Waleed “used the force” and Chris played the tuba along to “Uptown Funk.” There were also some Sinatra tunes sung by Brady and Brenden along with some top-notch juggling from Ben.

After much deliberation amongst judges Mrs. Skutnik, Danielle Rizzo, Mr. DiGennaro, and Mrs. Calzone, hosts Gianna Ciampi and Kayla Reid eagerly announced Sam Heath as Mr. Morris Hills 2023. Sam brought much enthusiasm and energy throughout the pageant, making him a top contender for the title. When Sam heard his name announced for Mr. MH, states he was “was shocked and honestly really excited.” He described what being Mr. MH meant to him, emphasizing that “[his] peers voted [him] in and [he] did good by them. It means a lot to rep [his] class.” Other winners on the night included Hunter Lombardi as “Mr. Money” for raising the most money, and Shane Davison as Mr. Congeniality for his good sportsmanship.

Much thought and effort was put into the pageant from the advisors Mrs. Schwartz, Mrs. Skutnik, and Mrs. Diamond, and most especially the 12 contestants.

This year, Mr. Money, the contestant who raises the most money, was Hunter Lombardo.
Additionally, Mr. Congeniality, the contestant who displays good sportsmanship, was Shane Davison.

Events like Mr. Morris Hills help to bring the school together to not only share some laughs and memories, but also to raise money for the senior class. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to this year’s contestants!