Twenty senior guys prepare to compete in the annual Mr. TJ competition on March 18th.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
As the year begins to wind down and familiar TJ traditions are just around the corner, students are more than excited for the annual Mr. TJ Pageant, taking place March 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
The Mr. TJ competition is one of TJ’s most eagerly awaited traditions in which 20 of the top senior boys are elected by their female classmates to participate in a spoof beauty pageant-like contest, where they are judged by their creativity, talent, and of course, good looks.
The line-up of guys participating in this year’s contest include Anthony Jones, Hayden Johnson, Tim Mahoney, Ian Melnicoe, Joe Sedig, Austin Hearne, Robert McMacken, Ohran Ramadani, Nick Becker, Brandon Tara, Mitch Mankoff, Tyrone Alexander, Miles McIntosh, Justin VanNostrand, Kelly Sinopoli-Martinez, Kyle Freeland, Kevin Kumar, Ryan Colean, Denzel Truesdale, and John Jones. “Mr. TJ is really bringing all the senior guys together in a lot of different ways. It’s been really fun practicing every day with everyone,” said contestant Justin VanNostrand.
Preparation for the contest has been well on its way, as the men of 2011 must practice and get ready for the different events of the night. They must put in as much creativity as possible in hopes of winning over the judges, as they must find an interesting way to present a rose to their elegant senior lady escorts. Answering individual questions, the comical swimsuit competition, and their interviews will also all be key factors in the judges’ decision as to who moves on to the final five guys. Those lucky and hilarious five contestants will then make one final attempt to wow the judges by performing some special talent they possess. The judging panel this year consists of seniors Esther Turcios, Kira Rodriguez, Casey Edelman, Anna Becker, Morgan Bruzas, Nicole Blake, Suprina Williams, and Catherine Ramirez as well as Teacher guests Kim Holtman and Amber Wilson.
Mia Nogueira, Shauna Pierre, and Ajana Curry will emcee the show, and will also be asking the guys on-the-spot questions during the rose ceremony.
The Mr. TJ competition has been around since 1980, and for the past twelve years has been run and organized by Kathy Wells, a parent of former TJ students. Although her three daughters have already graduated from TJ, Wells continues to put her time and effort into helping out the school by organizing the show year after year. “Every year I come back, and at first I wonder, ‘What am I doing here again?’ but once I get here and start working with the kids it’s a great time and it reminds me of why I’m here. It’s great fun, and it’s a tradition that I feel if I didn’t do it, it would all fade away,” said Wells.
After all of the different events, the most long-awaited portion of the night is when the lights go down and 2011’s Mr. TJ is announced, along with Mr. Talent and Mr. Congeniality. Whomever is crowned Mr. TJ will go down in TJ’s history, along with all the glory and satisfaction that comes with it.
This beauty pageant parody will take place Friday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Be sure to wear your Mr. TJ t-shirt designed by Lauren Jorgenson to the show. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students, so make sure to get your tickets and come watch a show that is part of the rich TJ senior tradition.
