Annual Mr. TJ contest awaits debut on the stage in April.
Artwork by Katie Dehmlow
On April 9th, 2010, a tradition will take place in TJ’s auditorium; a pageant-style contest featuring 21 young men from the class of 2010.
Each year 20 of TJ’s senior boys proceed on a mission to win the hearts of the judging panel with their good looks, talent and chivalry. The contest originated as parody of the Miss America contest in the early 1980s – showing off the hilarious nature of TJ Spartan senior men. This year’s group consists of: Demetrius Allen, Matthew Averyhart, Chase Bostic, Andrew Brown, Scott Bruskin, Kyle Caruthers, Deontae Fair, Zachary Jackson, Hayden Lammermann, Jared Lewis, Benjamin Makovsky, Thomas Moehlman, Mitchell Montgomery, Shane Oliver, Nasheed Robison, David Sanchez, Billy Sprague, Peter Taylor, Brandon Truesdale, Dante Velez, and Keith Warren.
In March the class of 2010 contestants began training for the big night. It started with choosing a talent that will wow the audience members and win points with the judges. The contestants must create an innovative way to present a rose to one of the many beautifully dressed TJ senior girls who escort them to the stage. The group of seniors wanting to be part of the production meet together during the previous months to get it everything down to a tee. The ladies chose a dress elegant enough to where to prom, the grandest dance of their high school careers. This show of romance is followed up by a brief question and answering session with the emcees. Seniors Paige Wilson, Rhea Boyd, Lauren Kelsch and Shanel Hughes will be on the microphone this year.
The judges will then pick the top five finalists who have the chance to perform their talent for the hungry crowd and adorning fans. Last year’s class of 2009 set the bar high with – to name a few – a hilarious Napoleon Dynamite impression dance (Jordan Nelson), on-point LL Cool J rendition (Winner, Sam Stavish), and a King Tut inspired dance chock-full of costumes (Sam Thomas).
The night will also contain many acts performed by other talented Spartans to give the judges adequate time to make thoughtful choices for each phase of competition. Last year’s featured artists conveyed their brilliance with violins, impressing the audience. Luke Degregori, Zach Salas and Jessica Johnson made sure to keep the audience entertained while results were awaited from the judges. Lauren Abrams, Alex Clark, Stephanie Warren, Monica Ark, Chelsea Skubal, Becca Holt, Alex Gustafson, and Jamee Veasley are the judges for this year’s competition.
After the final acts, the anticipation of who is going to receive the crown and trophy, not to mention the glory, comes to a halting stop. Mr. TJ is finally awarded with the highest honor and the runners-up are also recognized, along with Mr. Congeniality and Mr. Talent.
The winner of last year’s rousing contest was Sam Stavish. The crowd went wild for his talent, hilarious answer to the personal question and innovative presentation of the rose.
Mr. TJ has been run by Kathy Wells for twelve years [you can read more about Kathy Wells here]. With her constant support and enthusiasm, the eventful night has the ability to resonate in the hearts of Spartans for years. “This is something students look forward to since freshman year when you see the seniors enjoying their time. Everyone puts on a really great show, right through the rehearsing and to fruition of the final event. I really love it,” said Wells.
Mr. TJ will be held in the TJ auditorium on April 9, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.
