Studs raise money to eliminate MNT
During the talent portion of the Stud Pageant, Anderson Hill, senior, played ukulele and sang to a Nickelback song. This performance helped Hill win the crown at the end of the show.
Wolf whistles can be heard from all around the auditorium as the “studs” of 2017 are introduced during the annual Stud Pageant hosted by the NPHS Key Club. Starting in 2012, the Stud Pageant has continuously been used as a vehicle to raise money for the Illuminate Project, a partnership between UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) and Kiwanis to help eliminate Maternal Neonatal Tetanus (MNT).
MNT is “a disease that affects mothers and their newborn babies in third world countries, because in third world countries, their umbilical care practices aren’t as sanitary as they would be in first world countries, so often times to stop the bleeding of the umbilical cord they will rub dirt or something into it,” Dani Moors, senior and co-president of Key Club, said.
“Each vaccine costs $1.80, [and] every ticket for the Stud Pageant costs $5, so you’re saving at least a few lives with every ticket,” Moors further explained.
Steve Johnson, history teacher, has been the Key Club adviser for “around 20 years” and is retiring from his position as adviser this year. To him, this event has always been “just a great evening for a great cause. It’s really fun to be a part of,” he said.
Johnson’s favorite part of the whole Stud Pageant is “seeing the finished product. I know how much work goes into it and how much organization there is and trying to get the bake sales and get the music and get the MCs. So to see it all come together is definitely my favorite part.”
The Stud Pageant consisted of three components: the spirit catwalk, the talent portion and the question session.
In the spirit catwalk, the participants dressed up in outfits considered “unconventional.” This section featured Anderson Hill, senior, walking the catwalk in a hula skirt and a coconut bra while Jack Sampson, junior, showed off a matching collared shirt and shorts combo, among other noticeable outfits.
The talent portion allowed the studs to showcase their skills. From solving math equations, dancing, and flipping, every single talent that the Panthers exhibited was unique to the cheering and applauding audience members.
In the third and final portion of the pageant, the studs dressed up in formal attire and answered several questions that were asked by the MCs. These questions ranged from “Do you believe in soulmates?” to “Why are you single?”, each one raising laughter from the audience.
After the three sections were complete, viewers took out their phones and voted for who they wanted to crown as the main stud, while the studs themselves paraded on the stage and around the PAC encouraging people to vote for them. After a couple of minutes, the hosts emerged with the name of the winner of the Stud Pageant.
Patrick Harley, senior, has a moment in the spotlight as the MC’s pretend that he is the winner of the Stud Pageant. After bottle flipping on a stool, Harley later joked about his nicknames, claiming that his family calls him “Taco.”
In honor of the famous blunder Steve Harvey made while announcing Miss Universe in 2016, the winner who was initially announced was Patrick Harley, senior. In the midst of his thank you speech, one of the hosts apologized, saying they made a mistake. The real winner was Hill, who was still fully decked out in a hula skirt and a coconut bra.
Hill was pleased and surprised with his victory. “It’s cool. I feel like the tiara says a lot and the pink sash compliments the blazer,” he said.
Hill’s talent that won the audience over was his tribute to Nickelback while playing the ukulele. He also joined his friends onstage while they were dancing, which was his favorite part of the night. While on stage, Hill was “just working the hips. I was kind of freaking out about that but once I decided to do it, it was totally worth it.”
After correcting their mistake, the MC’s announced that the true winner of the Stud Pageant was Anderson Hill, senior.
Harley’s talent was being “an executive grandmaster water bottle flipper,” as he put it. Unfortunately, the landing was off, and his bottle did not flip, but fell. However, Harley did not let that upset his good mood. “I wanted to be out there and I wanted make everyone laugh. I’m one of those people where you’re either laughing with me or at me,” he said.
The mix-up which ended the pageant was decided soon before the winner was to be announced, and Harley volunteered to be the mistaken winner. “We were looking around and I was like, ‘I’ll take one for the team’. I’ve got pretty thick skin but this was all in fun. As long as everyone had fun, that’s all that matters.”
