Q&A with Mr. and Ms. WJ

On Feb. 20, senior boys and girls competed in a mock beauty pagent to benefit Pennies for Patients.  There was an introduction section, a talent portion, and a formal wear portion.  The winners were Senior Michael Spak, who perfromed a stand-up comedy routine and Senior Lindsey Imirie, who sang.

What made you decide to participate in Mr. and Ms. WJ?

Michael Spak: My brother won the competition four years ago and he had a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure if I had the talent to do it, but he convinced me to go [for it] anyway and it worked out.

Linsdsey Imirie: When I was a sophomore, a close family friend of mine won the competition. Ever since then I was determined to sign up. I’ve played the guitar for around four years, and I’ve been singing for longer. Performing is what gives me the greatest happiness, so I couldn’t miss out on this opportunity.

How did you decide which talent to do?

MS: I’ve always had a talent for accents and impressions but I only used them when I would kid around with my family or close friends. My brother really encouraged me to try stand-up so I wrote my monologue and hoped for the best.

LI: I’ve participated in vocal lessons since my eighth grade year, [and] singing has always been something that interests me.

In what ways did you prepare for the show?

MS: I practiced my performance a few times on family and friends and I planned out my formal wear piece with my sister.

LI: My dad and I did a lot of practicing together, every night in fact. Oh, and I went out and bought a new dress.

Who did you pick to escort you and why?

MS: I chose my sister, Katie Spak, because I knew we’d be able to have fun with it and do something different.

LI: I chose Kevin Johnson to escort me because he’s handsome, hilarious and super sweet.

What was your favorite part of Mr. And Ms. WJ?

MS: Honestly, I think it was when I got to perform my act. The day before I rehearsed the first part of it in front of an almost empty auditorium and nobody was laughing. I was freaking out. But when I got up there and people started laughing, I had a blast and people were eating it up. It was so much fun and I’d love to do that again sometime.

LI: Hmm, my favorite part. I would say performing was definitely the most fun I had throughout the show. I also loved witnessing the other talented seniors at WJ. Everyone did so well.

 Did you have stage fright before performing?

MS: Absolutely. It was terrifying. But when people started laughing, it was just fun.

LI: Yes, I was very nervous before the show.

What went through your mind when you won?

MS: I couldn’t believe it. All of the other acts were great, and I just felt lucky to be in the final round. I just wanted to go up there, make people laugh, and have fun with it. And it felt great to get to do that and put the crown on at the end of the day.

LI: I was so shocked. It was an amazing experience and such a fun night – to have won was really the icing on the cake. The support from the crowd and friends amazed me, and I was so thankful for the opportunity.

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