The lights dimmed and the cheers rose as the hosts of 2013’s Mr. and Ms. WJ took to the stage. Many students had been long awaiting the contest, including 12 contestants and four hosts, all members of the senior class. Facundo Severi, Danny Charlip, Connor Jobes and Brook Engelhardt provided the necessary cheesy commentary for the remainder of the evening, which would include many twists and turns for the contestants. The event consisted of three rounds, starting with casual wear, moving on to talents and lastly, formal wear. Then judges Katherine Baird, a former WJ teacher who came back to judge the event, Rachel Gold an AP English teacher, and Annie Ezekilova and Max Labonski, both 2012 graduates, determined the three finalists based on the previous rounds and a question chosen randomly from a hat. In the end, winners Melissa Wainaina and Barry Mangold were selected by the judges.
The first round was the casual wear section. This collection included everything from a spiffy ensemble by Daryl Vaca (More commonly known as DJ Daryl, or “DJ D” for short), complete with a neat button down and blazer, to a pair of pajama pants and no shirt on behalf of SGA treasurer Barry Mangold. Lital Firestone even brought a touch of fantasy to the stage with her Harry Potter style emseble. From there, the WJ Cheer team took the stage to showcase their talent as an intermission from the competition, performing a creative routine.
Next came the talent section where each contestant showcased a unique ability, bringing with it a wide array of entertainment. Contestant Sean Jefferson sang an original song, and other’s including Felice Amsellem, Mandee Mapes, and Wainaina sang an array of covers. Ana Chachau Hansgardh showcased her incredible knack for hula hooping, and a segment of lyrical dance was performed by Sarah Hamel. Tyson Glover, WJ’s resident cheetah girl, strutted his stuff with two back up dancers and plenty of cheetah print. The cheer team came back to wave glowsticks in support for DJ D who would be again sharing his gift the next night at WJ Glow. A stand up comedy routine by Yari Jamali brought smiles to the audience, and qualified him as a finalist.
The next round centered around formal wear, with ball gowns and tuxes parading down the stage in sequence. Felice Amsellem went floor length, while Melissa Wainaina wore a shorter dress. Then as the judges were sent away to deliberate on their impressions of the candidates from the first three rounds, the hosts introduced a video. In it, contestants were asked a series of questions and acted on several dares to reveal more about their personalities. This was purely for entertainment though, and did not factor into the judging process.
As the video wrapped up, the three finalists chosen after the formal wear round were announced and sent to the stage. Stand up comedian Jamali, opera singer Michael Rosenberg and beat boxer Mangold stood on the stage, accompanied by singers Amsellem and Wainaina, and hula hoop dancer Cachau-Hansgardh. As the judges went off to deliberate, the break was filled with a video of many contingencies of the WJ populations doing the Harlem Shake, and a unique performance by the WJ drumline, using everything from a tin can to trash cans, in a break from their usual style.
First, the runners up were announced, Rosenberg and Amsellem. At last, it was time for the winners, who were Mangold with his pajama pants, beat boxing, and smooth tuxedo escorted by Kristen Larrick, and Wainaina, who wowed with her fashionable casual ensemble, melodic rendition of “Little Talks” and glittering dress escorted by Michael Getachew. Cheers rose once more as the crowns and sashes were awarded to the new faces of Mr. and Ms. WJ.
