Twelve Washington Township High School students perform to raise money for charities.
By Krista Cerminaro
Last Thursday evening, the Washington Township High School community came together for a night of laughs, entertainment and memories.
The school’s annual Mr. WTHS event — a tradition brought forth in 1999 by Superintendent Joe Bollendorf — had audience members laughing, cheering and watching in suspense to see who would be crowned Mr. WTHS.
Twelve seniors, who show exemplary dedication to the school, are voted in by the senior class class to compete for the title through dancing acts, answering questions and swooning the audience — and the winner would have proceeds — raised by $5 admission per person — donated to the charity of his choice.
“It’s a fun show to showcase, really, the best of the best of the senior class,” student council advisor Brittany Mason said. “The boys, they represent character, and academics and humility.”
Mason has been a Mr. WTHS advisor for about nine to 10 years. This year, the theme was “pirates.”
The boys — each representing a different month — chose various charities as their platform, some near and dear to the students’ hearts.
Will McCusker, “Mr. February,” chose the Colon Cancer Coalition for his cousin, who lost her battle to colon cancer four years ago. Chris Ngo chose the American Red Cross, which supported his parents in donating to them when they were in refugee camps.
“I thought back to that, and how much it really impacted me being here now, and that’s why I chose it,” Ngo said.
At the end of the festivities, Carson Schultz, “Mr. May,” took home the title of “Mr. WTHS.” Schultz, who plays football and lacrosse, had proceeds donated to ZERO — The End to Prostate Cancer, in honor of his uncle who is battling stage four prostate cancer.
The boys introduced themselves wearing eye-catching, over-the-top costumes to represent their months — everything from a mummer’s parade outfit, to a Christmas tree, to a full turkey suit to represent Mr. November. The audience got to hear each contestant’s future plans, advice to underclassmen, fondest high school memories and even who their favorite teacher was.
“They’re awesome. They’re so respectful, they’re silly — it’s just a lot of fun. It makes my teaching job that much more enjoyable,” Mason, a history and sociology teacher at the high school, added.
Between dance acts and performances by other clubs and WTHS students — including a dance performance by the African American Culture Club and a singing performance by senior Antonia Brunetti — the boys answered silly questions at random to further their chances of winning over the audience and scoring their votes.
The showcase, however, which is run by student council members, is no easy feat.
“It’s a lot of work put in — not many people realize that,” Ngo said, who’s favorite part is working alongside his good friends and with great choreographers, who helped them execute their dance moves — or, as Mason joked, their lack thereof.
“We practice twice a week, starting from January, so we do Tuesdays and Thursdays, two hours each night. So, it’s a lot of work [and] a lot of preparation to kind of get to this point,” Mason explained. “The night of the show is over in the blink of an eye.”
“They really let it be student-run, so I get to take a big leadership role,” student council member Aaron Levan, who helps run the show, added.
Levan, a junior at WTHS, said his favorite part is seeing all the different friend groups come together and have fun, and ultimately execute a great show for the audience.
