Each year StuCo hosts a male pageant called Mr. Mill Valley, where they crown that year’s “Mr. Mill Valley,” through a variety of different rounds that showcase contestants’ talents.
The show consisted of an opening dance routine by all the contestants preceded by rounds where contestants: dressed as an iconic male celebrity, showcased their talents and answered random questions.
Seniors Nathaniel Petrowsky and Ellyott Edwards combined their talents for a musical performance, Petrowsky explains how, after some back and forth, they settled on their song.
“Initially, me and Elloytt [Edwards] were going to do the dance battle from ‘White Chicks,’ but we couldn’t figure out the flips, so in the end, we decided that very day to sing ‘Man Or Muppet’ from ‘The Muppets Movie,’” Petrowsky said.
While the show is very fun for both contestants and audience members, this year’s event meant a little more, as all proceeds went to support Friends of Johnson County Mental Health Center.
Junior StuCo member Natalia Castillejos Ramirez explains why StuCo chose them as their sponsor.
“I always made it a goal that we do something to benefit mental health,” Castillejos Ramirez said. “Then my sophomore year, I helped a lot with Mr. Mill Valley and I realized this could be something even bigger. Friends of Johnson County Mental Health Center were the first to agree to do this, so we went with them.”
At the end of all the rounds, fan voting as well as judges scores are combined to choose the winners. Mr. Underclassman was awarded to Lacina Coulibaly, Mr. Upperclassman as well as Peoples Choice was awarded to Ellyott Edwards and the overall title of Mr. Mill Valley awarded to Nathaniel Petrowsky
Both Edwards and Petrowsky were surprised, but elated, at winning their respective titles.
This was not my thing at all, it was crazy,” Edwards said. “Truthfully, I wasn’t planning on winning anything. Winning, Mr. Upperclassman and People’s Choice was insane.”
“All the acts were super cool, there was a lot of really great stage presence out there,” Petrowsky said. “I did not anticipate winning at all. It’s crazy, but I guess “Man Or Muppet” really took it away.”
The event allows students and contestants to connect with the school but according to Edwards connecting with the other contestants was a bonus of this year’s event.
“I talked to people I’ve never spoken to,” Edwards said. “I was talking to people, making jokes with people, finding camaraderie with people that I just never got to have any kind of conversation with. It was fun just being with people that wouldn’t often talk to you or you didn’t believe you would have anything in common with.”
