Mr. LVHS 2019: Another Man Handed the Throne
The stage is set. The acts are rehearsed. The costumes are ready. The curtains are closed. The only thing left to complete: the pageant.
On May 3, 2019, six men prepared to enter the stage, fighting for the title of Mr. LVHS. Although those six would enter the arena, only one would eventually rise to the top, becoming Licking Valley High School’s third annual winner. Grady Hartman, Seth Thompson, Caleb Thomas, Nick Cassrlie, Gunnar Smith, and Ramen Felumlee were all in the running, ready to compete. On this sunny afternoon, the LVHS auditorium was packed with students who were all ready for the show.
The curtains opened.
At first, the audience was in shock. The students, surprised at what they were watching - six boys, standing in line, backs to the crowd. The only thing odd being that they were in cheerleading uniforms. This would begin the most shocking and eventful pageant LVHS had ever seen as they danced the opening number to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”.
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For the talent portion of the pageant, Grady Hartman brought to the stage his smooth notes on the saxophone, performing to the audience the song “Careless Whisper”. This was not only impressive but his outfit also contributes to his act’s overall impact.
Seth Thompson came out prepared to woo the crowd with his impressive singing skills, and the auditorium was ready. He had prepared a personal rendition of the song “Tequila”, in which he quite literally said the word “tequila” when the time came; however, the crowd still went nuts.
Caleb Thomas was the first dancer of the group, in which he performed a collection of dances, both old and new, to a variety of popular songs. Some of those included “Old Town Road”, “Single Ladies”, “Gangnam Style”, “Watch Me”, and many others. This was a hit of the afternoon despite it being purposely cringy at some moments.
Nick Casserlie followed them with the song “Your Man” by John Turner and dressed in the stereotypical country boy attire. The crowd cheered for him as he successfully belted the song with both passion and talent, intensifying the competition amongst the competitors.
Gunnar Smith proudly danced with, freshman, Kelby George to the final dance in the movie “Dirty Dancing”, and moved the audience to its feet immediately following the final lift. Not only was the dancing spectacular and hilarious, but the passion Gunnar showed with his moves was compelling.
Finally, Ramen Felumlee entered the single-microphoned stage to perform his talent - the moth joke. Through the unmistakable story of Mr. Moth and the podiatrist office, the crowd roared in laughter by the time it was finished.
After the hard work of Licking Valley High School’s National Honor Society and the six competitors, the panel of judges had made their decision as to who would be taking the title of the 2019 Mr. LVHS...
2nd Runner-Up: Grady Hartman
1st Runner-Up: Seth Thompson
2019 Mr. LVHS: Gunnar Smith