StuCo hosts third annual Mr. Mill Valley event
Senior Collin Petigna took the crown after competing in two rounds
February 24, 2017
StuCo hosted its annual Mr. Mill Valley event on Thursday, Feb. 23, with senior Collin Petigna emerging as the Mr. Mill Valley of 2017. The contestants competed in a beauty pageant style event, and the ticket sales went towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The event raised over $360.
Four boys from the junior class and four from the senior class competed. The contestants from the junior class were Brady Watkins, Tyler Orbin, Brody Flaming and Landon Butler, while contestants from the senior class were Petigna, Justin Hopper, Joey Pentola and Josh Winscott.
This year, StuCo decided to reorganize the structure of the pageant, adding in a talent portion, online voting and a finals round. A student jazz band also performed before the show and during intermission.
The judges’ table this year was also revamped, including Jacksyn McIntyre from Lee’s Summit, who is currently undergoing treatment for lymphoma. The event was presented in his honor, with 2016 Mr. Mill Valley Tom McClain dubbing him as “the true Mr. Mill Valley of the night.” The other two judges were English teacher Kristen Crosbie and social studies teacher Chris McAfee.
Having seen the event for three years now, Crosbie was impressed with how the event ran smoothly and the preparation of the contestants.
“I do think the contestants did a good job,” Crosbie said.” I think they were mostly prepared. There could have been a bit more preparation on a few of the talents, but I enjoyed all of them.”
For Petigna, winning the crown was a rewarding experience.
“Nothing has felt better,” Petigna said. “It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of [former winners] Tyler Shurley and [McClain]. I hope to use my last few months here at Mill Valley for the better good of all students.”
During the talent segment, Petigna performed “Someone Like You” by Adele using only a piano and a kazoo. The audience, in response, held their phones up and sang along. Petigna says this was his favorite memory of the night.
“It was actually really cool,” Petigna said. “I wasn’t expecting to see all the phone flashlights, but that really made the moment emotional for me.”
For Watkins’ talent, he performed a jump rope dance routine to Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” Although he made it to the second round, Watkins believes this is what prevented him from winning it all.
“[I was] disappointed, but not surprised,” Watkins said. “Falling at the end of my jump rope routine kind of did me in.”
Crosbie thinks the event itself was impressive, despite a seemingly lower turnout.
“I would like to see more of the same,” Crosbie said. “It was that good. [I would like to see] more people, more audience.”
For the contestants, though, the turnout of the crowd didn’t matter. Watkins was unfazed, and according to him, the only improvement necessary is the results.
“Next year, I’d like to see myself winning,” Watkins said.
Petigna, on the other hand, was pleased with the results and only hopes the next Mr. Mill Valley will bring honor to the title.
“Next year,” Petigna said, “I’d like to see someone as dashing as myself. I hope they bring the ‘flow’ back like [Shurley] with the intelligence of [McClain] and the gracefulness of myself.”
