Mr. GQ is an opportunity for boys to showcase their talents in order to raise money for charity. In past years, this winter talent show has only been open to juniors and seniors. This year, the Leadership class has decided to allow sophomores to compete as well.
According to Leadership adviser Dino Petrocco, one of the reasons for allowing sophomores to compete is to increase participation and attendance. “We wanted to expand it to the lower classes, and by doing this, younger kids will become more interested in doing it in following years,” he said.
Sophomore Cameron Atwood is debating whether or not he’s going to participate in the competition. “I think it’s pretty cool, it’s different. If a sophomore has a lot of talent, now there’s an ability for them to display such talents,” he said.
Sophomore Brandon Ewert is also excited about the implementation of the new policy. Although he refuses to “embarrass himself” in front of other students, he is excited to watch his classmates display their talent. He said, “I’m excited because I get to see my friends dance and do foolish things on stage.”
According to Petrocco, when a student wins Mr. GQ, 10% of the proceeds from the competition are donated to their sponsor, whether it be Campolindo Football, Toys for Tots, or a class. The rest of the proceeds go to a charity. This year, Leadership has decided to donate to the ALS foundation, which raises money for people with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
There are 4 main phases of the competition, according to Petrocco. First, participants must find a sponsor who they will represent in the competition.
Second, the students must perform their talents. These may range from performing magic to guitar playing to giving a speech. This is the main part of the competition and matters the most when the judges vote.
After the participant performs their talent, they answer questions posed by the judges.
Contestants are judged on the number of tickets they sell for the event as well as how the participant answer the question and perform their talent.
The competition will take place on January 9.
