OKAY TO GET MESSY. Freshman Jozy Allen smears whipped cream on the crown of freshman Noah Pelberg’s head. The goal of this game was to find gummy worms in a tin of whipped cream using only one’s mouth. “It sort of turned into a pie fight with Noah Pelberg getting a bunch in his hair,” said competitor Jacob Frankel, 11.

GET ON YOUR FEET. Students in the audience dance and cheer as competitor junior Sophie Burge shows off her special talent. Each competitor showcased a talent just as contestants in a true pageant would. Because the contest crowns a “Mr. and Mrs. Sycamore,” students competed in pairs; Burge’s partner was Frankel. “My partner’s talent was rapping ‘Super Bass’ while playing the cello. It was so good [that] people in the audience got up and started dancing,” Frankel said.

GET READY. Sophomore James Wilkerson prepares to exhibit his talent. Wilkerson showed off his skills by flipping the three plastic water bottles on the desk.

BATTLE IT OUT. During a game of blindfolded musical chairs, Allen wrestles senior Sarah Abraham for a seat. Blindfolded musical chairs, a largely self-explanatory game, was just one of many activities contestants participated in. “[It] is super difficult because not only can you not see anything at all, once you finally find a chair, it could be pulled away or someone might already be sitting there,” Frankel said.

BE ARTISTIC. Contestants participate in a game of Pictionary, where one partner drew a specified object and the other attempted to guess what was being depicted. “Sophie Burge, my partner, and I killed it,” Frankel said.

WORKING TOGETHER. Seniors Kate Dunne and Brycen Gwyn, partners, try their hand at a round of Pictionary. Many contestants, like Gwyn, elected to wear tacky outfits for this portion of the competition in order to better convey their spirit. “I thought it would be fun to dress up all fancy but still have a lot of fun and stupid moments, some things I do best.” Allen said.

GO ALL OUT. Senior Luke Tenbarge jumps as he attempts to assist his anxious partner, Abraham, during Pictionary. In the background, sophomore Imani Derden wears the costume of SHS’s Aviator Mascot, and Pelberg draws a picture for partner Allen. “Overall it was a very fun event, really well done, and I would [definitely] recommend it for my fellow classmates,” Allen said.

CAPTURED ON FILM. The screen in the theater plays Abraham’s video. The satirical event required each contestant to submit a video which was factored in during judging. “I thought it would be a great idea to do a parody of ‘God’s Plan’ by Drake, becoming ‘Jake’s Plan,’” Frankel said of his video.

BE GENEROUS. Seniors Makayla Stover and Trevor Size, emcees, watch as senior Jack Moskowitz speaks during the pageant. This year, Mr. and Mrs. Sycamore raised money for his brother, senior David Moskowitz who is currently battling Osler-Weber-Rendu disease. Moskowitz was diagnosed when the disease caused a brain aneurysm that hospitalized him earlier this year.

ALL FOR THE FUN. Dunne, Abraham, Burge, and Derden watch laughingly as the event’s ceremonies proceed. Allen, the only female contestant not pictured, was dubbed Mrs. Sycamore. Her talent was “rat-tailing things.” “I was expecting one of the seniors to be called, so when they called my name, I just stood there and clapped. I didn’t realize it was my name they called until someone pushed me forward,” Allen said.