Kempsville High School’s SCA hosted the 2018 Mr. Kempsville pageant on Friday, May 18th. The theme was ‘Mr. Kempsville Braves Jurassic Park’ and proceeds went to the SCA, Leadership Workshop and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

The opening act was something to remember: a choreography of the 2006 hit, ‘Fergalicious’, and suggestive in a way that the audience found very humorous.

Their performance of Fergalicious impacted more than the audience, however. Jalen Settles said that all 8 became become friends while practicing it, and Niko Hollar highlighted it as his favorite part of the competition.

After that, the eight participants (juniors Grayson Bailey, Shane Catherman, and Doug Flora, and seniors Bryce Tonia, Niko Hollar, Deshawn Davis and Jalen Settles) were each introduced with a banter of fun facts, and the show formally began in the ‘Express Yourself’ round. Each contestant chose their favorite song and an outfit of their choice, and the emcees of the night, teachers Michael Mosley and Charlotte Jenkins, explained the value of the song to each person.

The emcees added quite a bit of humor to the show as a whole, with witty jokes highlighting Mosley’s commentary, and Jenkins’ dry of humor making the entire audience laugh. This was Mosley’s third successive year emceeing Mr. Kempsville.

When the ‘Express Yourself’ section ended the talent competition began – the highlight of the show. Two contestants sang, Grayson Bailey and Niko Hollar, and there were a variety of other acts. Shane Catherman did an on-stage ‘synchronized swim’ with two friends – “Shane’s talent is not shallow,” joked the emcees – and Doug Flora did his sister’s makeup. Lastly, Jalen Settles blew the event out of the water with an artistic act turned promposal, in which he asked one of the models, his friend Kaitlyn, to prom.  

An intermission followed before Act II began, and the ‘pageant’ part fell into play. Each contestant had time on the stage, formally dressed up (courtesy of Philip Michael Fashion), and accompanied by an important person in their life. Bryce Tonia brought his male friend, and they were deemed by the shout of an audience member to be the “Kings of Wakanda.” Jalen Settles brought his grandmother, and Doug Flora his sister.

After the formal wear segment came the audience choice competition, in which all participants sold as many carnations at possible in a ten-minute intersession. Proceeds supported the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Then the participants answered questions about Kempsville trivia, after which the moment in which many had been waiting for finally came: the announcement of winners. Bryce Tonia won Teacher’s Choice Award, Niko Hollar won two awards: Student Choice and Audience Choice, and Shane Catherman won Mr. Congeniality.

Mr. Kempsville, drum roll please, went to Doug Flora, who is a junior.

“For the past two years I’ve watched my guys go out there and have fun, and I wasn’t going to get left out,” Flora said on why he decided to participate. “[And] as just as much [as it was] for fun, I was glad of the beneficial aspect of it, for cancer and for the school – I think that’s a really good cause.”