Mr. Flintridge Prep: Rebels for a Cause

On Friday, March 21, the ninth annual Mr. Flintridge Prep pageant was held in Norris Auditorium in front of a packed house. An unusually high number of students (26 senior boys applied and 12 were chosen) competed for the title of Mr. Flintridge Prep.

The spoof beauty pageant included an elaborate dance number, a formal wear competition, casual wear, Rebel spirit wear competition, a rapid-fire Q & A and a talent portion. The judges (Thomas Turchan ’14, Lesley Fox, Joe Maggio, Heather Clark, Gloria Diaz Ventura, Jodie Hare, Peter Vaughn and Sue Hodge) tallied their scores at the end of each round and in the end there were three winners: Mr. Congeniality, Michael Weinstein ’14, runner up, Scott Tsangeos ’14 and the one and only Mr. Flintridge Prep, Ethan Vandeventer ’14. In addition to the three winners, members of the class of 2014 who competed were Will Bremer, Kevin Cookman, Evan Grobar, Kyle Law, Cole Rademacher, Will Newman, Carlo Sivilotti, John Treinen, and Teddy Willard.

Although on the surface the competition is a senior-centric event, behind the scenes, dedicated students from all grades helped pull of a spectacular event, which included lighting and tech as well as ticket sales and promotions. According to tradition, the female emcees, Christine Kazanchian ’14 and Lauren Jacobs ‘14, auditioned for their roles and they did great, even though, to use their own words, they weren’t prepared. Several other students made cameo appearances as escorts, musical accompanists and choreographers, which is probably the most labor-intensive job there is besides being a contestant.

Choreography is the most complex aspect of the competition, and many dancers work to prepare the boys for their dance numbers. Two seniors, Vanessa Lam and Christine Kazanchian, were honored by Mrs. Reggie Ursettie for their commitment over the years.

At the end of the evening, Sue Hodge said, “It’s really true what Peter Bachmann says. This is an event that represents everything this school is about. It’s light hearted. No one takes it too seriously. It’s just fun.”

Fun for a cause, that is. This year’s fundraiser supported the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, and initial returns show that around $4,800 will go to the foundation, which provides education, advocacy and care for those afflicted with epilepsy.

Flintridge Preparatory School, 4543 Crown Avenue, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 790-1178 or visit www.flintridgeprep.org.