By Trent Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Valley High School held its yearly Mr. M Competition on the evening of Thursday, May 24. This year there were only three competitors who performed for the audience in the Ron Dalley Theatre. They were Brayden Evans, Robby Babb and Logan Hanevold.
Even announcer, Pamela Mecham, welcomed the audience to the annual event and introduced each candidate to the audience.
She also explained a new voting system which would enable the audience to select the winner of the contest. At the end of the contest, audience members could use their cell phones to cast a vote for Mr. M. via text message.
Evans was first to perform a talent for the audience. He had created a video with his assistant, Zac Waite. The film depicted Evans as a stunt man performing various humorous stunts; many of which ended in failure. After the amusing video, Assistant Zac quickly set up a very small bike ramp on the stage. Decked in a daredevil uniform, Evans then rode a bike across the stage and over the little ramp to victory.
Hanevold was the next to show off his talent. He came out with his sousaphone, the largest instrument in the band, and performed the sousaphone part to the MV Fight Song.
Last, Babb performed his talent; a magic act. Babb performed several tricks, ending the act by levitating his assistant Skyler Whipple. With amazed applause from the audience, Babb left the stage.
After the talent portion of the contest, the contestants were required to compete in the Senior Domination segment of the event. During this segment, the contestants were to display to the audience why seniors dominated over lower classmen.
Evans went first with help from his assistant, Zac Waite. The stage curtains opened to Evans, dressed in camouflage and hiding behind some foliage on the stage. Acting like an unsuspecting animal, Waite then crawled across the stage. When Zac reached bush, Evans tackled him and tied him up with cords, dragging him moaning off the stage.
In the next round, freshman T.C. Twelker stood on the stage. Hanevold then entered at a run and tackled Twelker to the ground.
Finally, Babb entered the stage in a motorized wheelchair cart. At center stage he stopped in front of his assistant Gage Smithers. Babb casually put on a boxing glove and punch Smithers knocking him down.
After the Senior Dominion, the audience was instructed to cast their votes using their cell phones. But after the voting had been completed, Mecham informed the audience that there had been a problem with the new system. The audience would have to vote the old fashioned way: by screaming as loud as they could for the person they wanted to win.
Each candidates name was called out and thunderous applause was heard in each case. It was close but, in the end, Brayden Evans was named as the 2012 Mr. M.
