A Week Full of Pirate Traditions

By ELISE DALLEY

The Progress

It was M Week at Moapa Valley High School last week! Per tradition, the week leading up to the MVHS Prom is full of a host of festivities. All these events are carefully planned by the MVHS Student Council.
Last week, the student council planned a great line up including “Support a Sport,” Sign painting, Drive-in Movie, Mr. M, and The Battle of the Bands. Along with the afterschool activities, there were also unique dress up days everyday. These all contributed to the spirit of “M Week” and aided in getting students excited for prom.

This year’s prom theme was “Tangled.” So naturally, the drive in movie on Wednesday was the beloved Disney movie Tangled. Students parked their vehicles in the senior parking lot and enjoyed the popular animated film.

Another popular activity was the Mr. M contest which took place on Thursday night in the Ron Dalley Theater. During this contest, senior boys showcased their talents through silly acts and outfits. They must show off to the crowd an exercise outfit and an evening wear, and walk down the stage confidently for each outfit.

This year’s contestants consisted of Joey Boss, Joey Barnes, Alan Werner, Ethan Witter, Trevor Witter, and Grant Henrie. Each boy was also required to showcase a talent for the audience.

This year’s Mr. M winner was Trevor Witter. He wowed the crowd with a spectacular rendition of the “Napoleon Dynamite Dance.” Trevor memorized the whole dance spot-on and even had the costume down to a tee.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting to be Mr. M,” stated Trevor. “I practiced my dance for about two months, though, and worked hard for it.”

The Battle of the Bands Contest is also always a crowd favorite. It took place as a Friday afternoon assembly during school.

Many phenomenal bands entered the competition this year, and three judges were given the hard task of choosing one band to take the first place title.

This year’s winner was the beloved teacher team, Velvet Fog. During their musical performance students got up out of their seats and rushed to the stage to dance as the teachers played the music. This teacher team was even given an encore as students were not ready for them to stop playing.

All M Week events had great participation, and it was a wonderful leadup to the day of prom.

The MVHS Prom took place on Saturday evening, May 6 in the Gary Batchelor Gymnasium. This event was organized by Student Council Advisor Suzanne Garlick and her team of MVHS students.

The decorations for Prom were gorgeous, consisting of purple and gold gossamer, strobe lights, and balloons. There was also a stage setup where a DJ was hired to provide music for the students.

Another fun addition was indoor fireworks set up next to the stage. As students came through the door to the dance, they immediately started dancing and just having a good time with one another. The energy of prom night was unmatched by any other dance this year.

During the middle of the dance, the excitement was put on hold as Prom Royalty was announced. Junior nominees for prom princess this year were Kate Blasdell, Sage Whitney, and Andie Wood. Junior prom prince nominees were Carter Wagasky, Hunter Neel, and Trenton Wadsworth. Kate Blasdell and Carter Wagasky were announced the winners for junior prom royalty.

Prom Queen Nominees included Taytum Yardly, Brooke Sherwood, and Tylear Anderson. Prom King Nominees were Jayden Bunker, Landon Wrzesinski, and Joe Whitmore. Taytum Yardly was crowned Prom Queen, and Jayden Bunker as king.

“Winning prom queen was an absolute dream!” said Yardley. “I am very grateful to have been given such an awesome opportunity!”
“This prom was easily the most fun dance to plan and attend,” Yardley added. “I loved the energy that the crowd had the whole time and I definitely think it will be a hard one to top!”

The large crowd of students stayed strong all night long, and the energy stayed high. Student Council Advisor Suzanne Garlick has announced that this is the last dance she will be a part of, as she is retiring from being Student Council advisory this year. However, she was so happy to go out on such a good note.

“This was truly such a great dance,” she stated. “I think it’s probably one of the best ones the Student Council has ever put on. It was so fun seeing everyone having so much fun and having such a good time.”