Review by: Megan Jeffries

Eleven tributes “fought to the death” the evening of Friday, March 29 at the Mr. OP pageant.  While the competition itself was kept light-hearted and trivial, the purpose of the event held much more weight.  This year all of the proceeds of Mr. OP benefit Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that helps those battling cancer and their families.

With speeches at both the all-school assembly and the event, the focus was continually brought back to the importance of the money being raised.  Students were reminded to donate generously and to work to raise money themselves.  Even with these reminders, the event stayed true to its traditional fun environment.

Fans of the popular book series and now movie The Hunger Games had plenty of reason to be excited about this year’s theme.  While the theme was introduced and acted out well at the assembly, its influence on the event diminished as the evening progressed.  An avid fan myself, I was slightly disappointed that the theme did not play a larger part throughout the pageant.  However, where it was incorporated, the implementation was spot on.

Despite worries that with so many candidates this event might drag on, the audience was constantly kept entertained by its two hosts, senior Madeline Marx and junior Mariah Studebaker.  These girls’ unique sense of humor kept audience members on the edge of their seats and worked to create a comfortable environment that allowed audience participation.  The hosts gave candidates and crew members the chance to move props and transition between skits, without awkward pauses.

For the most part, the show ran very smoothly, with very few problems.  A slow projector screen and an occasionally faulty microphone were the only noticeable problems of the night.

As a whole, the candidates prepared very original and humorous skits that wonderfully represented their clubs.  One who does not daily walk through the halls of Oak Park High School would be amazed at the diversity of our students.  This diversity and the way that our school embraces our differences is my favorite thing about being a Northman.  As I watched the many talented candidates and listened to the cheers of the crowd, I was filled with pride for my school.  Even the very few skits that were less successful and borderline awkward were received with applause from the very respectful audience.

Overall, Mr. OP was a very enjoyable experience and a great way to spend my Friday night.   While there is always room for improvement, this event definitely deserves high accolades.