"Update" Program with Nevada High School Renaissance Program's Michelle Branham, Ethan Copsey and Justin Whitlock

0:00Good afternoon and welcome to today's update program on 97.5 FM double K country. I'm Thomas Ingers. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Today we're going to talk about a fun event coming up at the Nevada High School. It is the 22nd annual male handsome pageant being brought to you by the Nevada High School Renaissance program. And we have some members here to talk to you about that today. We have a member Justin Whitlock, Ethan Copsie who is also a contestant this year as well as sponsor Michelle Brandham. Thank you guys for joining us today. Thank you. So let's talk a little bit about the Renaissance program first, Michelle. Tell us a little bit about what the program is and what it does for students. Sure, Renaissance is it's a national organization sponsored by Jostons and the Nevada High School is honored enough to be a participating school in this program. We are a program that recognizes positive culture and climate within the building, whether that be through students or through staff. We recognize improvement in attendance, improvement in grades,

1:00overall outstanding achievement as well as we recognize kids for honor role, A's, B's for their semester grades. We also one of our highlights is we have the big bingo lunch out after first semester grades. And that's always a really big hit with the student body. And this male handsome pageant that we are hosting in its 22nd year, this is our one and only fundraiser that we do throughout the year. So big event for us. In all proceeds, I'm assuming you use for awarding the students with those things. Yes. And talk a little bit about kind of how the male handsome pageant got started, kind of how it evolved over time a little bit of the background with it. This is like I said earlier, the 22nd year for the male handsome pageant. I remember as a staff member attending the very first male handsome pageant, so we won't speak about how old I am. But it's just, it's always been kind of a really fun.

2:01We'll use the word talent loosely competition amongst the male students at Nevada High School. There's always three rounds. We have our evening wear competition that is sponsored. By the boutique marketplace, they so graciously donate the tuxedos for our evening wear round. It's also kind of like a highlight for like the upcoming prom styles. And then we have a talent round, again, talent round. And we'll use that term loosely. And then we also have club wear where each of the gentlemen will wear something that represents the club that sponsored them to be able to participate in the competition. And Ethan Justin for you guys kind of tell us a little bit about how the rounds will go. Is it you know one at a time? Everyone come out on the stage at the same time. Tell us a little bit of how the workflow goes. So as one at a time for performances, but at the end and beginning of the show,

3:04we have all of those members out there. Well at the end we'll have like a group dance that showcases all the students. And at the beginning we have our introduction ceremony. And who are the judges this year? And what are some of the areas of the judging? What are they looking for? They're looking for how well they the contestants do their talent. So we have somebody doing eating spicy things. Someone doing a clarinet solo. So a lot of them are dependent on who's sponsorship organization they are part of. And so a lot of their talent is based on that. And how many competitors are there this year? We have 12 competitors this year. Everything from Mr. Trigonometry to we have Mr. FFA, Ethan. You are representing... Student Council. Yeah. We have... We have a Mr. Baseball. Mr. Wrestling. Mr. Band. So a lot of different representatives in clubs and Ethan, you being a contestant representing

4:08student council. Tell us a little bit about what made you want to join the pageant and specifically represent the student council. I was actually approached by the student council runner, Kristen Deal. She came up to me and just pretty much said, I think you'd be a great fit for this and just got me hooked on it from then. So then I have to ask, what are you excited for? Maybe what are you most nervous about with the pageant? I think I'm most excited for just being up on stage and performing because I'm a very... I like to say I'm a very like social person and it doesn't really faze me that much being up on stage. But the thing I'm most nervous for is probably the group dance of the last year. It went a little sideways. Okay, so the group dance that definitely seems a little nerve-wracking I'm sure it's much better for you to seem like you like to be solo on the stage and a lot more comfortable in that. Yeah, okay. And tell us a little bit how have you prepared it all or is it kind of just something you don't

5:08really prepare for you just go out and do? Well, it depends on what you're doing. For me, I have not prepared at all. I'm going to be real, but for some people, I know they prepare for like weeks. So it just depends. And Justin as far as kind of the behind the scenes goes, what kind of planning goes into this and putting on the event and are there any challenges that you guys face this year and trying to put together this fundraiser? So we've had trying to grab people to join and at first, it was kind of hard for people to want to take part in this, but as more and more people have signed up, they wanted, they don't want to feel left out, so they've kind of joined in. I'm actually been helping out getting those PAC set up and so it's been helping, so it's been nice to see everything set up and we got our decorations saying it as well. Now, I know last year there was some things such as raffles and things going on or their additional opportunities to donate as well. Yeah, we've had, we've been wonderfully gracious to have local sponsors in the community help

6:11get us raffle baskets. And talk a little bit about the prizes that some of the contestants can win throughout the evening. Reinhardt Jewelry always donates our main prize for the gentleman. In years past, it's been a really nice watch. Last year, it was a very nice chain necklace. So it'll be exciting to see what they donate this year, but we're always looking for donations, whether it be for gifts for the contestants or prizes for the contestants. So once, once we get that one guy to sign up, usually we have lots more that sign up, like Justin mentioned. But we're always looking for whether it be prizes or extra things that we get, we try to make raffle baskets out of them, and we do sort of a silent auction before and during intermission. We do also have a crowd favorite award that went over really well in the last couple of years, where at some point during the evening, we will give the audience the chance to

7:14vote on their top favorite, and they will receive a sash that says crowd favorite as well, as well as prizes that go along with that. And how can they vote on the fan favorite? With money, of course. So we allow them to donate money, and then we tabulate the money behind the scenes, and the gentleman that raises the most money wins the crowd favorite award. Gotcha. And I'm sure people that want to come see Ethan and the others. There are tickets involved with that. Talk a little bit about how they can get tickets and how much those cost. Through this week, those tickets are $5. You can contact any of the Renaissance members for those. This week it's a little bit difficult just because we are on spring break, but they can get a hold of me, and I can help get them tickets. Then once we get back to school next week, we will sell those, I believe Monday and Tuesday for the discounted price, but of course at the door, they're $7. All righty.

8:15And tell us a little bit, both of you guys, both competing, you know, kind of a little bit behind the scenes with running the fundraiser. What are you guys most looking forward to with the competition? I'm looking forward to seeing all the different talents, because I know quite a few people that are one of the contestants, some excited to see what their talent is and how they show their talent. And as a performer, I'm just looking to get up on stage and perform in my talent. What do you hope the audience, their emotion and reactions, going to be like to your talent without giving it away? I hope for me, it'll come off as funny, but funny at like one time, because it builds up to this big experience, so it might not be realized at first, but overall. So, okay, so kind of like a roller coaster, you get you work your way to the top and then you go down. I like that, so make sure to get to the Ella Maxwell Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. You can see Ethan and others. Michelle, one last question here.

9:17The community support that you guys get from sponsors and donations to just showing up to the event. How impactful is that for the Renaissance program? It is our Renaissance program. Like I said, this is our only fundraiser. We try, we understand that times are hard, money is tight, we understand that our local businesses, they just support and support and support. And so, we try to lessen that burden a little bit throughout the community and make this our only fundraiser. And so, through those donations of items that we can put in raffle baskets, donations of the judges' time, just everything, it really just makes this a night that if you weren't there, you wish you were. And everybody's talking about it like the next several weeks after. So, we just really appreciate the community's support, their donations and then just, you know, showing up and supporting our guys. The 22nd annual Mail Handsome Pageant, sponsored by the Nevada High School Renaissance program, Thursday, March 26.

10:18Again, at 7 p.m., tickets $5 in advance, $7 at the door. You can contact Michelle or Casey Campbell. Again, Thursday, March 26. You do not want to miss it. It's going to be a lot of fun. Thank you guys so much for all coming in today. Thanks. That is Justin Whitlock. Ethan Copsie, both members of the Renaissance program. Ethan Copsie, as well, a contestant, as well as Michelle Brannum, a sponsor of the Renaissance program. I'm Thomas Ingram. And this has been today's update.