All hail the new Mr. and Miss Cabrini! That’s right. On Nov. 12, the Mr. and Miss Cabrini Pageant, held in Grace Hall, successfully ended with senior Mary Kate Korp and sophomore John Solewin as the winners.
It was not a simple or relaxing task for the winners. The contestants had to compete against six other nominees. Seniors Marina Isaacs, Shannon Santangelo, Colleen LeFevre, Nicole Hearn and sophomore Yarcelly Jimenez participated in the attempt to become Miss Cabrini. Junior Robert Cunningham was the only opponent for John Solewin for the title of Mr. Cabrini.
“I was so excited for this event because my friend Shannon was nominated,” Michele Canavan, senior biology major, said. “I couldn’t get over how funny the emcee’s were. They were great.”
The event was hosted by the crowd pleasing duo, John Jonas and Mary Jacobs. After every segment of the pageant, Jonas and Jacobs got together and cracked jokes with the crowd. They even had their own picture slideshow, depicting their training to host the pageant. The pictures showed Jonas hard at work while Jacobs discovered other highly amusing things to do besides prepare.
The emcees’ jobs may have seemed easy compared to what the contestants had to do. Each candidate was introduced to the crowd, had to go through a grueling interview process, perform a talent, dress in formal attire and then be questioned by people in the audience.
What got the best response from the crowd was the talent component of the contest. Isaacs performed an Indian dance, Santangelo demonstrated math magic, Korp displayed magic tricks, LeFevre baked cookies for everyone in the audience, Hearn showed off her singing ability and Jimenez belly danced around stage. Cunningham gave tribute to John Travolta as he danced to “Saturday Night Fever” on stage with partner Lauren McCarthy. Solewin completed a humorous ribbon dance in a pink tutu.
“The contestants did really well under the pressure of being on stage in front a huge audience. I really enjoyed watching them perform their talents,” Sara Trzuskowski, special education and elementary major, said.
After the talent round, the nominees all came out on stage dressed in gowns and shirts and ties to hear who would be eliminated from the contest. For four of the girls it was the end of the competition leaving Korp, Hearn, Cunningham and Solewin on stage.
Although the eliminations were tough to watch for some fans, the competitors took it very well.
“I think the pageant was a really wonderful experience and all of the contestants did a great job,” Santangelo, senior finance and mathematics major, said. “Everyone on the stage embodied Mr. or Miss Cabrini in their own unique way and it made me think about how much I truly love Cabrini and I will miss it with all of my heart.”
Next came the questioning. People from the audience asked the remaining contestants questions such as what their ideal date would be or how Cabrini affected their life in the social justice way.
“I did not feel challenged by my question because I feel that I am familiar with Cabrini in the fact that I am involved in student activities, I am an RA and an active member in Student Government,” Cunningham, junior exercise science major, said.
By the end of the night, tension was growing throughout the crowd about who would become the next Mr. and Miss Cabrini. People were shouting out names, unable to stay in their seats. The time had come to reveal who had won.
“Winning Mr. Cabrini was awesome, but being apart of it was an even better experience,” Solewin, sophomore business major, said. “I got to do things I normally wouldn’t do and got to make some new friends, it was a lot of fun!”
The former Mr. and Miss Cabrini Christina Cimmino and George Post, came on stage and crowned Solewin and Korp. Everyone applauded and the coordinator of the event Genicka Voltaire, seemed satisfied with how the night turned out.
“A lot of planning went into this pageant,” Voltaire, senior psychology and political science major, said. “I am very proud of the candidates and how well they did with their talents and their interviews.
It was fun interacting with the judges, the emcee’s and the candidates. I had a lot of help from my co-director Kayli and the rest of CAP board.”
Korp and Solewin will be making appearances, wearing the crown and sash, throughout the remainder of the school year.
