After a night of showcasing their talents, answering questions and being quizzed on Cabrini trivia, Phil Haggerty and Danielle Alio were crowned Mr. and Miss Cabrini 2010.
The pageant was held on Wednesday, Nov. 10 in the atrium of Grace Hall. Gianna Shikitino and Justin Sillner hosted the pageant and kept the crowd engaged in the show from start to finish.
“I never did anything like this before,” Sillner said. “Gianna has experience [hosting the pageant] and it’s very exciting to work with her.”
“I’m excited that I got to do this with Justin because we are close and understand each other’s humor,” Shikitino said.
After Shikitino and Sillner introduced the 11 contestants, the talent portion of the pageant got underway.
Students inside the packed atrium of Grace Hall cheered on their fellow classmates and friends as they tried to impress the four judges with their various talents.
This year’s judges were faculty members Nicholas Uliano and Carol Serotta, area coordinator Mike Mullen and SEaL administrative assistant Snezana Ilic.
Ranging from singing and dancing to stand-up comedy, the talents of the contestants were extraordinary and left the audience cheering, applauding and looking for more.
Next up was the interview segment of the pageant, which allowed the audience members to catch a glimpse of the contestants’ personalities and see what they stand for.
A short intermission followed, allowing Shikitino and Sillner to interact with the audience members and explain the importance of penny wars.
Throughout the first week of November, students could stop by Jazzman’s Cafe and place pennies inside the box of their favorite pageant nominee.
Pennies add to the contestant’s scores while nickels, dimes and quarters drastically reduce the amount of points a contestant has.
Of course, all of the money raised was for a good cause.
“This year CAP Board teamed up with the Sociology Club and donated the money to St. John’s soup kitchen,” Peter Morrison, treasurer for CAP Board, said in a recent e-mail. “We ended up making $500 this year, which is awesome.”
As the night progressed, the judges tallied the votes and the first round of eliminations took place.
Senior Lauren McCarthy and junior Danielle Alio were the final two contenders for the crown of Miss Cabrini. Seniors Eric Gibble and Haggerty emerged as the candidates for Mr. Cabrini 2010.
“I did not believe it,” Alio said after learning she was one of the finalists. “I was in shock.”
After a few Cabrini trivia questions, the focus of the pageant turned to who would represent Cabrini College as Mr. and Miss Cabrini 2010.
Moments later, last year’s Mr. and Miss Cabrini, Brother Dominic Wetzel and Gina Mulranen, took the stage to crown Haggerty and Alio as the winners of the pageant.
“It was humbling that Cabrini is doing this for me,” Haggerty, who was nominated for the pageant by Cabrini Theater, said. “I don’t feel any burden, it’s a positive responsibility [to be Mr. Cabrini]. It’s great.”
“It feels amazing,” Alio, who was nominated for the pageant by the Loquitur, said. “I absolutely love this school and I am happy to have this title.”
Both Haggerty and Alio recognized the support they received from others and how talented all of this year’s contestants were.
“My family and friends are great supporters,” Alio said “I had the best act partner in Eric [Gibble].”
“Everyone’s talent was incredible,” Haggerty said.
The 2010 Mr. and Miss Cabrini Pageant served as a focal point for the college’s Sprit Week and will certainly be a night that Alio and Haggerty will never forget.
They now get to serve the extraordinary school that they love and cherish, Cabrini College.
