The Pageant Kings of Bonneville

Kimmie Barnes
Editor-in-Chief
  Mr. Bonneville is a long-running, beloved institution of Bonneville High School which is heavily inspired by the Miss Bonneville pageant. In this comical competition, male students from all grades showcase their skills in various events and compete for the title. These events include talent, walk, and on-stage questions. 
  The cherished pageant is organized by BHS Student Council (STUCO). This year, senior Isabella Cartier headed the committee in charge of the competition. In an interview, she explained what the show entails and what work goes into the planning, and she discussed the challenges and rewards of leading the guys. Mr. Bonneville gives the contestants a chance to show off their expertise, Cartier teased some of the talents such as eating, dancing, and synchronized swimming. Because the pageant is a friendly competition, there had to be a panel of judges. When asked how the judges are selected, Cartier explained “We wanted to pick judges that are unbiased, fair, and hilarious!” The final decision was three moms who have never had sons attend BHS. Part of the planning of Mr. Bonneville is creating a theme; this year’s theme is Top Gun. Cartier mentioned that there was no real inspiration for the theme, but rather there was the idea that the well-loved movie could create a fun atmosphere everyone could enjoy. Taking charge of the pageant was not an easy feat. Cartier’s greatest challenge was keeping everything organized because there were multiple parts of the show moving and happening all at once. She also mentioned that seeing the pageant come together has been the most rewarding part of her experience. Cartier expressed her gratitude towards the boys and her fellow STUCO members for their help participating and organizing. 
  This year’s competition was held on April 7th. The show began with a brief self-introduction and dance number to the tune of “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic from the contestants. Following the choreography, the talents began. Skills such as stand-up comedy from sophomore Riley Smith, lemon eating from senior Kole Bergren, and even math magic from sophomore Max Toussaint. The pageant continued with the walk and on-stage question. When senior Grant Andrus was asked who was someone he would choose to have dinner with dead or alive, his answer was Morgan Freeman because of the advice the esteemed actor must be keeping to himself. Finally, the time came for the judges to deliberate and choose their winner. This year's pageant had a variety of ten contestants, but only a few took home awards and only one took the title of Mr. Bonneville. The second runner-up was sophomore Isaac Johnson. The first runner-up was senior Grant Andrus, and the new 2022-2023 Mr. Bonneville is senior Garrett Steffen! All the contestants did great and provided the audience with humor and entertainment. Simply put, the pageant provided a night of laughs.