Rogers Senior Crowned "Mr. Viking"

held the first annual “Mr. Viking” pageant was held as a fundraiser for the senior class on Thursday night.

Ten contestants from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes strutted their stuff on a ballooned and colorfully lit stage, then down the red-carpeted runway to the cheers of their fans. The first half of the contest consisted of casual wear and formal wear segments, but they weren’t like any pageant wear local stages have seen before.

Casual wear was certainly that, as sophomores sported a cardboard box with suspenders, a penguin suit, jeans and red suspenders, and a Teletubbie outfit, juniors strolled the stage in pajamas and house robe, overalls and hard hat, and shower cap, and seniors showed off  in robe and red shorts, windbreakers and baggy shorts.

The sophomores’ formal, or evening wear, delighted the audience, as “grandma’s dress,” a floral print frock, wings, mickey mouse ears and a tutu, and vintage Elvis outfits took over the stage. The juniors classed up the act with a top hat cane and dark suit, a kilt and tuxedo shirt, and a form fitting white gown. Finally, the seniors showed up in sports jacket and white pants, and jeans and a plaid vest.

Amy Kalif, the seniors' advisor, said the students thought up the idea of a “Mr. Viking” pageant three months ago. They wanted to make the fundraiser a parody of a pageant, rather than a serious contest, and worked hard at taking it over the top, she said.  The money that they raised will go toward the senior prom and other class activities.

All contestants were volunteers. It wasn’t for the faint of heart, and “no shy guys applied,” Kalif said.

The class advisors for each year judged the contest and determined the winner.

After an intermission, the three finalists, one from each class, performed the limbo, then answered a question in the interview segment. Questions included stumpers like, “What day is tomorrow?” and “What is Roger’s mascot?” After a vigorous “Minute to Win it” challenge, involving ping pong balls and tissue boxes, senior Will Steiss was crowned with the Viking helmet.

When interviewed after the pageant, Steiss remarked, “I feel privileged that I could represent my school in this way. I hope they’ll carry on the tradition for a long time and that my friend Mike (a junior) learned something valuable from me.”