Mr. Jock Tremper reigns as King of the Jungle

Jenna Simons, Eastside Staff|April 16, 2016

Rachel Becker

Tremper looks out into the crowd as he relishes the first moment as King of the Jungle.

Things got wild at East on April 15 as ten Mr. East contestants battled it out to see who would be crowned king of the jungle. The ten contestants in this year’s Mr. East Competition include Jacob deBlecourt, Dipto Chakavarty, Sam Greenberg, David Kahn, Shyam Handa, Joey Tighue, Jack Tremper, Kennedy Omari, Aaron Silverberg and Jake Walsh.

All proceeds raised from ticket sales for Mr. East and money donated at the event will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The night  kicked off by one of Cherry Hill East’s singing groups, Key of She, singing the national anthem.

Dr. Vivone, English teacher and Yearbook Advisor, continued the night by presenting the three guest judges. All three of the judges were East alumni who stayed in touch with Dr. Vivone past their graduation. The guest judges were Mark Barbagallo (‘10), Kris Broadbelt (‘92) and Stephen Young (‘92).

The first two portions of the competition were the opening group dance and the swimsuit competition.

Finally, the talent portion of the competition began. deBlecourt, also known as Mr. Dinner for One gave the first performance of the night. deBlecourt, who was channeling his inner peacock, showed the audience his self confidence and sang a spoof of Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. deBlecourt’s version of the song addressed his physical appearance, with the chorus of the song going “I’m fat/ I’m fat”.

Chakavarty, Mr. Fun Dip, continued the talent portion with a group dance that incorporated his Indian culture.

Greenberg took on the identity of Mr. Sam I Am as he told the audience his attempt at making a whistling club at East. Mr. Gagliardi, Eastside advisor, tells Mr. Sam I Am that he would support his club, however Dr. Chapman, East principal, shuts down Greenberg’s idea. Chapman then continues to ban hats, hoodies and whistling at East. This ban doesn’t stop Greenberg, who starts a secret club. Greenberg ended his talent portion by whistling a mash-up of songs.

Kahn, Mr. I-KAHNic, took the audience on “a journey through the meditative mind of DKAHN”, which was led by his conscious. Through the journey, Kahn incorporated three musical acts, including a duet with his escort, Winnie Cross (‘16).

Handa, Mr. SHYAMpagne Papi, started off his talent portion with a video of him in Mrs. Parker’s , assistant principal, office. Handa is in trouble for wearing a hat and walking in the wrong staircase. Handa challenges Dr. Chapman to a rap battle to avoid detention or Saturday school. Handa showcased his dancing, rapping and piano playing abilities.

Tighue, Mr. Suit & Tighue, shared his musical talents with the audience. Tighue sang, along with Sergio Parsi (‘16), and played the trombone.

Tremper, Mr. JOCK Tremper, shocked the crowd with his confession of being a benchwarmer for the Boys Basketball Team. To prove himself, Tremper performed “Get’cha head in the game” from High School Musical, while displaying his basketball “skills”. Tremper ended his routine by bring Cherry Hill East singing group Stay Tuned on stage to perform “Stole the Show” by Kygo.

Omari, Mr. Black Mamba, reenacted the popular MTV show Wild’n’Out to show his free-style rapping skills.

Silverberg, Mr. Berger & Fries, showed his juggling skills while he was a guest on the TV Show Ellen. Silverberg employed the use of neon and glowing lights into his juggling routine to give the crowd a real show.

Last but not least, Walsh, Mr. Van der Waalsh, told the audience how one could be as flawless as he is. Walsh displayed his knowledge of pop culture through DJ Khaled quotes, his musical abilities, and his scientific knowledge.

The final two portions of the competition were formal wear and question and answer. Tuxedo Junction provided the tuxedos that the contestants wore during the formal wear portion of the competition.

Finally, the crown of the jungle was ready to take his throne.

Silverberg, Mr. Berger & Fries, took home third place.

“I’m really happy that I got to make everyone smile and even though there were some problems I worked through them and I’m just happy that I got to make everyone smile…including my mom and Ellen,” said Silverberg.

deBlecourt, Mr. Dinner for One, took the runner-up spot.

Tremper, Mr. JOCK Tremper, was crowned Mr. East 2016. He will now remain king of the jungle, until a new Mr. East is crowned next year.

To see the full Mr. East photo gallery, please visit Eastside’s Facebook Page or the links below .