This Cherry Hill High School East community member can be seen in various places throughout the school. He was seen in the pit orchestra for East’s spring musical, Ragtime. He was seen in the marching band at the Cougar Football Games. He’s been in vocal concerts with East Singers and Casual Harmony. He even has an athletic side, noting bowling on his resume. This person is Adam Crognale (‘17).

However, East will now see Crognale as Mr. A-Damn during Mr. East on April 21, 2017.

“The meaning behind [Mr. A-Damn] is when people look at me and the things I’m gonna do on stage, they’re gonna be like damn,” said Mr. A-Damn.

Anyone could have guessed Mr. A-Damn’s talent portion. He will be featuring his musical talents, including drumming and singing. Mr. A-Damn also hints that the crowd might be getting involved in his act.

Many other Mr. East contestants see Mr. A-Damn as a threat. Zach Paderksy (‘17), also known as Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach admitted that Mr. A-Damn was competition for him.

“Adam is really talented and working with him has been a great experience,” said Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach.

The talented Mr. A-Damn should bring a lot of competition and entertainment to this year’s Mr. East competition.

Emerson Levy ‘17 will take the stage as Mr. Mau-E during this year’s Mr. East competition. While he wants to keep his act a surprise for the night of the competition, he clarified that his name correlates to what he will be doing on stage. He plans on entertaining his audience by singing and rapping during the talent portion of the show.

“It will be a tribute to one of my mentors,” said Levy.

Levy sees Adam Crognale (‘17), Mr. A-Damn, as his biggest competitor, although he also sees the others as tough competition due to his disadvantage of time. Unlike the other contestants, Levy has joined the preparation for the night about two weeks late after he replaced Cedric Middleton (‘17) who had to drop out after advancing to Nationals with Stay Tuned.

“I do have a little stage fright, but once I start getting in a certain groove I’m just mellow, I do my own thing and it will all work out,” said Levy.

Connecting to the theme of this year’s competition “Around the USA”,  Levy said his favorite thing about America is the diversity of food it has to offer.

Levy encourages everyone to come see Mr. East. He said, “You will never regret it.”

Yearning to bring his unique “flavor” to the East stage, Zach Padersky (‘17), also known as Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach, hopes to be crowned the 30th Annual “Mr. East” on April 21, 2017.  

Known as a focal leader of East’s beloved Countrymen, Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach is not one known to shy away. With his prior experience as a devoted crowd member and fan, Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach lacks a major vice: stage fright. Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach’s confidence when performing in front of large audiences should benefit him during this Friday evening’s Mr. East Competition.

Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach was not willing to fully divulge his talent, as he hopes to surprise audience members live and in-person as he performs on the East Stage. Nonetheless, he did provide Eastside with a slight glimpse into his planned act.

“I want to capitalize on my extensive Lip Syncing Career and plan to bring out many special guests,” said Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach, “So it should be exciting.”

After watching his fellow Mr. East competitors at several rehearsals, Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach has gleaned his two biggest competitors: Adam Crognale (‘17) and Christian Termine (‘17), known to the Mr. East stage as Mr. A-Damn and Mr. Rice Chris-py, respectively.

“Adam is really talented and working with him has been a great experience,” said Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach. “And Christian has really glo’d up this year…because the ladies…the girls want him.”

Though Crognale and Termine are fierce competitors for Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach, both have helped make Mr. East an all-around more enjoyable experience, according to Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach.

As Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach vies for the title of Mr. East, he keeps in mind his appreciation for this year’s selected theme: Destination USA.

Recollecting on his appreciation for the country, Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach commented, “I really love the way we’ve been handling the endangerment of the Western Bottlenose Dolphin…and I really like sports.”

Mr. Bringin’ Sexy Zach would like to thank his fans for their undying support throughout his entire Mr. East process.

He said, “I wouldn’t be able to do it without you.”

Look out Cherry Hill High School East, because Josh Snyder (“17) (aka Mr. Snyderman) will be rocking your world Friday, April 21 at the annual Mr. East pageant.  Mr. Snyderman divulges that he got his name from his favorite cartoon character as a kid, Spider Man.  Spider Man’s determined nature will carry Mr. Snyderman to reign superior through all contenstants of the Mr. East. Though he won’t share any intimate details, it is known that his act will include, “balls, sweat and a lot of tears”. Even though his biggest competitor, Cedric Middleton, dropped out of Mr. East, Mr. Snyderman still has one contestant that he sees as a threat. Christine Termine (Mr. Rice Chris-py) is a big competitor, according to Snyder.  Mr. Snyderman in excited for a time to show off his talents and vie for the title of Mr. East. “Get ready for a spectacular show” said Mr. Snyderman. He is confident that he won’t let the crowd down.

Mr. East attendees and competitors alike had better get ready for a wild ride, because Sung Kwang Oh (‘17) has thrown his hat in the ring and is ready to take the stage by storm. Sung will be competing under the name “Mr. Oh No.” 

“From my last name, Oh, and [No] because I make a lot of mistakes,” said Oh.

Oh will vie for the title of Mr. East with originality, vibrancy, and plenty of panache. After four arduous years of involvement in East organizations ranging from drama to debate, Oh is ready to claim the jewel in his crown of achievements and reign supreme as Mr. East.

“I don’t look at any of the other contestants as competitors…” he said.

He doesn’t know exactly what the other contestants acts are and he doesn’t care. Oh is focusing on cultivating his own sweet surprise, in the hopes that the fickle East crowd will say, “Oh, yes” to Mr. Oh No.

“I love to cook [and] bake, so I’m going to be making a little something on stage, and maybe allowing some audience members to taste it,” said Oh.

It’s a bit of an unconventional talent, especially given the live-theater format of the competition – then again, Oh is nothing if not unique. Besides an intriguing talent, Oh’s confidence will be a huge advantage in his fight to claim the Mr. East title.

“Everyone has a certain degree of stage fright, but I’ve been performing on stage since I was…in first or second grade,” said Oh.

For him, Mr. East is a culmination of the identity that he has embodied throughout his time at East, and sharing that with the school on stage should be no sweat. Oh’s excitement to interact with the East population through his Mr. East candidacy seems to be one of the driving influences behind his participation in the festivities.

“I feel like Mr. East is just a time for everyone to come together,” said Oh.

“I feel like that’s something really special at East, where alumni come back, parents come, and all of the students.”

In a nutshell, Mr. Oh No’s impending magnanimous stage presence comes from his love for baking and the East community. As Oh’s East career draws to a close as he competes for the title of Mr. East, he hopes that his legacy will endure even after his quest for the win comes to pass.  

Oh said, “I want to be remembered as someone who tried their best to make a difference. Not just to Mr. East, but in all the activities I did outside of Mr. East. That I really did try my best.”

Known for his extensive commitment to being an adamant East Countryman and his amiable attitude, Sam Berman (‘17) is yearning to finally have his opportunity at the 30th Annual Mr. East competition. Now commonly referred to as Mr. Feel the Berm, Berman insists that has name is a play on words from this year’s past election and hopes to steal the show on April 21, 2017.

Berman is very prepared to set the stage and show East one of his hidden talents. Although Berman did not fully express his talent to Eastside, he hinted at the basis of it.

“I discovered my talent in the shower,” said Berman. “It’s going to be something cute and something funny. Besides, who doesn’t love shower thoughts.”

Although Berman is very confident in his act, he admits that two other contestants are stiff competition: Adam Crognale (‘17) and Christian Termine (‘17). Crognale, referred to East students as Mr. Mr. A-Damn, is known for his drumming skills. According to Berman, Termine, referred to as Mr. Rice Chris-py, is considered a cute break dancing star amongst the East community and specifically the Cherry Hill East Break Dancing Club.

Berman admits that the stage can be intimidating, but he is confident that stage fright will not be a problem for him once his act commences. After seeing the Mr. East performances throughout his high school career, Mr. East has become a “must-do” for Berman.

“I wanted to be a part of Mr. East because it’s something memorable to do in high school,” said Berman “My favorite thing about Mr. East from years past has been the question and answer just because it shows how witty the contestants have been.”

In accordance to the theme of Destination USA, Berman elaborated on his appreciation and experiences in the country.

“America is the best country because of the freedom and diversity, but I have to say the food is impeccable,” he said.

Berman is not only ready to expose his talent to East students, but also conquer all of his competitors in his quest to become the winner of Mr. East.

Mr. Dabz on Em, better known to the East community as Griffin Dabritz (‘17), plans to ‘dab on’ audience members on Friday, April 21, in his effort to take home the 30th Mr. East crown.

But, contradictory to what his pageant name implies, Dabritz does not plan to use his dance moves to win over the judges. Rather, Dabritz will offer an innovative and ironic twist to his pageant performance–finding his talent live and onstage during his ten-minute talent skit.

“You’ll see, there’s a big schabang at the end,” said Dabritz.

This originality may play in Dabritz favor in comparison to his other Mr. East competitor’s traditional and regimented talent acts.

Dabritz admires all of his fellow Mr. East competitors and feels everyone is generally on a level playing field; nonetheless, Dabritz specifically favors Mr. Synderman’s (Josh Snyder (‘17)) performance.

Though confident that he will perform well on Friday night, Dabritz does admit to possessing a high degree of stage fright.

“I have ridiculous stage fright…I hate talking to people and I hate looking at people,” said Dabritz.

Yet, despite his fear of performing, Dabritz possesses an asset which fully makes up for his voice: pure excitement for this year’s Mr. East theme. From hot dogs adorned in chili to the vibrant colors of the USA, Dabritz is a passionate supporter of all things American.

He said, “What don’t I love about America?”

Perhaps Dabritz zeal for his country will prove to be a secret weapon during the competition; his genuine fervor for this year’s Mr. East theme, “Destination USA”, should be easily apparent to audience members.

America, or in the words of Ben Vaupen (‘17), “The Land of the Free,” is about to get “Vauped to the top” this Friday April 21 at the Mr. East Competition.

Throughout the last weeks of preparation for the event, Ben Vaupen (‘17), also known as “Mr. Vaup to the Top,” has been channeling his inner Ryan Evans from the Disney hit, High School Musical. Vaupen will express this attempt at imitation through his acts during the event in remembrance of Sharpay’s and Ryan Evan’s performance, “Bop to the Top.”

“I’d like to think that I model everything I do after Sharpay’s brother, Ryan,” said Mr. Vaup to the Top.

Mr. Vaup to the Top has shown to possess distinct confidence leading up to the event; he believes competitors such as Griffen Dabritz (‘17) (Mr. Dabz on ‘Em) and Josh Snyder (‘17) (Mr. Snyderman) to not be much of a threat.

“I’m not really too worried about Mr. Dabz on Em, and Mr. Snyderman, I’ve seen better,” said Mr. Vaup to the Top.

In addition, Mr. Vaup to the Top shows no trace of fear while performing in front of an audience. Besides courageously running East stage crew for the past four years, Mr. Vaup to the Top has shown charismatic skills with not only people, but cows too, further demonstrating comfort with large audiences.

Mr. Vaup to the Top said, “I’m pretty comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. I talk to my cows in the pasture all day, so it’s pretty easy.”

Overall, Mr. Vaup to the Top’s cool, calm, and collected attitude will set him apart from his other competitors as he Vaup’s it to the top this Friday.

Possessing a strong affinity for Canadian musical artist Drake, Jake Cerota (‘17) saw it as only natural to infuse the rapper into his experience as a Mr. East competitor.

“Drizzy Drake, Drizzy Jake, Jake, Drizzy, Drizzy Jake,” said Cerota when explaining the origin of his Mr. East name.

Cerota’s Drake-inspired Mr. East title, “Mr. Drizzy Jake,” now beams from his white pageant sash in bright red letters. Even with Drake by his side, Mr. Drizzy Jake still anxiously awaits his chance to take the East stage by storm on Friday April 21.

One could say Mr. Drizzy Jake is a man of few words. He prefers physical movement to verbalization. When asked to describe his talent, Mr. Drizzy Jake responded by merely taking off his shirt.

“It’s going to be something like this,” said Mr. Drizzy Jake. “I’m going to be shirtless, I’m gonna be sexy…April 21.”

Confident in his chances of taking home the Mr. East Crown, Mr. Drizzy Jake believes that his only competition is himself.

Mr. Drizzy Jake said, “Competitor? Competitor? I think they should watch out for me.”

Further bolstering Mr. Drizzy Jake’s confidence is his complete and utter lack of stage fright. When asked if he had any hesitations regarding his Friday night performance, Mr. Drizzy Jake answered calmly.

“I mean, it’s simple…I think the stage is gonna be afraid of me, rather than me being afraid of the stage,” said Mr. Drizzy Jake.

Cherry Hill High School East has seen Christian Termine (‘17) “breaking it down” at Multicultural Day. East has seen him dancing on stage at Coffee House. However, East has never seen Termine as Mr. Rice Chris-py.

On Friday, April 21 the Student Government Association will put on its 30th  annual Mr. East, a pageant style contest with males of the senior class as the contestants.

Mr. Rice Chris-py plans to feature his breakdancing skills as his talent portion.

“My act, so far, just includes the process of making a performance that people would see on Multicultural Day or at Coffeehouse,” said Mr. Rice Chris-py.

Although Mr. Rice Chris-py has been on stage plenty of times before, he still has “decent amount of stage fright”.

He isn’t worried about seeing the people during his performance, because the lights are dark in the crowd. However, he does have some worries about the speaking portion of the competition.

Many other competitors have divulged that Mr. Chris-py serves as big competition for them. Mr. Rice Chris-py is sure to wow the crowd at Mr. East on April 21.