The first annual Top Knight competition took place on Friday, November 15. Originally named Mr. GNHS, Top Knight was created to promote inclusivity and to overall get more people involved.
Completely charity based, this competition consisted of an intro video, lip sync competition, talent showcase, charity video, and ultimately to the audience and judges vote.
A group dance is also performed but is not included in what the judges evaluate. The contestants of the show each had a week to collect donations for their individual charity, and ultimately all of the money was distributed evenly, except for the winner who received the biggest portion of the earnings on top of the two prom ticket prizes.
“Every single charity receives money that the contestants are raising, but the one who wins gets the majority of the earnings,” said National Honor Society sponsor Erin Wise
The event gives seniors the opportunity to have a fun time showing off their talents all the while creating a bonding experience with their fellow competitors.
“With ticket sales, it was over $2000. As far as the contestants go, I think the six of us raised over $800,” said senior and contestant Mindy Kramer.
As for opening it up to both genders, it seems to have proven effective.
“In the past, it’s been hard to get the amount of people, which is usually 5-6, so opening it up to the other half of the population really helped to increase participation,” Kramer said.
Although all of the contestants were amazing in their own ways, ultimately two people were highlighted. Brian Kenebrew was named Mr. Congeniality, the audience vote, and Richard Moung won the judge’s vote. Even the competitors were impressed by his performances.
“I was confident, but then I saw Richard’s performance, and if I wanted to win, next time I would definitely get backup dancers,” said senior Mindy Kramer.