Mr. SHS: Fundraiser for medical teams

By Heather Ferdinand

Matthew Brown believes he is qualified to be the 2011 Mr. SHS because he is funny, involved in school activities and loves Silverton.

“Oh and I have a beard,” Brown said.

“What I think qualifies me to be the next Mr. SHS is my studly figure, my extraordinary dancing ability and my talent,” Daniel Roth said sarcastically.

While each Mr. SHS contestant has a theory on why he should win, the high school senior boys share the same reason for participating in the “beauty pageant.” They want to raise funds and awareness for Medical Teams International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people suffering from disaster, conflict and poverty.

Silverton High School’s Student Body President Julia Gabriel said Mr. SHS freatures guys willing to be critiqued on talent, formal wear, a group dance, impromptu speaking and their spirit attire.

This year’s contestants are Casey Magis-Agosta, Daniel Roth, Gavin Knox, Hayden Chandler, Jacob Andvik, Matthew Brown, Nolan Manning and Riley Aman.

“I’ve wanted to do it since I was a little tyke. My first words were ‘male beauty pageant’,” Magis-Agosta joked.

“My hope is that people will laugh. I couldn’t really ask for much else,” Knox said.

A highlight of the evening’s entertainment is a the contestants’ choreographed dance.

“Sophia Johnston concocted a phenomenal dance for us to perform. You better come see it,” Magis-Agosta said.

“For sure the best dancer is Matthew Brown,” Roth exclaimed.

All of the money raised goes to the Medical Teams International, founded by Ron Post in 1979.  Post saw
television reports of mass suffering in Cambodia and watched as  refugees desperately tried to escape the Khmer Rouge by stumbling across the border into Thailand. As an image of a dying Cambodian girl filled his television screen, compassion turned to determination. “What if that refugee were my own child?” Post thought. He went on to organize volunteers to travel to the region to help.

The Mr. SHS contestants visited MTI’s office in Tigard to see a presentation about the work the group does throughout the world, including the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan and war-torn Libya.

“The show was so eye-opening. I can’t even begin to describe how it made me feel. It really showed me how privileged I am and how we have so much and how much we could be helping,” Brown said

“Bad things happen in the world. The important point is, ‘What are you going to do about them?'” Dr. Phyllis Cavens of Medical Team International has said.

Aman hopes the show will have a great turn out. “I hope to get as many people as possible to come, not only support all of the Mr. SHS guys, but also MIT through generous donations to their great cause,” Aman said.