Ten H.S. boys vie for Mr. Voorheesville title

By Jordan J. Michael

VOORHEESVILLE –– The village of Voorheesville has room for only one Superhero. Who will step forward?

Demitri and Patrick Soloviev, Ian Powell, Jason and Adam Katz, Jack Seay, Jerry Clark, Dylan Foster, Max Schuster, and Salvatore Loccisano will compete in the first ever Mr. Voorheesville Competition on Friday at 7 p.m. in the high school’s Performing Arts Center.

Miss New York 2008, Leigh-Taylor Smith, will be the honorary guest and judge for the event that is sponsored by the girls’ varsity volleyball team and the Students Against Destructive Decisions club. 

“One of my volleyball alumna said a competition like this was happening at her college campus and that’s how we got the idea,” said Sandy Vorse, head volleyball coach and SADD club advisor. “My volleyball team thought it was something new and fun and Miss New York supports SADD’s ideas, so she fit in perfectly.”

Smith, 22, agreed to come to Voorheesville after Vorse contacted her manager, Ken Nelison. “I’ve been part of plenty competitions, so I’ll be a tough judge,” she said.

Smith, originally from Virginia, moved to Manhattan after graduating from the University of Virginia. She won the Miss Brooklyn title, then the Miss New York title in June of 2008. Smith was the third runner-up at the Miss America Competition this year.

As a representative for “Right Decisions Right Now,” Smith will visit elementary and middle school classes during the day on Friday to discuss the value of making good decisions in life.

“I think a majority of young kids in school seem to zone out when a teacher throws on a video about the dangers of drunk driving or drugs,” said Smith in a phone interview on Tuesday. “However, when someone new comes into the classroom to talk about those things, kids seem to pay more attention. I enjoy spreading the good word.”

A fun night

The 10 young men will compete in informal wear, formal wear, and talent categories, and then answer a final question. Finding the contestants wasn’t easy.

“We had a lot of guys step up from one grade, but most of them were shy about it at first,” Vorse said. “It was a basic application and we picked the 10 guys that we thought would be the most interesting and responsible. The final 10 were the most enthusiastic, too.”

“The winner should be confident in what they do and be entertaining to the crowd,” said Smith. “It will also depend on how bold they are with their clothes and how poised they are,” she said of determining the winner.

Senior Dimitri Soloviev will be performing a ballroom dancing act for his talent. “This whole thing was a cool idea and I might actually enjoy it,” he said. “I think I’m a little more relaxed than the other guys. Some of them seem nervous. I’m just going to go out there and do it.”

Schuster told The Enterprise that having Miss New York there is a real treat and the competition is an excuse to get his drum set out.

“I think its great to be helping out the volleyball team and I’m excited to play my drums for everyone,” said Schuster, a sophomore. “I’m doing a drum solo and it’ll be interesting because I haven’t played in a while. Stay tuned.”

“Singing and dancing is always nice, but I’d like to see a good comedy piece,” Smith said. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and watching it all. This will be a nice change from the madness of New York City.”