Central’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) plans to host Dynamic Duos next semester, a new talent show featuring upperclassmen competing in pairs.
Dynamic Duos was created to replace Mr. NCHS, a longstanding Central tradition that featured 10 senior boys competing for the title of Mr. NCHS, running from 1992 until 2020.
In recent years, the Mr. NCHS show struggled to get off the ground. In 2021 and 2022, Mr. NCHS was canceled due to low participation. The shift to Dynamic Duos was intended to increase participation. The new show was initially open to any senior, but low participation numbers forced changes.
“Sign-ups haven’t been great so far, so we’re still trying to push the word,” SAC sponsor Megan Cosgrove said. “We’ve now opened it up to the junior class to see if the junior and senior classes combined could put together a show.”
Despite this shift, sign-ups for the show have remained slow, putting its future in jeopardy.
“Since it’s never been done before, there’s not a lot of talk about it,” said Emerson Fatzinger, Vice President of Student Outreach for SAC. “People don’t really know what to expect, so we haven’t had a lot of sign-ups. It’s looking like it might have to get canceled.”
Bianca Cima, a Central senior who attended the show’s informational meeting, said low interest from other students has played a factor in her declining interest in the show.
“Due to the low turnout of the meeting, I’m not as interested in doing the show,” Cima said. “I feel like it would be more fun with more people.”
According to SAC’s leadership, these feelings from students also contributed to the end of Mr. NCHS.
“We [seniors] were the last group of people to really know about Mr. NCHS, since it was canceled the last couple of years,” SAC Secretary Jackie Schmid said. “Before COVID, it was a huge deal. Now, I don’t think people really know the hype around it.”
Duos is intended to be split into four different parts. Two will be fashion-forward, with contestants taking the stage in formal wear and beach attire. Additionally, the show will feature a Q&A portion and a talent-show performance from each duo.
Each pair will be able to choose an iconic character duo to represent throughout the show.
“The intention is that students would be able to sign up with a partner, so in case they’re not super comfortable on stage [on their own], they have a partner,” Cosgrove said.
SAC originally planned on holding auditions for the show before winter break, allowing them to extensively plan for the show before coming back from break. However, the event is now up in the air.
“In the next week, we’re probably going to know for sure what’s going to happen,” Schmid said. “We might extend the deadline [for sign-ups].”
