“Style On the Hill” is a once-a-year competition where seniors at Norwood High School strut the runway in the latest prom fashions. This year, it took place on Thursday, March 26, at 7:00 PM, in Norwood High’s very own auditorium. 74 students participated in the fashion show portion, and about 30 moved on to the competition portion of the show.
This year, the judging panel consisted of ELL teacher Joseph O’Connor, English teacher James Lee, the Mustang Gazette’s very own editor in chief, Elizabeth Colahan, and Junior class representative Deandrey Alexandre. Their job is to judge and critique the fashions and talents of all of the contestants, although their critiques were all very light-hearted and positive.
Norwood High History teacher and event organizer Kate Curtin explained that the event has been “a tradition at Norwood High School for at least 30 years.”
“In 2008, they added another layer to the competition, aside from just being a fashion show, they added ‘Mustang on the Hill,’ where the seniors get to compete for the title of the number one senior, the Mustang on the Hill,” Curtin said.
Alongside the bragging rights of being Norwood High’s very own “Mustang on the Hill,” the winner also received free prom and post-prom tickets, alongside a free yearbook, a package totaling over $200.
The second half of the competition consisted of three more rounds. First, the students battled it out in a game of Norwood High-themed trivia, followed by a quite ridiculous game involving picking up a spoon as quickly as possible, and ending with a talent show. This year, Norwood’s seniors did everything from singing to a choreographed karate routine.
This year’s winner, Raysa Charles, delivered an absolutely sickening performance to Girlset’s “Little Miss,” exuding confidence with every move.
She discussed only needing to practice for three days before getting the choreography down perfectly.
Charles explained that “actually, it was my first time performing in front of so many people, so I had a little feeling to cry, but I got it [together]. When I won, I just felt good.”
The students involved always end up having a grand time, but Curtin says that the event is more than just fun.
“The goal of the event is to promote local businesses,” Curtin explained.
“Local dress shops, local tux shops, flower shops, hair salons, makeup artists, anyone who seniors would want to go to for prom,” she continued.
These businesses donated outfits, hair styling, and makeup services to the students at the event.
Helping Curtin to plan the event was Junior Sophie Brogadir. Brogadir explained her duties as “collecting everyone’s outfit descriptions and writing descriptions and putting them in a spreadsheet.”
“I was supposed to be the junior representative judge, but I [couldn’t] actually go, that was supposed to be my other job,” Brogadir said.
Curtin further explained, “it definitely is a lot of coordinating, but I do think that it does always end up coming together at the end. It’s just a little bit of work to put it all together.”
The event was a success, as always. The crowd was packed, and all those involved, including the audience, seemed to have a grand time.
