GREAT PRETENDERS 2014!

Here I am, freezing. Daylight savings time was recent, which means standing in line, outside, in the middle of November at 5:45pm is a cold thing. It’s okay though, because all my friends have told me about this thing called “Great Pretenders” and how awesome and fun it is…it’s like “worth the wait in the freezing cold line” kind of great. Finally, the bouncer opens the door and a gush of warm air, bright lights, and loud noises hits and adrenaline starts rushing through my body. “Can I have an autograph?” they said, “No! Over here! Smile!” I walk the red carpet and feel like a celebrity. I guess those friends were right, so far, this Great Pretenders thing is pretty rad.

After exiting the red carpet and being bombarded with photos, questions, and selfies, students were able to enjoy this highly anticipated Camp War Eagle special event. Students could grab a friend and take endless photos in our photo booth. They could play games, get a tattoo, dress themselves in neon headbands, and paint their nails. The biggest hit at this year’s Great Pretenders was definitely the black light room. With NEON being the theme, this pitch black room was covered with neon shapes that glow in the black lights. Students could write on the walls with highlighters, dance like they were at Camp War Eagle, or just be crazy! Although there were so many fun options for everyone to enjoy, Bentonville Primetime student Ryan Beard (and winner, with his brother Steven, of the whole event) voiced his favorite part of the entire night, “I love the pizza.”

As students transitioned to the main event, they waved at their friends who were sitting in the front rows waiting to perform. The auditorium has almost reached maximum capacity as the lights begin to dim. This year was by far the most talented Great Pretenders that CWE 365 has ever seen. Every act had put in countless hours of practice, synchronized their costumes, and memorized their lyrics with high hopes of out-performing the rest! With a great mix of funny jokes, silly competitions, and awkward moments, MC Cass Trumbo led the audience in a roller coaster of excitement between each act. However, the night had to come to an end…there had to be a winner. After a lot of deliberation, the judges chose Springdale Primetime for best choreography, Rogers Summit for best costume and Bentonville brothers Ryan and Steven Beard as the overall Great Pretenders Winners.

The event made for one crazy fun, extremely interactive night. Many students went home and told their friends of how much fun was packed into this 2 hour event. Rogers student Sarah Melton put it this way, “I bragged about a lot of things. I bragged about the black light room. I bragged about the performances. But most of all, I bragged about my pizza shirt.”