As the lights dimmed in the theater on the Friday night of April 10, twelve seniors took the stage, showcasing their various individual talents in a heated competition of who would be recognized as the best of their class. Senior Showdown is a relatively recent tradition at Heritage, ( originally going by the name of “Mr. Eagle” 10+ years ago ) —but in the five times it has taken place thus far, it has managed to become a staple of MAD week. Each ticket bought for the show grants not only the opportunity to laugh, but also to raise money for charity, this year being Make a Wish, and more specifically raising money to grant 10 year old Ingrid’s wish of going to Disney World.
The show started with a group dance that was specially choreographed by the captains of the Heritage Belles, then followed by each senior’s introduction that they prepared for themselves. These introductions are aimed to be humorous and exaggerated recounts of each persons’ life, such as competitor Evan McAdams ’26 claiming that he was born on the moon, or Belle Self ’26 telling a tale of how she performed in Carnegie Hall numerous times before coming to Heritage. These tall tales are just one factor in determining the judges’ final decision of the best senior, but the seniors are encouraged to make the audience laugh for extra points.
This was then followed by the seniors’ talents, which included a broad range of tricks, from Self singing opera to Ayla Mandt ’26 performing card tricks, and even Deagan Clendening ’26 acting as a clown. While different, they each reflected the months of hard work put into thinking of them, starting as early as January. Ashlyn Schott ’27 shared, “I don’t know if I really had a favorite. They were all special in their own ways, but it was obvious that some were meant to be taken as more humorous than others.”
After intermission, the judges had decided who would take home the four coveted awards given out each year. These awards include the VIP Award (who raised the most money throughout MAD week), the Big Friendly Eagle award (given to those who are recognized as showing compassion to their peers), the Senior Showstopper award (which is given to the competitor who the judges thought gave the best performance overall), and finally an award exclusive to this year’s MAD Week, Ingrid’s Icon, given to anyone of Ingrid’s choice based on her criteria. These were won by Natalie Berry ’26, Bennett Moon ’26, Reese Montgomery ’26 and Evan McAdams, respectively. Montgomery won for her rendition of “My Shot” from the musical “Hamilton,” and McAdams was chosen by Ingrid for his immersive performance of “Revenge” by CaptainSparklez, which is a Minecraft-related parody of the song “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” by Usher, going as far as dressing up and being chased by both a creeper and an enderman.
Even though Senior Showdown mainly acts as a fun way to commemorate MAD week, it’s also a special send-off to the twelve seniors who performed, and this can be emotional for their family and friends watching in the audience. “I mean, as soon as they started showing everyone’s baby photos, especially my friends, I wanted to cry. They were all so cute, and it put into perspective how much they’ve grown from childhood to now,” said Anne-Sophie Pouiller ’27. While not everyone could win a fancy title, all twelve seniors got a special way to part ways with the four years they spent at Heritage, which is admirable in itself. Congratulations to all that performed!