After an unusually evenly-matched group that made for an unpredictable outcome and a performance date a month later than usual, the Outstanding Young Man from the Class of 2015 was finally announced as Nick Bell at the end of Saturday night’s program.
Fourth Runner-up was Nick Heimberg, third Runner-Up was Ben Schaefer, Second Runner-Up was Brandon Weis and First Runner-Up was Marko Mavrovic.
Other winners included Tylor Hudson and Zavier Colon for the Good Guy Awards, for which the boys themselves voted those they felt had the best attitudes throughout the competition. Matt Kiley took home the Stevens Award for best representing the true meaning of the program. This prize, named after OYM founder Joe Stevens, is also earned by the vote of the participants.
Max Harsha and Aaron Schaefer won Academic Awards; Alec Burnett, Steve Ford and Nick Chandler won Fitness Awards; Matt Marsh, Hunter Kraynak and Arturo Hernandez won Casual Awards; and Jezi Martinez, Matt Stanish and Cody Highlan won Presentation and Dress Awards.
With the time and talent oddities for this years’ 32 participating senior boys, they truly fit this year’s theme of “Endurance.” OYM Director himself Will Fortenberry described this year’s competition and final predictions as, simply, “weird.” For Bell though, the strangest part was hearing his name called as the winner.
“I didn’t think I would really have a chance; I thought other people would be above me,” Bell said. “Then my heart started beating so fast when I found out. I didn’t know what to do.” Bell and the other boys were supported by participants of last year’s Distinguished Young Woman program, including winner Mariah Blackwell, and the OYM of 2014, Matt Bliss.
Bliss came back to present awards and discuss what the program has meant to him this past year.
“It’s given me a sense, one, of better relations with other guys, kind of a sense of brotherhood that I try to find in all my relationships with friends. It’s also given me the opportunity. Having that money has really helped me, going to Purdue, so it’s been pretty great.”
He also had a bit of advice for his successor. “Embrace it,” he said. “Use that money to go for that education. Keep working just as hard as you did in this competition, but apply it to all aspects of your life.”
To win the prestigious title, Bell and the other contestants¬ were tested in five categories: Judge’s Interview (30%), Academics (10%), Fitness (20%), Casual Dress (20%) and Presentation and Address (20%). Before they even emerge onto the stage, the judging is already 60% done. On finals night, only Casual Dress and Presentation and Address are scored.
For the Casual segment of the competition, the boys were questioned one-at-a-time by emcee Officer Troy Williams. With topcs ranging from deceased family members to Roman emperor Julius Caesar, they were asked to tell the audience, if they could meet anyone in the world, who it would be and why. Then Williams picked another question off each boy’s application, asking them to elaborate on preferences like favorite TV shows or personal role models. During Presentation and Address, participants show off their style in tuxedos and announce to the audience their plans following graduation.
Although judged beforehand, the fitness routine is also presented to the crowd, giving everyone on and off the stage a chance to laugh as the seniors danced to “Shake it Off” in their boxers. Bell’s favorite part of the competition was the dancing.
“It was the funniest part,” Bell said. “It made everyone come together and actually work.” Of course, to be named OYM, there is much more involved than just keeping a beat. “I feel like my grades and the way I presented myself to the judges really helped me stand out,” Bell said.
On top of everything, Fortenberry may quit heading OYM after this year to focus on his new family, the school’s soccer team and a youth soccer academy he runs. Without an assistant, it has become hard for him to manage everything at once. Whether he leaves or not, Fortenberry says his favorite part of OYM is “enjoying the guys and the brotherhood we have.”
That brotherhood will be continued by senior boys who decide to present themselves for the program in future years. “When you guys do it, stay focused, get it down,” Bell said. “Have fun, but you don’t want to look stupid in front of the judges. Present yourself in a proper manner.”
Bell would like to thank Fortenberry, Auditorium Director Kevin Giese and all his fellow participants for all their work during this year’s competition.