CNH CKI's The Sunburst Volume 55, Issue 3 Volume 52, Issue #3 | Page 12

12 FEBRUARY 2013 fellowship Crowning the Next “ Mr.CKI By the end of the night, everyone could tell that choosing Mr. CKI 2013 was going to be a tough decision to make. Connie Phan UC Irvine Twelve Greek gods from all over Southern California stood in the shadows of the colosseum, waiting for their battle to begin--the battle they’ve been training three long and relentless weeks for. Who would be the ultimate Greek god? Who would be crowned Mr. CKI 2013? Which one of these divine and almighty men would bring home the glory and honor to their family? The crowd waited patiently and finally, at 6:30p.m., one by one, the gods, adorned in their silk togas and laurel head wreaths, walked down the aisles of the room, entering the arena. For the next 4 hours, this would be their battlefield. This competition consisted of three parts. First, each contestant had to emulate the god they thought they most closely depicted. Along with their togas, they also had a prop or two that they modeled as they cat-walked across the stage. Just to name a few…there was Aros with his enchanting bow and arrow. Hermes with his metallic winged sandals. Poseidon with his dashing trident. Helios with his scintillating sun. In addition to their props, each also came up with a clever introduction for themselves. “Helios… god of the sun—he could melt the earth, but he would rather melt your heart.” “Apollo, god of music.. he could strum his harp, but he would rather strum your heartstrings.” The next portion of the competition required each of the contestants to demonstrate his talent. Perhaps the most essential component of this battle, this would definitely give the contestants an opportunity to set themselves apart from the rest. Every god had interesting and unique talents, ranging from using mental strength to rip phonebooks in half to swallowing two spoonfuls of cinnamon without water. Some talents had the crowd swooned. Once when the ever so charming Aros sang an acoustic love medley. Or when Hermes stepped off the stage and into the crowd to find his wife and dedicate a rap/song/spoken word to her. The last and possibly the most challenging part of the battle was the interview. Separated into groups of three, the twelve gods had to answer a series of questions. This portion helped demonstrate to the judges each contestant’s ability to think on their feet. By the end of the night, everyone could tell that choosing Mr.CKI 2013 was going to be a tough deci-