Hawthorne High School’s annual Mr. Hawthorne Competition is coming up on March 4. The competition has become a favorite amongst the students of HHS and Hawthorne residents alike. The competition features senior and junior HHS students squaring in a sort of male pageant and talent show combined. One of the boys squaring off for the crown and title of Mr. Hawthorne is senior, Ariton Mimini, better known as Tony. Mimini hopes to win the judges and the crowd over and be crowned Mr. Hawthorne 2016.

Mimini takes part in a few extracurriculars here at HHS. He plays for the boys soccer team and is a member of class cabinet. The outstanding performance and effort Mimini shows on the field is also evident in school where he makes sure that the senior class cabinet fundraisers are a success. He is a student with a magnificent work ethic and he hopes that this will make him a favorite amongst the judges.

For many competitors, the interest to take part in Mr. Hawthorne stems from the fact that many of the boys want to show Hawthorne who they really are. Mimini wants it to be known that he is “ a living legend”. It is a simple fact that the students and teachers of HHS know who Ariton Mimini is. Whether they know him as the star soccer player or an all around great guy they know who Tony is. Mimini’s soccer coach Ryan McMann commented that “He is a great kid, with a fantastic head of hair, and a mediocre personality.” If there are people that do not know of him, Mimini hopes to show them the legend that he is. He wants to show Hawthorne why he should be remembered.

Usually, before big events the average person tends to be a bit nervous and jittery. Mimini is not your “average person” in fact he himself said, “I have no doubt about my victory in Mr. Hawthorne.” The man oozes confidence. He has got the eye of the tiger and that eye is set on the crown. When it comes to competitions the winner is ultimately the one who wants it more and it appears Mimini is that man.

Just like in any event the participants always have that one person they consider to be their biggest competition. In basketball, Lebron James has said Paul Pierce is his rival, and in soccer you have the famous rivalry of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mimini has commented that “The competition is nuts,” and that his biggest competitor is “Kareem because he is like a stealthy little mouse waiting to win this thing.” Mimini is not letting Kareem fly under the radar so easily; he is aware that he has just a big of chance of winning like everyone else.

Everyone has a unique quality about themselves that they want people to know. When asked what his unique quality is Mimini replies “My legs are ginormous.” Whether they are a result of all those hours spent on the soccer field, or the hours spent at the gym Mimini takes pride in them. He is a man devoted to a healthy lifestyle and he believes that is the edge he has over the competition. The high school students and community will all find out on March 4th if Mimini has what it takes to be the next Mr. Hawthorne.