Meet the Mr. Harriton Contestants: Devon Chulik and Joel Danilewitz

Meet+the+Mr.+Harriton+Contestants%3A+Devon+Chulik+and+Joel+Danilewitz

Today the Harriton Banner brings you two more in the series of contestant interviews for this year’s Mr. Harriton! Joel Danilewitz (pictured left) and Devon Chulik (pictured right) are ready for the party of the decade; are you?

Devon Chulik – Senior

What is a day in your life like?

My entire life is a series of cringy or embarrassing moments; it is essentially a cycle. This relates to my day because each day also contains this same concept. So, a usual day of my life contains many uncomfortable moments that I would do anything to take back. Other than that aspect of my life, my days are pretty typical. I show up late to school and barely make it through the morning without falling asleep. My teachers take offense to this, but I cannot help it. Lunch usually begins with texting saying, “are you getting lunch now” and usually I respond with something sarcastic stating that it is lunch so therefore I am indeed getting lunch. That one hour of my life is filled with neanderthalling around the school in what my friends and I call “laps” or crowding around a tiny table in the library. The afternoon feels like years even though I really enjoy my afternoon classes. Finally, I get swept away in the stampede that leads to the doors and off to the races I am to get stuck in traffic. I usually complain to myself because everyday people see a bus exiting the office entrance and will refuse to make a left turn until that bus passes. After I somehow make it out of the car line, I make my way to Mr. Harriton practice where I dance with the same face, that I get made fun of for, for the entire time. I then go home, shower, eat, and proceed to not complete the homework I have been assigned. To fill the gap of time between when I get home and when I get in bed, I will make a wawa run with sir Ian Gocial. After this I get into bed around nine and won’t fall asleep until twelve. Why I do this… I am really not sure.

Why did you try out for Mr. Harriton?

Ever since the first show I watched, which was in the eighth grade, I have always thought about what I would do if I was in the contestants’ shoes. I have always felt like I belonged in the show in some way shape or form and thankfully I can be one of the stars. This is a little weird, but whenever I listen to music I will think about possible acts and video ideas. This just gets me more pumped for the show and to show Harriton what I can do, while also looking like an idiot.

Do you have a talent that cannot be performed? (i.e., a talent other than what you’re doing in the show)

My only real talent is drawing and I would not just set up a projector and draw for the audience, that would be boring. To implement this talent of mine into my actually act, I will be “drawing” but on a much larger scale with a medium never before seen in Mr. Harriton.

What is your favorite thing about Mr. Harriton so far?

The people. The diversity of ten contestants, the choreographers, and even the student council members that help are my favorite aspect of the show. It brings together a group of people from all corners of the senior class and from our school. Friendships that would never have started in a normal school environment can now fabricate within the confines of the auditorium we practice in. I love all the new people that I have met and have been able to get to know on a more personal level. I am glad that I can experience my last year at Harriton with not only my friend group, but with all the people that I have just met.

Who is a competitor to watch out for (other than you)?

I feel like there are three people I have to watch out for. Jake Berberian because apparently his act is insane and because his dancing skills will win the audience’s laughs. Will Hoffman because he is the fastest learner of the dances and is very good at dancing. Hannibal because he is the second coming of Mozart, his dancing is on par with mine, and he is just Hannibal.

If you could choose the theme what would it be?

To be honest I am not sure. At first I hated the theme of this year’s Mr. Harriton, but as time progressed, it grew on me a lot. I feel like whatever the theme would be, I would end up being happy with it in the end. If I had to pick a theme though it would probably be clothing brands and the person would have to dress and act accordingly to their brand of choice. For example, if the person chose Vans they would have to look and act like a skater, while someone that chose The Gap would have to act very bland and generic.

Why are you the next Mr. Harriton?

Winning Mr. Harriton is not the goal for me. The purpose of being a part of the show is to put on a good show. To entertain the audience to the best of my ability. To make the best video Mr. Harriton has ever seen. To open new doors to future Mr. Harriton contestants with my act. I want to put ideas and dreams into the audience heads about what they would do if they had their moment on stage. This goal of mine does not include winning Mr. Harriton.

What’s your favorite school activity/sport/club/etc. (besides Mr. Harriton)?

To be honest I do not really like clubs at Harriton. Either they are too intense or too much of a joke that even saying that you are in the club is too much effort. The majority of my activities happen outside of school and they include: graphic design, creating shirts, drawing, photography, and creating music.

Personal Statement? (this can be anything basically)

 I have never really done a personal statement before. Not really sure what to write. I guess if I had to talk about something about my personal life it would be my “shirt company”. As of now it is in the works. I make all of the graphics myself and hand press every shirt. Not really the most exciting thing in the world, but it is something mildly personal.

Joel Danilewitz – Senior

What is a day in your life like?

Setting my alarm for 6:25 sharp, I awake to the sound of soul: Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky” arouses me from my slumber. I slowly detach my body from my bed, a process that takes 20-25 minutes, and head over to the mirror where I chant my daily mantras with conviction to myself (“I’m letting go of the thoughts that don’t make me strong”, “Be who you needed when you were younger”). I then slip into my OOTD (usually a variation of some black pants and white shirt, there will likely be an Adidas logo somewhere in there), and head to the kitchen where I spend 10 minutes eating a lightly browned toasted bagel with a thin smear of cream cheese, all while Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie tell me today’s headlines. I then drive to Harriton, where I spend the majority of my day taking massive Ls, a byproduct of being in IB, and then head over to HTC, Mr. Harriton, or SoulCycle.

Why did you try out for Mr. Harriton?

I’ve always had a lust for school-wide attention. My lifelong craving for recognition pushed me to audition, knowing that if I got in it would enable me to pursue the dream of embarrassing myself in front of the entire school.

Do you have a talent that cannot be performed? (i.e., a talent other than what you’re doing in the show)

Taking Ls.

What is your favorite thing about Mr. Harriton so far?

The sense of fraternity, minus the hazing stuff.

Who is a competitor to watch out for (other than you)?

Jake Rome. The boy does a mean promposal.

If you could choose the theme what would it be?

Queer Subcultures.

Why are you the next Mr. Harriton?

I’m definitely my own man-I bring the palpable sense of energy and fun that Mr. Harriton is known for, while still having my own ~flair~ that makes me the ultimate Mr. Harriton.

What’s your favorite school activity/sport/club/etc. (besides Mr. Harriton)?

HTC forever <3

Personal Statement? (this can be anything basically)

#Resist !!!!!!!!!!!