South’s canned food is returning Oct. 31 with new improvements. StuCo wants to collect more cans than ever before this year. To accomplish this, they are changing the drive a bit from previous years.

“We’re trying to have more events because last year it was just Mr. AmeriCAN and the special food week,” senior Morganne Veal said. “We’re trying to have more events for people to go to, to donate cans.”

StuCo hopes that by having more events, more people will attend and donate cans. Events that will be occurring at the kickoff of the canned food drive on Oct. 31 will be Trick-or-Treat for cans and a competition with Shawnee Mission Northwest at the Halloween Football game. For Trick-or-Treat for cans, individuals and groups will go house to house and ask people to donate cans. The competition with Northwest will be to see who can bring the most cans.

Another event StuCo has planned is a movie night on Nov. 21, in the Main Gym. The Hunger Games will be playing.

The highly anticipated Mr. AmeriCAN pageant is continuing on as tradition dictates.

“Mr. AmeriCAN is a pageant for senior boys that get nominated by a club that they’re in,” Veal said. “It’s for them to showcase their talents and be recognized by the South community.”

Prepare to see candidates dance and perform their talent(s) in order to win the favor of the audience. Don’t just brush off the opportunity to see the pageant because there is more than one reason everyone should attend.

“For one thing they care about it because it’s a way to donate more cans to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau which is where everyone in the Shawnee Mission district donates to in order to help out families in need,” Veal said. “They should also care because for underclassmen boys it could be something like a goal and something to look forward to.”

Mr. AmeriCAN will remain relatively unchanged from last year though there will be a new dance for the boys to perform. Veal mentioned there might be something else new at this year’s pageant but said whether or not that is true is a surprise.

Mr. AmeriCAN Nominees:

Mr. Band: Benedict Luancing

Mr. Baseball: Joe Parsa

Mr. Cross Country: Brandon Maxey

Mr. Football: Ryan Donnelly

Mr. Golf: Charlie Johnson

Mr. KSMS: Pete McAtee

Mr. Latin Club: Max Oellien

Mr. Math Club/Raider Researchers: Matt Logan

Mr. NHS: James Jeong

Mr. Orchestra: Alejandro Diaz

Mr. Pep Club: Sam Stueve

Mr. Track & Field: Brendan Brooks