LOS ALAMITOS, CA — On Tuesday, Jan. 23, Los Alamitos High School’s Performing Arts Center will host the first annual Los Al’s Next Top Griffin, showcasing the talents of eight senior students. The show begins at 7 p.m. with a premiere of a music video produced by Griffin News students and featuring the Top Griffin candidates. Admission is free, so bring your friends to witness the crowning of Los Al’s first Top Griffin!

In past years, Top Griffin, formerly called Mr. Griffin, was only open to male seniors. Now, Top Griffin welcomes any Los Al senior, regardless of gender, as long as they display a talent worthy of an entertaining show.

Los Al’s senior class presidents, Dana Kim and Mona Taylor, were in charge of organizing Top Griffin. After an informational meeting in December for prospective candidates, Kim and Taylor began publicizing and rebranding the event.

According to Taylor, the change from Mr. Griffin to Top Griffin was a district decision because Los Al is one of the last schools in the area to still have a boys-only event.

“To make everyone feel included, we chose to open up to everyone,” she said.

“Nothing really changed except we opened the contestants to [all seniors.] We still put on the same show,” Kim said.

However, Kim and Taylor received some backlash from students who wanted to keep the event as Mr. Griffin or implement an unspoken rule that only male seniors would participate.

“I don’t mind letting girls enter, but I don’t think Top Griffin is the best title,” said candidate Misha Romo. “I’d prefer to be called Mr. Griffin. I feel like they could keep Mr. Griffin and Mrs. Griffin, and if anyone else wanted a different title, they could come up with their own.”

This year, the eight Top Griffin nominees were introduced at the Winter Formal Assembly. The nominees are Carter Zimmerman, Dillon Luyben, Ella Shapiro, Jocelyn Vlasic, Misha Romo, Owen Gooch, Philip Pinto, and Tessa Meider. Each candidate will perform their talent for a panel of judges on Tuesday.

To start off the night, audience members will view the Top Griffin music video, which was written, choreographed, and directed by Griffin News students Kyan Whiten and Emily Fitzgerald. They created a fun, engaging music video filmed around campus that will showcase all candidates equally.

Whiten and Fitzgerald had extensive meetings to coordinate filming with the candidates and work out technical details like location, lighting, equipment, and matching shots with each line in the song. They also consulted Los Al alumna Adalie Landa, who was in Griffin News and Advanced Dance, on choreography. After filming everything, the footage went to Fitzgerald for editing.

“[Fitzgerald is] incredibly talented, and I know it’s going to come out fantastic,” Whiten said. After the show, students will be able to watch the music video when it’s released on YouTube Tuesday night.

Mr. Brown, Los Al’s film teacher, has been working with the candidates on their acts and introduction videos.

“I’m excited for the talents because that’s something that I haven’t been able to see yet. It’ll be my first time seeing it at the show too,” Kim said.

Romo is performing what he calls “gymnastics dance infusion.”

“I use a lot of tricks and essentially perform a dance infused with gymnastics,” he said. “I thought I could make a really funny show and make a lot of people laugh. I’m mostly doing it to entertain people, not necessarily to win, but it’d be super fun if I did win.”

To keep the competition unbiased, ASB students from nearby high schools like Millikan and Cypress, both boys and girls who have no connections to the Top Griffin candidates, will judge the acts and declare a winner by the end of the night.

“We don’t want to make it a popularity contest. It’s really about a good show; let’s hope the people enjoy it,” Kim said.

There will also be a Q&A session with the candidates. Los Al ASB will post a poll on their Instagram @losalofficial for audience members to submit questions they would like the candidates to answer, as long as they are school-appropriate.

“Top Griffin is a great way to incorporate more people into school activities,” said Shapiro, who will perform a rap and diss track on Tuesday.

“I’m really excited to see how people come together and support their friends,” Taylor said. “We think it’s going to end up being a hit.”

Los Al, don’t miss this once-a-year school event. Come to the PAC on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to watch your 2024 candidates vie for the title of Los Al’s Next Top Griffin!