Haven Heartthrob was previously run by Haven Minithon before the club faded and took the event with it after 2023. GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) co-presidents Pearl Tweedy and Gordon Morris, along with their adviser, Mr. Matthew Morris are making efforts to bring it back this year.
All proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to the Ali Forney Center, a New York-based homeless shelter that supports queer youth.
Haven Heartthrob will be set up like a beauty pageant where contestants will need to answer questions, perform a talent, and strut the runway for a panel of teacher judges, along with a student audience in the auditorium.
Because of the performance-like nature of the event, it requires various technical components.
“We are fortunate enough to have a lot of connections with people who do things like lights and sound and tech crew. So we are always able to have a reliable source for the backstage part,” Tweedy said.
While it’s been easy to assemble a reliable stage crew to run the show, finding the contestants has been challenging. According to leaders Tweedy and Gordon Morris, signups have been open since February with relatively low interest, so GSA is still looking for students who are ready to put themselves out there.
“A lot of people take themselves seriously, and they don’t always want to have a little bit of fun on a stage,” Tweedy said. “Public speaking is one of people’s greatest fears, but it’s just finding the right people who are willing to be on the stage. People need to release their inhibitions, and I think hopefully seniors might do that a little bit more, since it’s their last year.”
GSA is not only looking for contestants who will bring enthusiasm and energy to the event, but also people willing to commit to the process and devote some time.
“The biggest part of making sure that this happens is figuring out who is actually going to stick through with it and not bail or do it as a joke,” Tweedy said. “It’s not a serious thing in the slightest, but we need people to actually show up.”
Gordon Morris notices a general lack of participation in school events, citing this year’s low signups for the Unite for Her volleyball tournament and the dwindling interest in GSA’s Rainbow dance, which no longer runs. He hopes Haven Heartthrob will revive student morale and increase personal connection.
“People are like, ‘I’d rather just go sit at home and scroll on TikTok for four hours on a Friday night instead of going out and having fun.’ We need more in-person connections, that is what it really boils down to,” Gordon Morris said.
Participation and timing issues have forced the GSA team to postpone Haven Heartthrob to mid May.
“When we were planning, it was during a really busy period when a lot of the people who might be interested were going on trips and gearing up for spring break,” Matthew Morris, the GSA teacher advisor, said. “Trying to run the event right after spring break just really put the time crunch on.”
However, GSA is actively working to ensure Haven Heartthrob takes place within the new timeline.
We will finalize the list of participants, schedule some rehearsals, and make sure that everything’s in line,” Matthew Morris said. “We have judges lined up, we have an idea of how we want it to run already. It’s more just locking in the participants and rehearsing that needs to happen before the show.”
The new projected date for the event places it closer to summer. Gordon Morris hopes it will be a fun way to close out the year for everybody.
“It’s just going to be a fun time,” Gordon Morris said. “It’s going to be past AP’s, just go out there to celebrate, especially because all seniors will be committed by then, so it’s just one last hurrah. Go out with a bang before finals.”
