This year’s title of Mr. NDA went to junior Eli Weiss, who won Academy Awards with a solo talent performance, a live intro and an on-the-spot answer during the Q & A of the show.

When the emcees, Teya Bordini and Izzy Fergus, announced Weiss’ name, he shared that he was truly surprised it was his name that was called out. 

“I was not expecting it at all. I was super surprised,” he said.

Weiss believes his solo performance and consistent theme of family throughout all portions of the contest allowed him to stand out from the other contestants. 

Preparing for the show for all contestants is challenging, time consuming, and rewarding in the end. No matter how much you do for your video and act, the question part of the show is completely random. You never know what you could be asked. 

“There’s no good way to prepare for that,” Weiss explained. 

Still, Weiss said the most enjoyable part was practicing his introduction and finding the right balance between seriousness and humor.

“I wouldn’t mind doing it again, but I also wouldn’t mind if I don’t make it,” Weiss exclaimed. Weiss hopes that his experience and performance encourage more students to participate in the future and assure them that it is all just for fun. 

Other participants had similar opinions on the atmosphere of the competition. 

Senior and runner up, Emma Ciak, mentioned that she appreciated how the teachers and the contestants collaborated to make the Academy Awards enjoyable and fun for not only the audience but also for the contestants.

“I felt so proud and lucky to have such amazing friends that performed with me,” she added.

Senior participant Royce Lin appreciated all of the behind-the-scenes efforts that make the show what it is, like the teachers that helped him and the lighting effects that spice up the acts and introductions. 

“I was super proud of my performance and for putting myself out there,” Lin admitted.