August 19, 2003 – The aspiring, the talented, the curious and the cocky will be gathering at Tutu Park Mall this weekend for the first annual "Teen Idol Back To School Competition," where the young stars of the Virgin Islands will be shining out.
Beginning at 7 p.m., on Saturday, August 23, contestants grouped into two basic categories, ages 11 to 15, and 16 to 19, will be gathering at the mall to try and out-sing, out-dance, out-play, poeticize and model each other to take home the competition's grand prize: a $350 back to school shopping spree at the mall.
But, or course, there's a catch: students will have three to five minutes to do their thing in front of friends, family and spectators, but they'll also be performing American Idol-style before a panel of judges who will be critiquing their performance out loud, right then and there, just like on the popular American TV show.
So, the pressure's on.
At the end of registration, Monique C. Creque, the mall's marketing director, said there were 20 people signed up to compete, with an even split between both age groups. Creque also said that in addition to a talented host of solo competitors, one singing group and one dance group are slated to perform.
Julien Baa of Knight Quality Stations will be hosting the competition along with Kishma "Kayvee" Vincent, and kicking off the event will be performances by the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority "Rhoers Club", winners of the 2003 Tutu Park Mall Black History Month Step Competition, and the winner of the 2002 Tutu Park Mall Back to School Apollo-Style Competition.
Grand Prize winners of the shopping spree will be chosen from competitors in each age division, with a free cell phone going to the second place winners and a silver jewelry set awarded to third place.
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