Ella Tonelli
Contestants posted in the CHS Media Center
You might have heard of the CHS Kennel Club, but get ready for Meow Meow Madness (emphasis on the madness) from the same team. Chesterton High School’s media center previously hosted a puppy bracket, where students and staff could vote on the cutest puppy based on a picture and their names submitted by staff.
Meow Meow Madness (MMM) is also being hosted by the CHS Media Center. Staff at the Media Center collected a large number of pet photos from staff. It consisted of mostly cats, but also contained two pigs, a bunny, and a squirrel. Rounds one and two have been completed, but you can begin voting at any time. Votes for the current round three are being accepted up to Thursday, March 13 at 3:10 pm.
Emily Wilt, Media specialist and librarian at CHS, is one of the head coordinators of MMM. Wilt has vowed to remain impartial to the contestants, in the unlikely case that she is the deciding vote. She certainly hopes MMM can be a fun and friendly competition for the students and staff of CHS.
“People get really fired up about it. I think the staff response to the [Kennel Club] in November was more, because I think more people have dogs. But right now it seems like the cat people are more fired up about their own pets. As soon as I send out the email and the announcement that voting is open, votes roll in. It’s wild. By lunchtime today, we already had almost 200 votes, and I just sent the email out this morning. So, yeah people get really into it. Which I really appreciate, because yeah, it’s kind of a silly thing. It’s a pet popularity contest, but it is really helping foster a sense of positivity and community, and I like that a lot,” said Wilt.
Sometimes things that are silly can help out the students and staff the most. With SAT day recently concluding, the end of the quarter coming up, and graduation just around the bend, stress levels are at an all-time high at CHS. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to see which cat is the cuddliest.
One favorite contestant among students is Egg, a grey kitty with wide eyes. Another favorite is Sal, a silly squirrel captured on video camera. Zuzu is a crazy cat peeking through a Christmas tree and those kooky eyes seem to have stolen some hearts.
MMM will be completed before spring break. There is not a lot of time left so cast your vote ASAP.
Edit: added photograph