“It’s Trivia Thursday! If you wanna win that pizza, slip that hand up! Keep ‘em up!” is a phrase students and staff will no longer hear in the cafeteria after this school year. Custodian Frank Cusamono will be retiring in May after 14 years at MHS.
Cusamono said what he will miss most about his job is introducing Trivia Thursday each week. He began announcing when a fill-in was needed for the original host and was nominated to give it a shot.
“I was really nervous,” Cusamono said. “But afterwards, the Associate Principal at the time, Pat Coffel, said to me, ‘Frank, you’ve gotta do it again. The kids love it’.”
The next week, when the students booed the original presenter, Cusamono sealed the job and has been introducing Trivia Thursday ever since.
Dr. Mathison said the school atmosphere will be different next year without the custodian.
“Frank’s a rockstar,” Dr. Mathison said. “I think most of the kids and everyone, really, knows who Frank is.”
Anna Kiss, sophomore, said she enjoys Trivia Thursdays with Cusamono.
“I think a lot of kids will miss him and hearing his catchy intro. They probably won’t feel the same if another staff member takes his place.”
As for who the new Trivia Thursday presenter will be, Dr. Mathison said try-outs may have to be held.
“It’s a big position to fill,” Dr. Mathison said. “If I had my vote, it would be Don Catlin. He has a great voice and a talent with a microphone.”
Dr. Mathison said other contenders at the top of his list would be Associate Principal Dr. Jennifer Sebold, Sophomore Principal Dan Ramsey and Freshman Principal Paul Burns because of his theater background.
“May the best person win,” Dr. Mathison said.
Cusamono doesn’t know yet how he will spend his time when he retires, but there is nothing about his job at MHS that he won’t miss.
“I like working here,” Cusamono said.