The beauty business could get ugly at this year’s male pageant, “Mr. Etown.” Some slight rule changes have confused students who have experienced the annual competition in the past. As part of one such change, students could nominate and vote for students only from within their own residence halls. This meant that students could not support their friends who live in different places than themselves.
According to the Elizabethtown College’s Office of Student Activities, in past years, students could nominate and vote for students from residence halls outside of their own. Many Etown students agree that they love the way that the pageant has been held, and no one wants to change it. But how will the new voting rule affect the male pageant?
In the spring, it is an Etown tradition that Students Working to Entertain Etown (S.W.E.E.T.) hosts Mr. Etown, in which a male student from each residence building presents a lip sync dance routine. For Mr. Etown there is a Mr. Royer, Mr. Ober, Mr. Founders, Mr. Myer, Mr. Schlosser, Mr. Brinser, Mr. Quads, Mr. Apartments and a Mr. Off-Campus. The pageant consists of a group dance as well as individual performances. At the end of the competition, there is a question and answer session, during which the nominees are each asked one question.
he panels of judges for the competition are members of the Etown faculty and staff. The panels of judges look for the contestant who would best represent the College.
But are this year’s new voting rules going to affect who the true winner should be?
“I personally think it’s an intelligent decision for the voting rules to be changed, because it is better that each dorm’s representative more accurately represents the wishes of that particular dorm or residence. It is no longer a popularity competition,” junior Jared Weaver said.
Sophomore Zachary Nichols said, “You should be able to support your friends who live in different places than you, because then the nominations will be more accurate, and the right person has a better chance of winning.”
After hearing both opinions on the rule change, I have to agree more with Weaver. The particular dorm and residence will benefit more if students can only vote from within their own residence halls. I believe that this new voting system will allow each dorm and residence hall to nominate their strongest candidate in order to bring the crown back to where they live. Now it’s more of a competition between Mr. Royer, Mr. Ober, Mr. Founders, Mr. Myer, Mr. Schlosser, Mr. Brinser, Mr. Quads, Mr. Apartments and Mr. Off-Campus.
And for those Mr. Etown competitors that were confused about participating twice in the competition, “There were technically never any documented rules in place that permitted or denied guys the opportunity to participate twice,” Henry said. “There were, however, misconceptions that there really was a rule in place. So, this year, S.W.E.E.T. decided to officially state in the nomination agreement that competitors could participate twice, as long as they do not place in the top three.”
The rules say, “…I [Mr. Etown competitor] understand that should I receive the position, I will have two attempts at the Mr. Etown title during my years at Elizabethtown College, unless on the first attempt I place in the top three. If I am placed in the top three, I will be eligible for cash prizes.”
“Last year, we had difficulty securing representatives from each dorm, because first-years did not want to use up their Mr. Etown experience when they had never even seen the show,” Henry added. “As an organization, S.W.E.E.T. felt that this was a valid concern, so we decided to address the situation.”
S.W.E.E.T. will be drafting an official Mr. Etown rules document, which will hopefully avoid misconceptions and confusion about the event, before next year’s competition.
