The annual Mr. BU pageant held Monday gave the men of Baker University a chance to showcase their talents, as Sandy Davidson and Myra Glover made their debuts as co-emcees.
In previous years, Athletic Director Dan Harris had served as emcee, but the audience reaction to Administrative Assistant Glover and Advising and Tutoring Coordinator Davidson was definitely positive. Davidson tried to keep the entire pageant upbeat by issuing a warning to the audience before it started.
“There will be no booing,” Davidson said. “You cannot boo; you can only ooh and ahh.”
The audience did just that, encouraging all contestants as they worked their way through the rounds. After a group dance routine that opened the show, the men competed in the swimwear and eveningwear portions. The swimwear round involved the contestants using their best pickup lines on Davidson and Glover.
Judge Cassie Gilmore, assistant director of the career development center, said she enjoyed watching the antics.
“These guys are a hoot,” she said. “For the evening wear, they all look nice, though.”
The contestants also had to answer questions drawn randomly from a basket. Some questions were serious, while others were just for laughs.
A crowd favorite was the response given by Zeta Tau Alpha representative Jon Xenos. Davidson asked him what he notices first in a member of the opposite sex.
“Usually if she has kids or not,” Xenos said and then left the stage.
In addition to Gilmore, judges for the competition were Director of Student Activities Sarah Hallinan, Academic Support Coordinator Eric Hays and Associate Dean of Student Development Shelby Coxon.
The judges narrowed the contestants down to five for the talent portion of the show. Xenos was chosen along with Mungano representative Ronald Atkinson, Delta Tau Delta representative Justin Lake, Zeta Phi Beta representative Alphaeus Williams and Alpha Chi Omega representative Frank Owens.
Atkinson started off the round by performing a beatbox solo and was followed by Lake’s rendition of a song from “Top Gun.” Davidson interrupted, however, and told him to stop.
“It wasn’t getting any better,” Davidson said, defending herself to the audience.
Owens performed a song on the keyboard, and then Williams performed a step dance. Xenos’ talent began as singing before a few Zeta Tau Alpha “groupies” entered the stage and started swooning over him.
After tabulating the scores, the judges named Atkinson the second runner-up and Williams the first runner-up. Owens received the highest score and was awarded the title of Mr. BU 2007. All winners received gift cards to Sonic.
Owens said he was happy to represent the women of Alpha Chi Omega in the pageant.
“I have been asked to do this for four years,” he said. “I finally agreed because I got cornered in one of my classes and had to say yes, but I’m glad I did.”
The event was put on by the Panhellenic Council and raised about $450 to go toward the Habitat for Humanity house to be built in Baldwin City.
Other candidates who competed in the pageant included Kappa Sigma representative Anthony Billinger, Phi Delta Theta representative Jeremy Frye, Zeta Chi representative Kyle Jones, Phi Mu representative Kyle Ruona, soccer representative Peter Weekes and Delta Delta Delta representative Lawrence Wilson. Sigma Phi Epsilon was the only fraternity not represented in the pageant.
