Mercer’s Big Man on Campus contestants flaunted their skills for the pageant-themed fundraiser hosted by the Panhellenic Council last Tuesday, March 26.
Each of the four sororities coached two contestants who participated in a four-portion competition, which portions included question & answer, formal wear, talent, and American wear.
Panhellenic president Emily Minch said that the proceeds go to charity. “I think that this is our fourth annual Big Man on Campus and it’s for Panhellenic philanthropy which is the Crisis Line and Safe House.”
All of the eight contestants competed for the first place prize of the $100 American Express gift card.
The competition opened with a dance number to the Justin Bieber song, “If I was Your Girlfriend.” This allowed the contestants to show off their dance moves.
The next portion of the competition was a question and answer section. The contestants were asked a range of serious to bizarre questions. One of the questions asked to Alpha Delta Pi’s representative Will Rutland was, “If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?” which Rutland answered, “If I was a fruit I would be an orange because I’m hard to get to but once you do I’m sweet.”
Next was formal wear, which elicited many shouts from the audience, as contestants walked across stage in suits varying in shades and styles.
Some of the contestant’s outfits were creative, such as Phi-Mu’s candidate Thorton Brewer who decided to wear a toga with cowboy boots.
During the talent portion of the competition, Chi-Omega’s representative Alfonso Sciacchitano serenaded the audience with the song “Slide” by the Goo-Goo Dolls. Alpha Gamma Delta’s representatives Clay Mot and Charlie Hunter created their own lyrics to popular songs.
Phi-Mu’s candidate Mitchell Thompson entered the stage wearing a black and green unitard and sang the Spice Girl’s song, “Wannabe,” which was almost as uncomfortable sitting through as imagining oneself breathing in Thompson’s constraining elastic unitard.
Candidates Dustin Manders and Brett Eckles performed catchy dance moves. Manders added a rap into his performance.
Thorton Brewer signed “I’m Proud to be an American,” which he dedicated to his sister who struggled with a speech disorder.
Contestant Will Rutland stood out from the pack by choosing not to have the music come out from a stereo, but instead from his mouth. Rutland’s beat-boxing performance surprised the judges.
The final portion of the night was American spirit wear. The contestants’ outfits were decked out in red, white and blue.
Contestant Mitchell Thompson took the American spirit wear portion to a different level when he entered on the stage as a Native American dancing to the Disney Princess song from the Pocahontas movie, “Colors of the Wind.”
Thompson explained the rationale behind the outfit, “This was an American wear event and Native Americans really inhabited this country in the beginning, so Native Americans are as American as it gets.”
After the last event the judges tallied the scores. The anticipation of who would win Big Man on Campus 2013 was almost palpable as the candidates lined the stage waiting to hear the results.
The show’s host and last year’s Big Man on Campus Winner, Noah Maier, announced the results from the competition. Alpha Delta Pi’s representative, Dustin Manders, placed in third and won a $25 dollar gift card. Alfonso Sciacchitano placed in second and won a $50 dollar gift card.
Finally, Maier would announce the winner of Big Man on Campus, “And the winner of first place and the $100 American Express gift card is Will Rutland.” The audience and constants clapped for the winner.
Rutland believes that his beat-boxing talent helped him win the competition, “I definitely think that is what carried me through because it’s unique and no one else has heard it before, so I kind of stood out in the judges eyes.” He plans to use the $100 gift card on fishing gear.
Despite its humiliating moments Brewer agreed that Big Man on Campus was fun, saying, “It was so much fun. It was probably the most fun I’ll never want to have again.”
Panhellenic crowns Mercer’s ‘Big Man on Campus’
