Mark Antony makes Mr. Muhlenberg
In late January, the student body received an email from the Class of 2018 Council asking for nominations for the annual Mr. Muhlenberg pageant. Pageants such as these, which are typical of a high school fundraising event, are not especially common on college campuses. However, as is characteristic of the small, quirky, and unique Muhlenberg atmosphere, the event is a long-standing tradition on campus.
Originally, the pageant was only open to male students; however, as of last year, both male and female students can be nominated for and entered into the pageant. A plethora of students are nominated by their peers and are asked to send in a video explaining why they think they are deserving of the “Mr. Muhlenberg” title. Out of all of these nominations, four students, all of different graduating classes, were chosen as finalists to perform this past Tuesday evening in the event. The contestants this year were Ben Lefkowitz ‘20, a vibrant member of the EnAct club and the LGBTQ community on campus; Daiki Sugiyama ‘19, brother of Delta Tau Delta and proud representative of Japanese culture on campus; Benjie Starr ‘18, also a brother of Delta Tau Delta, president of the Interfraternity Council, and adamant supporter of Stir-Fry Wednesdays at Mule Express; and Owen Tiedeken ‘17, revolutionary war reenactor, fencer, and member of Campus Safety.
The event comprised two main segments: the talent portion and Muhlenberg Questions. The talent portion exemplified some wonderfully diverse and creative talents, opening with Sugiyama performing a tribute to both Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. Sugiyama’s spunky strip-tease into a tutu left the judges feeling uncomfortably amused, and was followed by an eruption of laughter and applause from the audience.
Starr then entered in comparably formal attire to perform a wide variety of highly accurate impressions, ranging from the Tasmanian Devil to Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump. The lights then dimmed as Lefkowitz entered— light-staff in hand, dressed in a sparkling dress which he claims “made the franticness of his performance slightly hard,” with Amanda Palmer’s “Runs in the Family” blasting in the background. Lefkowitz has been performing tricks with his light-stick for about five years, and wanted to create an upbeat performance.
The section finished with Tiedeken’s especially solemn and moving performance of Mark Antony’s monologue from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The performance was highly characteristic of Tiedeken’s contribution of historical appreciation into this year’s pageant.
The final portion involved the guest judges — representatives from Campus Safety, the Wood Dining Commons, and the Dean of Academic Life — asking each contestant a series of primarily Muhlenberg-related questions including: What would be your first decree as Mr. Muhlenberg?; If you could teach any Muhlenberg class which would it be and why?; What’s your favorite part of being a Muhlenberg student?; If you could be any office supply which would it be? The answers were all hilariously symbolic of each contestant’s individualistic personality, with Starr explaining that he would decree that “GQ stay open until at least 6 in the morning,” Tiedeken wanting to live in the 1940’s so he could spend time with his grandfather as a young man, Sugiyama wanting to be in a movie with Emma Watson because she is “just his love, that’s all,” and Lefkowitz wanting to be a summer squash because they’re “delicious, but most people don’t think of them when they think of vegetables.”
The event also featured performances from dance teams such as Fuziion, MINT, and The Perkulators, the a capella group InAcchord, and a lively MC performance by Kash Calderon ‘19. Though the event, which is a fundraiser for the Class of 2018, did not attract as large of an audience as usual, the support for all members of the pageant brought the event to life. The pageant was truly an ideal example of the diversity of Muhlenberg’s student body: represented by members of a fraternity, the theater department and the only full-time Japanese student on campus.
The pageant permits two winners: Sugiyama was nominated the so called “Fan Favorite” and Tiedeken was crowned the overall winner of the event and recipient of the one-hundred-dollar cash prize. When asked about his feelings regarding his victory, Tiedeken claimed he found it “ironic that he was wearing a crown” and that, as a senior, this was a “wonderful send-off for old time’s sake.”
This event truly exemplifies the hilariously creative atmosphere of the Muhlenberg community, the history of the school itself and operates as a crucial fundraising event for the Junior class. Congratulations to the 2018 Class Council on their incredibly entertaining event and to all of the participants of this year’s pageant!
Photos courtesy of Haris Bhatti