This past Thursday, as the lights of the College Union ballroom dimmed and the speakers expelled bold rhythms, the seven candidates for Mr. Geneseo strutted toward the stage.
The seven candidates, who were the first to ever compete for the title, not only showed off their best attributes to the ladies of Geneseo, but also raised money that went to Prevent Child Abuse America, the Alzheimer's Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
These foundations are the philanthropies of Geneseo's three national sororities: Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Kappa and Delta Phi Epsilon, who co-hosted the event.
The first segment of the competition was swimwear. Suits ranged from modest board shorts to anatomically revealing Superman underwear, which two contestants sported.
Next came the special talent portion - the crowd was wowed by comedic routines, stunning guitar and vocal performances and an eye-catching dance to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."
During the formal wear segment, the contestants and their escorts strutted down the aisle jokingly boasting everything from gold-threaded plaid jackets and Persian silks, to alligator leather shoes and clothes personally designed by Armani.
The final part of the competition allowed the audience to get to know the contestants better through a question and answer segment. The contestants were asked everything from "What was the most romantic thing you've ever done for a girl?" to "What kind of animal would you be and why?" The answers that the contestants gave truly showed off their individual personalities, as well as their humor and sentimentality.
Senior Jason Kaye, who competed for the title of Mr. Geneseo, described the experience as "nerve-wracking."
"Everybody was really supportive and all the other guys competing were really cool," Kaye said. Kaye won the award for best question and answer, thrilling the judges with his reply that the qualities he valued most in a girl were "personality, intelligence, nice eyes … and personality," and that his favorite thing about Geneseo, besides the people, were the sunsets.
"[I was] a little nervous because this was the first Mr. Geneseo competition ever, but the event turned out great," said junior Megan Cosgrove, member of SDT and original source for the idea of Mr. Geneseo. "I was really glad that the other two national sororities could join us and promote the Pan-Hellenic unity on campus."
"I really enjoyed the show," said junior Jessica Hurley, also a member of SDT and an escort during the formal wear portion. "All the guys did such a good job and they were all so funny."
In the end, senior Matthew Fabozzi walked away with the title of Mr. Geneseo. Fabozzi won the hearts of the judges with his handsome swim and formal wear, his charming answers for the question and answer segment, and his singing performance during the talent portion.