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They walk around campus every day, their talents cleverly concealed, their formal wear put away in the back of the closet, Supermen masquerading as Clark Kents - they are the contestants for Mr. BC. The fifth annual competition took place in the Rat on Thursday, March 29, entertaining a packed room from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Resident Hall Association, Mr. BC presents a notoriously outrageous battle of enthusiastic male students all vying for that exalted position; what it entails, however, is not exactly clear.
The event was run by Ryan Kagy, A&S '08, a self-proclaimed underqualified host, and judged by such "experts in the field" as the Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J.; Associate Dean for Student Development Paul Chebator, and Jenn Castillo, next year's Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and A&S '08. The nine contestants went for shock value to win the favor of the judges, outdoing each other's love for BC - whether it was advertised on the backside of a miniscule Speedo or artistically waxed into chest hair. Expect the unexpected was the rule, not the exception, in each of the five categories: casual wear, swimwear, talent, formal wear, and question-and-answer.
Before the men stepped on the stage to strut their stuff, Bluebook Addiction, winner of the Qdoba Beanpot Battle of the Bands, performed several songs to liven up the crowd. After 20 minutes of solid entertainment, Kagy took over on the microphone to get the main event rolling. In a successful self-deprecating manner, he played the witty wingman to the Mr. BC competitors.
First-time audience members may have expected to see jeans and T-shirts, or at least some sort of cohesive outfit, to be the clothing of choice for the casual wear competition. In typical Mr. BC fashion, however, the contestants could not resist grandstanding for the crowd. The meaning of "casual wear" ranged from old-fashioned, full-body, red pajamas to Tom Cruise's famous underwear outfit from Risky Business. As the boys swaggered down the runway, Kagy relayed some interesting facts to the audience. Tim Bates, A&S '09, shared his favorite food: "Sushi, because who doesn't like a little Asian on occasion?" The same lighthearted and teasing atmosphere continued throughout the competition.
The swimwear segment is generally a favorite with both the audience and the contestants; it allows for the most brazen behavior. The Speedo, an ever-popular choice, made two appearances, and there was plenty of muscle-flexing and posing. A catastrophe could have been imminent, as one contestant doused himself with water and another lathered his chest with oil, but thankfully no one was injured.
Occurring just before intermission, the talent portion of the pageant stole the show. Like the other categories, the definition of "talent" was open to interpretation; it provided an opportunity to illustrate the creativity and originality of the contestants. There was no tap dancing or piano playing in this race for the crown. The closest anyone came to a customary talent was Bates's performance on the bagpipes, but even that was hilariously unusual. Patrick Corcoran, A&S '09, delivered a Tony Robbins-esque motivational speech, and Jim Conti, A&S '07, exhibited his extraordinary knowledge of the BC undergraduate population. Sean Hanel's, A&S '07, interpretive dance in black spandex, however, received the most appreciation from audience members. Continuously surprising, he added in a ribbon dance halfway through and then jumped into the crowd, climbing over chairs and bodies in a wild frenzy, yet maintained a serious and concentrated expression the whole time. Hanel even went so far as to create the ribbon himself - so resourceful.
Following intermission was the formal wear section, which mostly consisted of the contestants finding the prettiest escort to accompany them down the runway. After all their previous antics, it was incredible to see the contestants looking so elegant and sophisticated in their suits. At this point, the judges had to narrow down the field to four finalists, which Kagy decided to announce in a very particular order. Donnie Muerer, A&S '07, Conti, Hanel, and Bates ultimately emerged from the rest of the group as the top contenders for the title of Mr. BC.
Only one event away from the decision, the final four found themselves in an intense and demanding round of question and answer. To ensure that the chosen individual truly represented the male student body at BC, Kagy grilled them on their pick-up lines, ability to negotiate a job with Che-Chi, and situational confrontation skills with Jared Dudley. Kagy cleverly summed up their answers: "We're developing a theme here: it's not nudity, it's overcoming obstacles."
Although all four finalists put up an admirable fight for the position, Muerer was crowned Mr. BC. Relishing the maroon robe and scepter, Muerer admitted, "This is something I've been wanting for four years." He planned to celebrate by taking University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. to the Top of the Hub. All the contestants agreed that the competition was a great experience; they were all talented individuals. Kerry Cronin, a teacher in the perspectives program, said it perfectly: "I'm always impressed to see students humiliate themselves for the love of Boston College." n
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