On March 27, the Student Activities Council hosted Mr. WCU 2013, which was a mission to choose WCU’s “Sweetest Man.” This year’s contest had a candy theme, and the contest opened with a dance number featuring all 18 contestants and their escorts, all of whom danced with lollipop props to a candy-themed medley, featuring songs such as Aaron Carter’s “I Want Candy” and Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman.”
After the opening number, the host and judges were introduced. Mr. WCU 2013 was hosted by Jackie Tohn, a YouTube sensation who had also made it into the top 24 on season 8 of American Idol. The judges were Miss Philadelphia 2012 Lauren Bilski; Todd Marcocci, president of Under the Sun Productions and Emmy-winning producer; and Thais da Silva, founder of Dia Doce, the cupcake truck that many WCU students have probably seen parked on Church Street. Last but certainly not least, special guest judge for WCU’s candy-themed contest was the one and only Baker Bob.
The next portion of the contest was an introduction of the contestants: Joe Deegan, Zakkary Zabower, David Parsons, Tarik Williams, Michael Lopez, Mike DePrince, Taylor Lacey, Quentin Horton, Matt Hummel, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Adam Cerretani, DaQuann Chung, Christian Conaway, Matthew Guerron, David Thompson, David Rudley, Juan Puppo, and Stephén Hood. During the introduction portion, contestants had the opportunity to explain their platforms, which included charities like Men Can Stop Rape, Restore the Shore, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, among others. The contestants also each answered the question, “Why are you West Chester’s sweetest man?” The contestants all had clever answers, giving responses like, “I can put a smile on even the grumpiest face,” and “I can satisfy WCU’s sweet tooth.”
“[For any guys who are considering participating next year,] I would tell them to totally go for it,” said contestant Juan Puppo. “Just that tiny desire to participate is enough. That’s your passion and creativity calling and pushing you to shine. It was a great experience.”
After the introductions, the contestants each had the opportunity to show off his formal wear and answer the question, “What kind of candy would you be and why?” The answers for this question included Starburst, Skittles, Mr. Goodbar, Warheads, Pop Rocks, and Lifesavers.
The fourth portion of the competition was the talent portion. Talents included monologues, dancing, stand-up comedy, beat boxing, opera, salsa dancing, rapping, lip-syncing, piano playing, and a music video parody. There was also an unforgettable performance about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly that involved dancing to “I Believe I Can Fly.”
During the intermission, audience members were encouraged to use their ticket stubs to vote for the People’s Choice winner. Each contestant’s escort was holding a bucket to hold the tickets, and the man with the most ticket stubs would win the People’s Choice Award.
When intermission was over, the contestants donned their best formalwear “for the gumdrop ball” and had the pleasure of choosing their on-stage questions from Jackie Tohn’s gold sparkly fanny pack. Some of the questions included, “What advice do you have for an incoming West Chester student?”, “What color crayon would you be?”, “If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?”, and “What is your favorite part of being a West Chester student?”
In order to give the judges time to deliberate, the host Jackie Tohn took the stage to sing and play guitar. She played “No Scrubs” by TLC and a hilarious acoustic version of “Baby Got Back.”
When the judges had chosen their top three, the contestants came back out on the stage, along with Mr. WCU 2012, Chris Grimm. The top three contestants were Tarik Williams, Juan Puppo, and Mike DePrince. The top three each had to answer the question, “How would you raise awareness about your platform?”
After each had a chance to share his answer, it was time for the superlative awards. Michael Lopez won the Ladies’ Choice Award, which was chosen by the Mr. WCU escorts. Quentin Horton won Most Photogenic, which was chosen by the SAC; Matt Hummel won Mr. Congeniality, which was chosen by his fellow contestants. Adam Cerretani won Most Dedicated, which was chosen by the Mr. WCU coordinators, and Stephén Hood won the People’s Choice Award, which was chosen by the audience.
The closing group dance was a very funny Harlem Shake dance, which featured Chris Grimm in the center. Then, finally, the moment came to crown Mr. WCU 2013.
In third place was Tarik Williams, and Juan Puppo was the runner-up, which left Mike DePrince to be crowned Mr. WCU 2013.
“Being crowned Mr. WCU was a surreal experience,” DePrince said. “Receiving the title was a very touching moment due to the pride that I feel for being a West Chester University student; my time here has certainly impacted me for the better, and I am honored to have this outlet to give back to the campus community in return for
all it has given me.”
Clare Haggerty is a second-year student majoring in English. She can be reached at CH757342@wcupa.edu.
Jessica Guzzardo/Photography Editor