Sophomore Swartley Claims "Mr. Messiah" Crown
Matt Lettieri
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Entertainment
Before the champion was announced, MC's Josh Sanders and Holly Lohman brought Fandango the Falcon on stage to hand out prizes to people who found winning numbers taped to the bottom of their chairs. What appeared to be a simple time-killer ended up being the most dramatic moment of the night. Sophomore Krystal Robinson walked on stage to receive her prize, which turned out to be an engagement ring. Fandango removed his feathery head and revealed his true identity: senior Jonathan Bert. Bert proceeded to take the mic, bend down on one knee, and propose to his now-fiancée in front of the entire Union crowd. The daring move elicited many a gasp and yelp from female audience members.
"I didn't even know what was going on at first," recalls Swartley. "But then when I realized what was happening it was kind of shocking. It was pretty much like he was the one who should've been Mr. Messiah." (To see a video of the proposal, check out No. 1 in the "Top 5 YouTube Videos" article later in this section.)
When asked if he has received any additional attention due to his victory when walking around campus, Swartley says not much. The only thing that has changed is that his friends now sometimes jokingly refer to him as Mr. Messiah. According to the rules, Swartley is allowed to participate in the competition again next year. He says that he feels satisfied with this win and does not think he will attempt to defend his title. However, in true Brett Farvre fashion, he adds, "It's always a possibility."
The runner-up in the competition was junior Jason Stussey, who seemed to be the crowd favorite. The other contestants were seniors Drew Lane and Dave Stevenson, and sophomores Colin Riddle and Ronny Thompson.
"I didn't even know what was going on at first," recalls Swartley. "But then when I realized what was happening it was kind of shocking. It was pretty much like he was the one who should've been Mr. Messiah." (To see a video of the proposal, check out No. 1 in the "Top 5 YouTube Videos" article later in this section.)
When asked if he has received any additional attention due to his victory when walking around campus, Swartley says not much. The only thing that has changed is that his friends now sometimes jokingly refer to him as Mr. Messiah. According to the rules, Swartley is allowed to participate in the competition again next year. He says that he feels satisfied with this win and does not think he will attempt to defend his title. However, in true Brett Farvre fashion, he adds, "It's always a possibility."
The runner-up in the competition was junior Jason Stussey, who seemed to be the crowd favorite. The other contestants were seniors Drew Lane and Dave Stevenson, and sophomores Colin Riddle and Ronny Thompson.
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