Sophomore Swartley Claims "Mr. Messiah" Crown
Matt Lettieri
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Entertainment
Each Tuesday night for three weeks, six Messiah students of the male persuasion gathered in Larsen Student Union to compete for the coveted title of "Mr. Messiah." They endured a challenging series of events and tasks, but in the end, only one was left standing. Sophomore Jason Swartley secured the victory, earning himself a $100 check and the admiration of his peers.
Swartley, a biblical and religious studies major from Hilltown (about an hour north of Philadelphia), did not even plan on entering the competition originally. He made the decision to participate just a few hours before the first round began after some persuasive encouragement from a friend. Little did he know he would come out on top. "I figured I would just do it for fun," he said. "As it went on, I started to take it a little more seriously."
One might think that the whole experience could be a bit nerve-wrecking for the participants, but Swartley says he was not really that nervous at all, especially after he got used to being up on stage in front of the audience. The second round of the competition featured a talent show in which Swartley performed what he calls an "exercise dance" with two of his friends. He wore a vibrantly colored muscle-shirt and short shorts reminiscent of the mid-1980's NBA era with pink spandex underneath. Needless to say, Swartley believes the dance showcased his carefree attitude to those in attendance.
The third and final round began as each contestant was escorted from the top floor of the Union down to the stage by a person of their choice. Swartley chose his friend Alice, who lives at Messiah Village. He believes that his choice helped earn him the sentimental vote from the judges, although his intent was simply to include Alice in the fun.
The first event of the third round was a game of charades. Each contestant picked a number and then had to act out the accompanying phrase while the audience guessed. Next was a question and answer period. The panel of judges, which included Fry and Miller RD Michael Warari, Associate College Pastor Evie Telfer, and Department of Safety Officer Elizabeth Williams, questioned the contestants in much the same way as you would see in a Miss America Pageant. Some of the questions that stood out the most were "Do you believe people can speak in tongues?", "If you could be one Disney princess, which would you be?", and, of course, "Boxers or briefs?"
Swartley, a biblical and religious studies major from Hilltown (about an hour north of Philadelphia), did not even plan on entering the competition originally. He made the decision to participate just a few hours before the first round began after some persuasive encouragement from a friend. Little did he know he would come out on top. "I figured I would just do it for fun," he said. "As it went on, I started to take it a little more seriously."
One might think that the whole experience could be a bit nerve-wrecking for the participants, but Swartley says he was not really that nervous at all, especially after he got used to being up on stage in front of the audience. The second round of the competition featured a talent show in which Swartley performed what he calls an "exercise dance" with two of his friends. He wore a vibrantly colored muscle-shirt and short shorts reminiscent of the mid-1980's NBA era with pink spandex underneath. Needless to say, Swartley believes the dance showcased his carefree attitude to those in attendance.
The third and final round began as each contestant was escorted from the top floor of the Union down to the stage by a person of their choice. Swartley chose his friend Alice, who lives at Messiah Village. He believes that his choice helped earn him the sentimental vote from the judges, although his intent was simply to include Alice in the fun.
The first event of the third round was a game of charades. Each contestant picked a number and then had to act out the accompanying phrase while the audience guessed. Next was a question and answer period. The panel of judges, which included Fry and Miller RD Michael Warari, Associate College Pastor Evie Telfer, and Department of Safety Officer Elizabeth Williams, questioned the contestants in much the same way as you would see in a Miss America Pageant. Some of the questions that stood out the most were "Do you believe people can speak in tongues?", "If you could be one Disney princess, which would you be?", and, of course, "Boxers or briefs?"
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