A spectacle of masculinity paraded across the stage of McCosh 10 on Friday evening as about 250 spectators crowded the auditorium to cheer on their friends for the Mr. Engineering Pageant 2005.
Handsomeness, charm, fashion savvy and mathematical skills were all on display as 16 contestants vied for the crown and combated the 'nerdy engineer' stereotype.
"We have so many guys here that it could be the Harvard Women in Science Pageant," said Tyler Allard '07, who emceed the event with David Jangraw '07.
Chris Duss '05 of the ELE department took home the crown. A self-described "binge-ineer," Duss claims to be a master in "the formidable art of beirut." Runner-up Jonathan Brosterman '06 will take over as Mr. Engineering should the winner be unable to fulfill his duties.
A judging panel of two professors and two graduate students evaluated the contestants in talent, formal wear, question-and-answer and audience response.
The talent presentation drew enthusiastic calls from the audience. Dan Pall '08 juggled apples provocatively. Some contestants performed skits enacting the ritual defeat and humiliation of English majors. Ron Weissbard '06 stood onstage in a Speedo and flexed his muscles to the chorus of "Thus Spake Zarathustra" from "2001: A Space Odyssey."
The judges selected five finalists from among the contestants during the formal wear segment, including: Nathan Domingue '06, wearing an aristocratic white suit with a cane; Duss, looking dapper in a formal tuxedo; Jeffrey Alpert '05 lending muscular contours to a well-cut blue suit; and Brosterman in a Kurta pyjama.
The emcees asked the five finalists such questions as "If you were a piece of lab equipment, what would you be and why?" and "What do you think the worm at the bottom of the tequila bottle is thinking?"
The final question from the judges sent the contestants to the blackboard: "Given the [formula for the] Klawe dimensionless number, which is your engineering skills over your social skills, find this number and in the space remaining draw a picture of your ideal girlfriend."
Mr. Engineering's first place prize was an iPod mini, accompanied by a bouquet and a sash made of duct tape. An iPod shuffle and a set of speakers went to the second and third place runners up, respectively. All remaining contestants received pocket protectors and Thomas Sweet gift certificates.
Finalist Domingue said he hopes the pageant will help to dispel popular misconceptions about engineers.
"The stereotype that [engineers are] all nerdy is largely true. But all nerds being unattractive is not true," Domingue said.
Winner Duss, who took second place in last year's pageant, said his victory was a "pleasant surprise," but "it's mostly the process [of competing] that's fun."
"I wanted a chance to go out and demonstrate my musical skills in public," Duss said, referring to his talent presentation, in which he sang a rap song he wrote himself to the track of "Mo' Money Mo' Problems" by Notorious BIG.
Last year's Mr. Engineering, Tom Reichel '04, passed on the crown to his successor.
"I can honestly say that I didn't better the world at all," Reichel said. "I didn't do anything as Mr. Engineering."
Reichel said that his own victory slightly raised his visibility on campus, but mostly drew "a few chuckles" from his friends. He did admit the duct-tape crown made him feel slightly "studlier."
Reichel's advice to Duss is to "be prepared for the onslaught of really interested ladies. There's going to be a lot of new women, and he's really got to be prepared for that."
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