By Jonas Miller
Opinion Editor
On Wednesday, April 8, the Public Relations and Advertising club at the College of Saint Rose will be holding the “Mr. Saint Rose” competition. It will take place in the Saint Joseph’s auditorium, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the competition beginning at 7. This marks the return of the competition, which was last held in 2013 by the Saint Rose Psychology Club.
Ashlie Garcia, the vice president of Public Relations and Advertising club, said the competition is a great opportunity to “get us recognized and give us experience planning events.”
Garcia said the club is looking for someone who represents what the College is all about.
“Someone who is well-rounded, charismatic, and active in the Saint Rose community, that’s who we’re looking for,” Garcia said.
Contestants can either be nominated anonymously, or enter themselves into the competition, which will be divided into of five different parts.
The night will start with an opening number, where the contestants walk out to music and are introduced to the audience. Garcia said that a small choreographed dance performed by the contestants is also a possibility.
Next will come the Casual wear and Biography part of the competition. The contestants will dress comfortably and will be introduced in a more in depth manner, informing the audience of their class year, major, and other basic information.
Third, there will be a “talent portion.” Garcia said the word “talent” should be very loosely interpreted.
“Contestants don’t need to sing or dance if they don’t want to,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the club is planning an alternative to sharing a “talent” with the audience. A lip sync performance is an option for students who don’t feel they have a talent that they would like to share.
After the talent portion will come a Formalwear showcase. Contestants can dress as fancy as they would like. There is no set dress code for this part of the competition.
Lastly, there will be a short interview with each contestant. The questions will consist of stereotypical “pageant questions” as well as questions related to Saint Rose.
Following the completion of the interview portion, the winner will be chosen based on the amount of applause each student receives from the audience. The contestant who gets the most applause will be crowned “Mr. Saint Rose.”
When asked about the negative rumors surrounding the competition, which includes that it is sexist, Garcia said, “We plan on keeping the competition the way it is this year, but in the future we will move toward crowning Mr. and Ms. Saint Rose.”
The winner will receive a $50 prize basket, although Garcia said the competition is “all about school spirit.”
For more information on “Mr. Saint Rose,” contact Ashlie Garcia at garciaa615@strose.edu, or visit the competition’s website www.mrstrose.wix.com/april8.
Garcia encourages everyone to come out and support the competition. “People who aren’t usually in the spotlight deserve a chance to shine.”
Contestants will be announced via the group’s website on Friday, March 27.
