Mr. University: Men take their turn on stage

Students packed the Gertrude C. Ford Center on Tuesday night to watch University of Mississippi students compete for a brand new title: Mr. University. Pageant style, 12 male students put on a captivating show for the audience and judges, generating a laughter-filled night. 

The proceeds from the 2022 Mr. University pageant contributed to the senior class gift, a yearly fundraiser that the senior class holds to support a philanthropic cause of their choice. This year’s donations benefitted Grove Grocery, an organization that helps the Lafayette-Oxford-university community to battle food insecurity. 

Senior political science major Lucy Hulet serves as senior class president for the graduating class of 2022 and helped to bring to life the idea of the Mr. University pageant and to choose Grove Grocery as the philanthropy. 

“We picked a philanthropy that we knew would make a big impact in the Oxford community’s lives, and the idea to give the money we raised to Grove Grocery as our senior class gift was born,” Hulet said. 

Consisting of three rounds, the 12 male contestants participated in formal wear, interview and talent categories, each showcasing their personalities through inimitable performances including dancing, singing, magic tricks and a dramatized reading of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” 

“Watching the whole show from backstage was probably the most fun I’ve ever had,” Hulet said. “These guys really came out of their shell and surprised me with all of their interview questions, answers and talents.” 

Martin Fisher, Associate Director of Admissions for Orientation and Campus Visit Programs,  Women’s Basketball Head Coach Yolett “Yo” McPhee-McCuin and Emily Boyce judged the eccentric performances, scoring each round in order to select a winner. At the end of the night, the votes tallied up to name senior risk management and insurance major Cade Odom as the first ever Mr. University. 

“It was such an incredible honor to have been named the inaugural Mr. University,” said Odom. “There’s so many people who deserve credit for putting on one of the best fundraising events that I’ve been a part of in my four years here.”

Whether there will be another Mr. University pageant is unknown. Hulet hopes the tradition will carry on throughout the years, leaving its mark on Ole Miss. 

“Hearing all of the positive feedback from the event was so rewarding,” Hulet said. “I really hope that I can come back to Ole Miss one day and see posters for the 20th annual Mr. University and remember how amazing the first one was.”