Grace LaTourelle-
Mr. Gustavus is an annual tradition hosted by the Theta Xi Gamma sorority to raise money for their philanthropy, the Pinky Swear Foundation. The pageant will take place on Friday, April 5, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
“As a sorority, our Pinky Swear philanthropy partnership is at the core of all that we do – Mr. Gustavus being no exception,” Junior Theta member Aubrey Kosters said.
Mr. Gustavus is a three-part competition between five senior, male-identifying Gustavus students. Of the 400 submissions received thus far, the emerging top five nominations will be chosen to compete. Nominations will be accepted until midnight on Feb. 25, 2024.
The event will begin with the contestants entering in, wearing their best formal attire. The contestants will introduce themselves and then begin their dance portion of the pageant, which Junior Theta, Emma Kennedy, noted is very popular with the audience. They will then be subjected to an interview portion, with questions that typically err on the side of silly. Finally, they will be able to showcase their respective talents. Emceeing this event are PR/Vis Co-Chairs, Senior Marta Sikora, Kennedy, and Sophomore Kim Betanzos-Valdovinos. Live voting will also take place throughout the event.
While student votes will ultimately crown Mr. Gustavus, there is a Judges’ Choice award for whoever does the best in the dance or with their talent. Votes will be two dollars each and students may vote as many times as they wish for as many of the contestants as they wish. Larger donations than two dollars are also more than acceptable.
“It’s a really great event to showcase the community at Gustavus. We showcase… how the connections that people have here are really tight,” Sikora said.
Though the nature of the Mr. Gustavus pageant is known to be playful, there are some characteristics and qualities that Thetas deem important and helpful to the Mr. Gustavus competitors.
“Somebody who’s confident in themselves and involved on campus. As well as willing to be goofy about it,” Kennedy said. “There’s a lot that goes into being Mr. Gustavus. It’s a lot of work to get up there… and not be too serious about it. But also somebody who everybody on campus respects and even looks up to to a certain degree.”
Sikora, Kosters, and Kennedy also identified attributes such as caring, charismatic, charming, and someone who enjoys giving back to the community.
“The opportunity to let loose and show strong personality should be embraced by the Mr. Gustavus nominees,” Kosters said.
At the end of the night, Mr. Gustavus will be adorned with a sash, crown, and proper bragging rights. Often nominees will have friends, teammates, and fellow club members there to support them. Sikora noted that there will even be students with their own kitchens who might not frequent the Caf that show up to enjoy the event and give their support.
“It brings the campus together… It’s just fun to see a classmate that maybe you’re always taking so seriously have fun and want to be a part of this campus enough to be Mr. Gustavus,” Kennedy said.
The Thetas also acknowledge the impact it has on Gustavus students, as well as the Mr. Gustavus contestants themselves.
“Offering a space for the campus to laugh together, oftentimes at the silliness of the pageant, is definitely my favorite aspect of the Mr. Gustavus event,” Kosters said.
All of the proceeds from Mr. Gustavus will go towards Theta Xi Gamma’s philanthropy: the Pinky Swear Foundation. The foundation works with families and children going through childhood cancer, helping with gas money, groceries, and Christmas presents.
“It’s our way of getting outreach off campus and helping out where we can,” Kennedy said.
Students amidst the fun and support are encouraged to remember and consider the cause that is central to the creation and reason for the Mr. Gustavus fundraiser.
“We also get to help affect a completely separate community outside of Gustavus,” Sikora said. The Theta Xi Gamma sorority encourages anybody and everybody to show their support for not only the good cause but also their fellow Gusties who are competing!