Article by: Cait O’Callaghan

Finally, Suffolk can declare that it has a “Mister.”

Program Council hosted the first annual Mr. Suffolk Pageant last Wednesday, with six guys in the running, and “Mr. Wicked,” Jonathan Lang, being declared the winner.

Lang, a freshman from Princeton, NJ, a psychology major and a member of Suffolk’s hip hop group, “WICKED!,” truly won the judge’s hearts through his skillful moves.

“It feels great to be Mr. Suffolk!” Lang laughs. “Not only is it great to have participated in the first one, but also to credit WICKED! the publicity it deserves. I had fun doing it, and it was great helping out my friends.”

The newly announced Mr. Suffolk is also part of the professional break dancing crew La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo, Emerson’s hip hop group, Paradise Lost, and other various dance groups around Massachusetts.

First runner up was “Mr. SUNORML,” junior Jeff Morris. Morris hilariously showed his school spirit by stripping off multiple yellow and blue shirts, beat-boxing and singing, at the same time. He was also the only contestant to fashion a suit for his evening wear, which he pulled off very nicely.

The other contestants were senior Nadjib Arachiche (Mr. AAA), freshman Jeffrey Numero (Mr. Ramifications), junior Efe Osifo (Mr. Voice of Zion) and junior John McDonnell (Mr. Smile Train).

The contestants had to participate in four events: the group dance, which was a collaboration of songs by The Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce and Lady Gaga; the spirit wear, where the contestants show off their best attempt at school spirit; and the talent and the question portion, where the judges asked one serious question and one playful question.

When Lang was asked the playful question of, “Which staff member at Suffolk would you like to date?” he replied in a heartbeat, “Diane the lunch lady [from Tremont café],” as the crowd laughed and applauded him for his answer.

Later, Lang said, “[Diane] is great. She’s basically the face of Tremont café, and makes everything more fun.”

Other silly questions from the judges included “Boxers or Briefs?”  “What part of the happy meal are you?” “Do you believe in premarital sex?” and “What would you bring on a desert island with you?” All questions and answers caused uproarious laughter from the audience and were good additions to the show.

The role of Mr. Suffolk was determined by the panel of judges. The judges: Craig Cullinane, Associate Director of Diversity Services; Alison Mulholland, President of Program Council; David DeAngelis, Director of Student Leadership and Involvement; and Kathy Maloney, the Assistant Director of the Performing Arts Office.

In between the events, the audience members were entertained with performances by Suffolk’s Show Choir and by Suffolk’s hip hop group, WICKED!. The Suffolk Show Choir sang “Take a Bow” by Rihanna beautifully, while WICKED! performed an awesome hip hop dance to a collaboration of songs.

The event was hosted by junior Kelsey Trenti, a business management and marketing double major, and junior Ryan Berry, a business management major with a double minor in Communication Studies and Global Business.

Both hosts entertained the audience while the competitors got ready for each event. Trenti and Berry, however, both got “confused” and donned pajamas and slippers while presenting the contestants for the evening wear portion of the competition.

Besides becoming the first Mr. Suffolk in Suffolk’s history, Lang also got to bring home two Red Sox tickets for Sunday’s game, a shirt and hat, a rum glass, a Suffolk banner and a group prize for WICKED!, which is still being determined, but Lang is hoping for “just a small party with food and drinks.”

The Mr. Suffolk Pageant was a great success and hopefully there will be another next year, where Lang can pass down his crown to the new Mr. Suffolk.