Junior Angela Romano and sophomore DeAndre Hinson took home the titles of Mr. and Ms. Quinnipiac on Oct. 26. For the first time, the Student Programming Board welcomed women to compete in the pageant, which included question rounds, talent, formal wear and a final act, where contestants had their last chance to impress the judges through comedy or performance.
“We wanted to bring more attention to the event, so we decided to open it up so women could also compete,” Chris Amato, who co-chaired the event with SPB, said. “The majority of the campus is composed of girls, so we figured we should target a little more toward women.”
The contestants were put to the test, and had to respond to witty, Quinnipiac-related questions to show off their personalities in one round. A contestant was asked, “If you were a sub from Mondo’s, what kind of sub would you be,” which received a suggestive response that had the crowd going wild.
The talent section proved to be equally entertaining, despite the lack of diversity in the performances as many sang and danced. Random people who were not affiliated with SPB or the contest, entered Burt Kahn in Halloween costumes and ran through the audience during the contestants’ talent portion of the competition.
Ten contestants, five men and five women, took the stage in Burt Kahn. But in the end, Romano and Hinson’s antics made them stand out among the rest.
During Romano’s talent, she fooled the audience in a good way. Romano walked on stage equipped with a guitar and told the audience, in a somber voice, that she was going to play her grandmother’s favorite song. After some light strumming, she began to deliver an acoustic rendition of “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas, a comical, unexpected twist that won over the judges.
But all comedy aside, Romano showed she could be a good representation of Quinnipiac.
“I’m very passionate about Quinnipiac, and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to have a good time and to just show my love for the university,” Romano said.
Hinson’s background, recent struggles and strong heart also made him stand out.
“I would have done this last year, but I had to get jaw surgery, which nearly cost me my life,”
Hinson said. “I’ve been so much better and I was just so pumped that I could do it this year. I
just love the spirit part of it all. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
Hinson remained in high spirits during the entire show, however, and chose not to get caught up in his past.
Both Romano and Hinson’s high energy had everyone watching in the Quinnipiac spirit. It’s safe to say that both winners equally deserve their titles and each truly embodies a well-rounded, passionate Quinnipiac student.
