Samantha Krebs

COMM 462
Lori Shontz
January 31, 2014


The Society for Women Engineers hosted its annual Mr. Engineer pageant at Penn States
University Park campus on Monday, Jan. 27. The pageant was an all-male show for engineering
majors where all proceeds would benefit THON.
Nine contestants competed in Professional Wear, Nerdy Wear and Talent for the title of Mr.
Engineer this year, and along with the overall winner (who would receive a gold plastic crown),
there were four other titles up for grabs; Mr. Sassy Pants, Mr. Dress Pants, Mr. Smarty Pants and
Mr. Social Pants, the winners of which would exemplify all the traits that make up a true male
engineer.
The pageant kicked off with the introductions of the engineers by the emcees of the night, who
told the audience why each contestant was competing for the title.
When asked why he was participating in Mr. Engineer, Ben Szoch, a junior in biomedical
engineering, replied, To prove who the real Mr. Engineer is. Stephen Castro, a freshman in
chemical engineering, said he entered the contest because of peer pressure, and Michael
Tramontozzi, a junior in biomedical engineering, said that Honey Boo Boo child has been my
inspiration.
Starting with Professional Wear, the emcees introduced the category, which would include a
Q&A session for each contestant.
When it comes to the business world, first impressions can make or break you. In this round
well see which contestants can nail the interview while looking the part, the emcees said.
The engineers strutted their stuff in suits and ties to the tunes of Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ
Top and If You Think Im Sexy by Rod Stewart, all the while answering serious and silly
questions alike, such as: What is the most useful thing youve learned in college? and If you
were a female, what would you keep in your purse?
Moving along to Nerdy Wear, the emcees poked fun at the profession of engineering while
employing some engineer-based humor.
We all know engineers are known to be a tad bit on the nerdy side, they said. So in this round,
the guys should derive to the occasion. You could say this is an integral part of the night.
Kicking off the round, the guys posed in sweater vests, bowties and plaid pants held up with
suspenders, and even accessorized their outfits with pocket protectors, calculators, and fake
glasses held together with tape.
During the Nerdy Wear portion of the show, the contestants each had various fun facts read
about them by the emcees; Henry Velasquez, a junior in mechanical engineering, can squirt milk
out of his eye at impressive distances. John Paratore, a junior in energy engineering, said his
guilty pleasure is the movie Pitch Perfect, and Colin Blackburn, a junior in industrial
engineering, can touch his nose with his tongue.
The last round was the talent portion of the show, introduced by the emcees:
The admirable thing about engineers is that their skills go beyond the classroom. The
contestants really hammed it up during the talent round, such as ripping their t-shirts and pants
off to reveal Penn State shirts and short-shorts.
Frank-Eric Ngamassi, a junior in petroleum and natural gas engineering, wowed the crowd with
his impressive dance moves, and Colin Nitroy, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, had the
audience singing along when he played a song on his guitar from the movie, Mulan.
Last up in talent was Steven Mezzacappa, a sophomore in architectural engineering, who started
to sing Time to Say Goodbye" (Con Te Partiro) when he suddenly stopped.
Wait. You guys didnt really think I was gonna sing that song did you, he asked. That wasnt
even Italian! He then proceeded to run around the stage, leading the crowd in We Are Penn
State! chants, and then sang a song he wrote about THON, entitled FTK.
Among the more entertaining talents were ribbon dancing performances, a magic show, and
seeing how many mini powdered donuts could fit into the contestants mouth (By the way, it was
15).
After announcing how much money they raised for THON ($584), it was finally time to
announce the winners of the pageant.
Mr. Sassy Pants goes to Frank-Eric Ngamassi; Mr. Dress Pants goes to Colin Nitroy; Mr.
Smarty Pants goes to Michael Tramontozzi; and Mr. Social Pants goes to Colin Blackburn,
announced the emcees. And this years 2014 Mr. Engineer isSteven Mezzacappa!
When asked how he felt about winning the title of Mr. Engineer, Mezzacappa replied, It feels
pretty awesome. Im happy that I won, because of course coming into it, I wanted to win. But
really, its for THON and to raise money for the kids. Its a really awesome thing.