Mr. Hillsdale brings charity and comedy to campus

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Mr. Hillsdale brings charity and comedy to campus
‘Mr. Hillsdale,’ senior Jack Coker and his fiancee, junior Reese Temple
Courtesy | Phoebe VanHeyningen

Senior Jack Coker wins the title ‘Mr. Hillsdale,’ according to the judges in Pi Beta Phi’s annual Mr. Hillsdale Competition, an annual philanthropy event where male students compete in a pageant to raise money for children’s literacy. 

The week-long competition begins with Penny Wars, where students vote for their favorite candidate by placing pennies in a jar. Each contestant also posted a photo on behalf of his campaign, with each like counting as a point. 

At the event, the competition had five subcategories, including interviews, swimwear, pick-up lines, a talent section, and speed reading. 

Representing the men of Whitley, senior Jack Coker took first place, followed by Delta Tau Delta’s representative junior Carson Brown, and sophomore representative of the Women’s Soccer Team, Tristan Wertanzyl. Coker began Monday night’s competition in the lead, as he won the Penny Wars by a large margin. He had two jars at the Mr. Hillsdale table in the union throughout the week to contain the amount of penny-votes he received. 

The annual competition is Pi Phi’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising money for “Read, Lead, Achieve.”

“Pi Beta Phi supports almost all of the libraries in the Arctic Circle,” senior and event co-host Reagan Linde said. “They provide the books for them, all of them in the native language of the people in that area.”

The donations of Hillsdale’s Pi Phi chapter are responsible for most of the children’s book donations in Hillsdale County, Linde said.

“The event is for a great cause, and I feel that it is a great way to bring different people from across campus together,” Wertanzyl said after the competition.

Other contestants included senior Mark Miller supporting the cross country team, senior Matt Anderson from Alpha Tau Omega, and junior Austin Harm from Delta Sigma Phi.

“I think the competition represents a lot of the best parts of Hillsdale: by means of a friendly yet competitive contest, we sharpen ourselves, form a strong community, and ultimately give back to those in need,” Niedfeldt representative and junior Colton Duncan said.