Monica Golbranson, Staff Writer

Notre Dame Men Compete for Bragging Rights, Campus Crown

It comes as no surprise that one of Notre Dame’s most popular dorm events is Walsh Hall’s “Mr. ND,” a pageant-style competition between representatives from male dorms.  Competitors go head-to-head in talent and question-and-answer rounds in hope of receiving the coveted title of “Mr. ND.”

Organizers Sara Hogan and Nicole Theiken explained that proceeds from “Mr. ND,” Walsh’s signature event, benefit the dormitory’s charity, Girls on the Run, an organization dedicated to serving young women by helping them strive for the realization of their dreams.

The charitable proceeds are a large part of what drew the duo to organizing the event.  “We love Walsh, and really wanted to help out with something.  ‘Mr. ND’ is Walsh’s signature event, which was really exciting, and it supports a good cause.  It gets everyone involved—we had representatives from 23 dorms!” Hogan noted.

To be Mr. ND, a competitor must boldly pursue his own dreams, albeit on a much smaller scale than Girls on the Run.  He must excel in a broad range of categories.  According to judge Madeline Calix from Lewis, to be Mr. ND, “you have to be fabulous, you have to be talented, and you have to be hilarious.  Those are the key three things.”  “It doesn’t hurt to be hot, too,” she joked.

Hogan also weighed in: “It takes a lot of confidence to be Mr. ND.  You need relatability, a sense of humor, the ability to laugh at yourself.”  Theiken agreed, noting, “You need talent, strong character.  You can’t take yourself too seriously, no arrogance.  It does take a lot actually.”

The night began with a quick and funny introduction of each contestant by MCs from campus improv group The Humor Artists, followed by the talent portion of the competition.  Every contestant participated, each showcasing his broad range of talents.  A panel of judges, made up of girls from each female dorm, decided the five best contestants.

The winning talents included Mr. Carroll reading his witty tweets, Mr. Keough singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables, Mr. Alumni displaying his acrobatic skills, Mr. Zahm acting out an Old Spice commercial and Mr. Keenan playing the trumpet.

These top five contestants moved on to the question-and-answer portion of the competition, where the audience learned many intimate details about the contestants.

For instance, Mr. Keough would rather fight 30 duck-sized horses than one horse-sized duck because his big feet could easily defeat the little horses, and Mr. Alumni once took a girl on a romantic DHD (Dining Hall Date), complete with a tablecloth and candles.

Mr. Keenan would name a new athletic facility after himself and Mr. Carroll loves Olive Garden and his lime green short shorts, which he proudly sported at the event.  Lastly, Mr. Zahm would like the football players to stay and sing the Alma Mater after home losses.

A hush came over the crowd upon the announcement of awards.  Mr. Zahm was voted Mr. Congeniality by the contestants, Mr. Alumni was voted Walsh Favorite by the Wild Women in attendance, and Mr. Keough was voted Fan Favorite by all those in attendance.  Finally, the honor of Mr. ND was won by Mr. Carroll.

The winners were gracious in their victories.  Mr. Carroll “liked the energy of the crowd and the camaraderie amongst the participants.”

Mr. Keough said, “the best part of being in ‘Mr. ND’ was seeing all the different talented individuals here at Notre Dame.”  It is no wonder that the audience and judges loved these men of Notre Dame.

The night was full of laughs, cheers and newly-formed crushes.  Callie King, an attendee, said her favorite part was “when Mr. Keough was playing ‘I Dreamed a Dream.’”

Leah Hicks enjoyed “the question and answer portion.”

Ally Lowry was in full support of Mr. Carroll’s victory: “He was amazing.  It was really funny.”

For Hogan and Theiken, organizers extraordinaire, the night was a huge success.  “Running the show was a blast, and everything was worth it in the end,” said Theiken. Hogan added, “It was so nice to see everything come together in the end.”

Monica Golbranson is a freshman pre-med major in Walsh Hall.  She’s cheering for the Dodgers this postseason!  Contact her at mgolbra1@nd.edu.