Nine UH students will compete for the title of Mr. UH at Student Program Board’s fourth annual Mr. UH Competition at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the UC Theatre.
Students will be judged in three categories: swimwear, talent and formal wear. The boys are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 and will be judged on their interaction with the audience, their stage presence, their creativity and their originality.
“School spirit is something these men have, and students will get a kick out of seeing all the students compete against one another,” said SPB Special Events Chair Beatriz Torres. “It’s friendly competition with smart, talented and handsome men.”
Unlike previous years, this year’s contest will not raise money for a charity, and admission is free. Torres said this year will also be a little more relaxed, allow audience voting, include an opening number and a live broadcast.
“They are free to do what they choose at this time, and they are really pumped to show off what they’ve got,” Torres said. “It’ll be an event to remember.”
In order to participate in this male beauty pageant, students are required to be involved with an organization on campus. The winner who best represents UH will win the title of Mr. UH and a grand prize of $400. The student who places second will receive $200 and the third place winner gets $100.
“These men are all very diverse in backgrounds and are well-rounded individuals that truly embody the University of Houston,” Torres said.
Get to know some of the candidates for Mr. UH 2014, and come out Nov. 4 to vote for your favorite pick.
Courtesy of Mohammed Zia
Contestant 1:Mohammed Zia (goes by Zia)
Zia is a computer engineering junior and serves as the public relations officer for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at UH. Zia is also the treasurer of United Muslim Relief, dedicated to changing lives of “people who need help and those who want to help others.”
Fun Fact:
Zia was featured in the Fox News Segment, Least Sexy College Edition, dressed up in a banana suit. He said he “took part in Mr. UH to prove to my fellow Coogs that UH is indeed sexy.” Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/Wg4FW9UfVwU
Hobbies
“My hobbies are playing sports, especially soccer and Ultimate Frisbee. I like eating out, solving puzzles and making really corny jokes sometimes too.”
Why he loves UH:
“My favorite thing about UH is its diversity, because you get to meet all kinds of people from different countries around the world. I also love the amount of free events our school organizes, especially the football games in the new stadium.”
Why you should vote for him:
“People should vote for me to become Mr. UH because I am interesting, athletic, highly involved on campus, and I am proud to be a Coog. I also want prove to everyone that UH is indeed sexy, unlike the Fox News video. Go Coogs!”
Courtesy of Jicky Kuruvilla
Contestant 2: Jicky Kuruvilla
Kuruvilla is a finance senior. He is part of a South Asian a capella team that performs on campus. Kuruvilla is also involved in a variety of intramural sports on campus and said his biggest passion is basketball.
Fun fact
Running for Mr. UH wasn’t Kuruvilla’s idea. His friends made a Facebook page titled “Jicky for Mr. UH” and he thought it was a joke.
“They actually nominated me and signed me up. After they put in that effort, I thought it would be an honor and a privilege to run for this title,” Kuruvilla said.
Who is your role model?
My role model would definitely have to be my older brother Ricky. He is a prime example of what hard work can get you. He has showed me that nothing in this world is out of reach, and we can be anyone we want and obtain anything we want if we are willing to work for it.
What do you do with your spare time?
“The majority of my time is spent hanging out with those who are close to me. Building and maintaining relationships is one of the things that I pride myself and it is really important to me. When I am not at school, I spend time with my church family and my family at home.”
Why you should vote for him:
“I think people should vote for me because I am pretty well-rounded and I love the University of Houston. I feel like I am blessed to be able to attend this university and that God has placed me here for a reason. If I get chosen to be the face of Mr. UH, it is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It would truly be an honor. This University is so multicultural, and I feel like I could be a good example of that.”
Courtesy of Christian Santillan
Contestant 3: Christian Santillan
Santillan is a biology junior. Santillan serves as vice president of public relations and philanthropy chair for the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Freshmen Honor Society and works as a peer advocate and natural sciences and mathematics liaison for exploratory studies.
Fun Fact
As a pre-med student, Santillan said he hopes to attend medical school to become a pediatric endocrinologist so he can treat diabetics like himself. He was diagnosed after being hospitalized his senior year and said he stayed in Houston to be close to his family while he adjusted to life as a diabetic. Santillan said he discovered “there wasn’t another university for me.”
Hobbies?
“I like hanging out with my friends, listening to music and going out salsa dancing.”
Who is your role model?
“As cliché as it may sound, my role model is my dad. Growing up in a house full of women, and being one of three male cousins out of 28, it can be hard to find a male figure to look up to. My dad was always there for me and supported me in everything I did. My dad was not able to graduate from college, but growing up he always made it clear that my education was a priority and that I would get a degree.”
Why you should vote for him:
“I represent the majority of the UH community while also being the student that the University wants us to be. I am a commuter, but I am also extremely active on campus. I am also a testament to the kind of impact this university can have on a student. I went from being a commuter student who just came to class and left to an active student who proudly wears red on Fridays and consistently reminds my older sister at UTSA that I chose the better university. Go Coogs!”
