Richard Stephenson '12 and Kate Sullivan '13 were crowned "Mr. and Ms. Big Green" in Thursday night's school spirit competition after displaying their spirit through flair-filled talent and dance performances. Contestants in this year's event the fourth annual Mr. and Ms. Big Green competition and the first that was led by the Class Councils rather than the Student Assembly vied to raise money for charities such as David's House, Charity: Water and the Sierra Club Foundation.
The competition began with a few technical difficulties, but even as one contestant nearly danced down the runway to the incorrect song for her performance, the participants remained smiling throughout the evening.
Both Stephenson and Sullivan earned loud applause from the crowd for their talent routines, and each received perfect scores in the talent category from the panel of five judges. Stephenson serenaded the judges James Lee '13, Ronnie Dixon '11, Shayla Mars'11, Tom Mandel '11 and Joe Coleman '11 and the crowd with Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You."
Stephenson's rendition of the song began as a lip-synch to music sung by Monte Reed '12 and ended in a duet. Sullivan delivered a stand-up comedy routine in which she complained about inappropriate bathroom behaviors and friends who constantly seek to "one-up" others' drinking stories.
DASH sheets were circulated throughout the audience for donations slated to be split between the winners' preferred charities. Last year's contest raised over $500, which was divided between the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, The Dartmouth previously reported.
This year, Stephenson raised funds for DREAM while Sullivan competed for Girls on the Run.
Both winners said the audience's energy increased their enthusiasm while competing.
After the judges selected the semi-finalists Stephenson, Sullivan, Katie Paxton '11 and Joe Futoma '14 the final winners were selected on the basis of audience cheers.
Sullivan and Stephenson won $75 Canoe Club gift certificates as well as cut-outs of Sarah Palin and Taylor Lautner that had been decorated with green streamers. All other competitors received $25 gift certificates to Barnes & Noble for their participation in the event.
The question-and-answer session, which was eliminated from last year's show, returned as a component of the talent section of the contest.
Questions ranged from what mascot would best represent the spirit of Dartmouth to what location ought to be added to the existing "Dartmouth Seven" challenge.
The Mr. and Ms. Big Green competition began three years ago, after Uthman Olagoke '11 who co-chaired last year's contest attended an Ivy Council conference at Yale University. Olagoke thought that an event modeled after the Mr. Yale contest would be a fun way to kickoff Winter Carnival, he said.
"The contest is a good crossover to bring different communities together to celebrate Dartmouth," Olagoke said.
Olagoke modified the Yale's all-male competition, adding a category for women.
"In light of the gender dynamics on campus, I thought it would be good to have a Mr. and Ms. Big Green on campus," he said.
Initially, Student Assembly's Student Life Committee oversaw the contest. This year, however, the Class Councils were responsible for managing the competition.
"Student Assembly has really shifted their focus away from programming and more to policy," Sebastian DeLuca '14, president of the 2014 Class Council, said.
DeLuca said he thought the shift in management was fitting, since the Class Councils' role on campus aligns with the aim of the contest.
"Class Councils are in charge of creating bonding between classes," DeLuca said.
