The third Mr. University contest will be held at 7:30 tonight at the Gertrude C. Ford Center. Proceeds raised by the event go toward the 2025 senior class present — a donation to University of Mississippi’s food pantry, Grove Grocery.
This year, there are 10 contestants competing for the title: Byron Swetman, Michael Basha, Rob Embry, Downing Koestler, Hudson Hargette, Henry Potter, Anthony Jones Jr., Ethan Robertson, Jacks Mitchell and Garrett Holland. The event includes an escorting section, where participants are presented to the audience, an interview portion and a talent portion.
After its creation in 2022, Mr. University was held for two consecutive years but did not occur in 2024. After receiving feedback from the student body, Senior Class President Jack Walker, a public policy major from Shreveport, La., revived the male pageant with the help of the Senior Class Secretary Kam Holt, a senior biology major from Seguin, Texas and Senior Class Vice President Phoebe Gremaud, a senior biomedical engineering major from Edwardsville, Ill.
“I want to do something that the senior class but also the students of Ole Miss are going to enjoy. I had so many people say, ‘You have to bring (Mr. University) back,’” Walker said. “As senior class president, that’s where I just feel like that’s my position to make, to give something to the senior class as one final gift.”
The titles of Mr. Know-It-All, which goes to the contestant who aces the interview portion, Mr. Talent and Mr. Philanthropy will be chosen by judges Trimiesha Joyner, the spouse of Rebels Defensive Line Coach Randall Joyner, Associate Director of Leadership and Engagement Jordain Hamill and Natasha Jeter, the assistant vice chancellor for student success at the university.
The student body can help a candidate win Mr. Philanthropy by donating canned goods. Winning any of these three titles enhances a contestant’s chances of ultimately becoming Mr. University.
“There will be boxes that have each contestant’s face on it, and you can drop canned goods in those boxes, and we’ll count them up during the event,” Walker said. “Whoever has the most cans under their box wins Mr. Philanthropy, and it’s also just a good way to give back to Grove Grocery as well, our beneficiary.”
Swetman, a senior computer science major from Latimer, Miss., emphasized the range of campus representation that was focused on during the candidate selection process. The selection process started with a call for UM community members to submit nominations to the Mr. University organizers. The nominees were then asked if they would like to participate in the competition.
“Jack Walker, Phoebe Gremaud and Kam Holt, the three of them, did a really good job finding different people on campus from a bunch of different groups,” Swetman said. “One of them contacted me and asked if I was interested in participating. We’ve got a really good group this year, that’s for sure.”
A senior accounting major from Brentwood, Tenn., Holland said that being selected as a contestant represents his ties to the university from a young age.
“I have grown up coming to Oxford and Ole Miss. Competing to be Mr. University means being a man on campus that embodies what it means to be a leader on the campus I have held dear since my childhood,” Holland said. “So I can confidently say, in the words of the SEC, ‘it just means more’ to be a contestant.”
Basha, a senior biochemistry major from Clarksdale, Miss., initially was on the fence about participating, but the event’s purpose drew him in.
“I used to be involved in Grove Grocery my sophomore year, and I think their mission is really awesome,” Basha said. “Getting to raise money in a really fun and exciting way where people are not straight up donating, but there’s kind of a show is an exciting thing.”
Robertson, a senior political science major from Pontotoc, Miss., shared Basha’s appreciation for the cause Mr. University is supporting, compared to a more traditional senior gift like a statue or monument.
“I think a monument, although nice, is not something that really helps our community. Grove Grocery is a food pantry for any students on campus that are ever in need,” Robertson said. “It is very important that we’re building something that can help sustain our campus.”
Potter, a senior mechanical engineering major from Lake Village, Ark., believes that this year’s competition will be a tight race.
“I think everyone out there deserves to win, but I’d be pretty honored. I mean, it’s going to be tough,” Potter said.
Senior Spanish and international studies double major, Mitchell, from Mobile, Ala., echoed Potter’s perspective on what being crowned Mr. University would mean.
“(It is the) greatest honor. This place has been the best decision of my life, to come to Ole Miss. I always tell people that it will be their best decision of all time as well,” Mitchell said. “I would just love to be the representative of such an awesome place that means so much to me.”
Jones, an Oxford native and junior health and physical education major, hopes the event works out in his favor but ultimately wants the crowd to enjoy themselves.
“If I do (win) I’ll be super stoked, but if I don’t, I just want to have a good time and everyone to think it’s funny and leave with a smile on their face,” Jones said.
Other contestants include Hargette, a senior computer science major from Greenville, S.C., senior mechanical engineering major Koestler, from Oxford, and senior civil engineering major, Embry, from Madison, Miss.
These contestants did not provide comment upon publication.
Tickets to the Mr. University contest are $15 before fees and can be purchased on the UM Box office website and at the Ford Center box office.
