This Letter to the Editor responds to Kate Clark’s (COL ’21) Nov. 12 Viewpoint in the Hoya titled “Expand Inclusivity of Mr. Georgetown.” On behalf of the Georgetown Program Board, we have always been an organization for the entire undergraduate student body that strives to reflect the interests and backgrounds of each member of the Georgetown community. As a result, we aim to organize events that represent and celebrate all Hoyas. 

GPB created the Mr. Georgetown pageant as a satirical commentary on gender norms and expectations. The participation of contestants who identify as men originally served to critique the sexist norms of traditional pageants.

The event has evolved from its original form, however, and will no doubt continue to evolve in future years. It is not the beliefs and desires of the GPB board that drive the event’s evolution, but rather our aspiration to wholeheartedly reflect the desires of the undergraduate student body. 

Every single event we program requires approval from our general membership; all undergraduate students are welcome to join our membership, attend our meetings and vote on proposals. We will continue this discussion with the student body and pass along the critiques from Kate Clark’s original article and any subsequent recommendations to next year’s Mr. Georgetown chair. Again, we thank the author, Kate, for sharing her ideas, and we welcome any further suggestions from the rest of our fellow undergraduate Hoyas! 

Carver Fitzgerald (COL ’22) is the president of the Georgetown Program Board.