“Club culture” at Georgetown University has a myriad of connotations. Competitive. Toxic. Intense. Students often prioritize their applications over their coursework during the first few weeks of the year, and after bouts of interviews and essays, some say it’s harder to get into a club on campus than to get into Georgetown itself.
In the midst of this rigorous environment, there’s a counterculture of acceptance, joy and community which brings out the unseriousness of a system known for its severity. The epitome of this phenomenon is a campus institution that celebrates the exuberance of club culture: “Mr. Georgetown.”
A staple of Homecoming Weekend since 2005, “Mr. Georgetown” — an annual pageant run by the Georgetown Program Board (GPB) — offers a chance for male-identifying seniors to represent the essence of their respective organizations through dance performances, talent shows and comedy sketches. “Mr. Georgetown” has had only an uptick in popularity since its founding, with seats selling out in eight minutes in 2023 and crashing CampusGroups for almost an hour this year as throngs of students tried to secure a coveted ticket.
But it’s not only fun and games; “Mr. Georgetown” represents a way for clubs to make their mark on campus, spike interest in their programs and come together to cheer on their beloved leaders. For the senior participants, it’s a “thank you” to the organizations that have welcomed them with open arms.
For Mr. Georgetown University Grilling Society (GUGS) Max Russo (SFS ’25), joining GUGS felt written in the stars after he transferred to Georgetown during his sophomore year.
“Well, I’ve always loved to cook, but I remember applying to Georgetown as a miserable GW student and thinking, ‘I really want to engage with students in a fun way and forget about the daily grind,’” Russo told The Hoya, “One day I was looking at the website and they mentioned GUGS; I mentioned it to my friends back home and they’re like, ‘Dude, you have to go to Georgetown.’”
Mr. Mask & Bauble Noah Vinogradov (SFS ’25) said he joined the campus theater troupe after a chance encounter at his resident assistant’s birthday party, which compelled him to join the group as a pianist.
“I was a sophomore transfer student, and I was invited to my RA’s birthday party — I’m not sure about the legality of that — but I was just chatting with someone who was talking about how they were directing a show and needed a pianist. So I say, ‘I play piano, you know, I’m kind of looking for opportunities on campus’. And they’re like, ‘Why don’t you come to the rehearsal tomorrow night?’ So I showed up,” Vinogradov told The Hoya. Following his first show, Mask and Bauble’s annual Night of Musical Scenes, he has since been a part of two other shows on campus and is set to direct the spring musical: “Sweeney Todd.”
Mr. Ultimate Frisbee Andreas Moeller (MSB ’25), Mr. Rock Climbing Jordan Schuman (CAS ’25) and our very own Mr. The Hoya Clayton Kincade (SFS ’25) all ventured outside of their self-imposed comfort zones to find joy in what they now love — and continue to do so through participating in “Mr. Georgetown.”
Full disclosure: Clayton Kincade (SFS ’25) previously served as a Guide Staff Writer, Guide Deputy Editor, Senior Guide Editor, Executive Editor and Senior News Editor from Fall 2021 to Fall 2023.
Kincade joined The Hoya in his first semester at Georgetown with no previous writing experience — starting his Hoya career by writing movie reviews for The Guide and spending five semesters on the paper, including three on its board of editors. Kincade said he hopes to show students that there is nothing to fear in trying new things through participating in “Mr. Georgetown.”
“Just pursue the things that you’re interested in, no matter if you’re coming to a school where it feels like everyone else has so much experience in whatever they’re doing,” Kincade told The Hoya.
Moeller had never played ultimate frisbee before joining Georgetown’s club team and said he wants to inspire audiences to try new things — including, he hopes, ultimate frisbee.
“One of my roommates is a captain, and we were just talking, and he said, ‘You’re representing the whole club, people will see you and that brings attention to the club,’” Moeller told The Hoya. “They see big, bold letters on your sash and they hear about it when you get announced: ‘Mr. Ultimate Frisbee.’”
Schuman came to campus his first year with brand-new climbing shoes his family had bought for a summer vacation and decided to try out club rock climbing as a chance to use them. Three years on, Schuman said he is proud to represent his club at “Mr. Georgetown.”
“I think it’s a really cool thing to do, it’s a fun, silly thing,” Schuman told The Hoya. “Having fun, having a good time is the whole goal of it. But I think it’s also really cool to represent Rock Climbing because that’s been my main, defining thing at Georgetown.”
For contestants representing affinity groups such as Mr. Asian American Student Association (AASA) Aidan Ng (SFS ’25) and Mr. Caribbean Culture Circle Ajani Jones (CAS ’25), “Mr. Georgetown” is more than just a club showcase, it’s representation for their cultural communities.
Whether it’s through AASA’s own events, such as the club’s original musical “(no) pressure,” which Ng produced, or through the previous Mr. AASAs Lucas Lin (SFS ’24) and Ed Shen (MSB ’23) competing in “Mr. Georgetown,” Ng reveals just how important continuing the legacy of Asian American representation on campus is to him.
“It feels really good that I was able to fool everyone into singing my songs and playing my music. And I’m really proud of that. But I’m even more proud of the friends I made and the people who continued to do the musical even after I left,” Ng told The Hoya. “Because now it’s not my show at all, it’s their show, and I’m really happy that there’s a space for Asian American theater that started with AASA.”
Jones, on the other hand, said they see “Mr. Georgetown” as a way for clubs such as the Caribbean Culture Circle to foster solidarity for marginalized communities on campus and display the often-overlooked aspects of their cultures.
“I wanted to take that chance to have a fun memory in my senior year and use that as a further opportunity to bring attention to this club that’s super important to me, but also bring my culture, which is such a huge part of who I am, to a more central stage,” Jones told The Hoya.
With 17 contestants, this year’s “Mr. Georgetown” is larger than both the 2022 and 2023 iterations; Mr. Innovo Consulting Ulises Olea Tapia (SFS ’25), Mr. Lecture Fund Liam McGraw (CAS ’25), Mr. Hilltop Consultants Thomas Fogarty (SFS ’25), Mr. Pep Band Nicholas Vianna (CAS ’25), Mr. Philonomosian Society John DiPierri (SFS ’25), Mr. D.C. Reads Joe Vitali (CAS ’25), Mr. Blue & Gray Josh Ford (SFS ’25), Mr. ESCAPE Koby Twist (CAS ’25), Mr. Hoya Blue Elliot Landolt (MSB ’25), and Mr. The Voice Cole Kindiger (CAS ’25) will also take to the stage in Gaston Hall this year.
From promoting their own found communities to encouraging audiences to break out of their shells to let their cultural backgrounds take center stage, “Mr. Georgetown” represents much more than just a Homecoming tradition — it’s a shining example of how we can come together as a community to create inclusive, welcoming spaces that allow every Hoya to find a home on campus.
But, at the end of the day, every pageant needs a winner; a judging panel of students, professors and graduates will crown one contestant “Mr. Georgetown” at the Sept. 20 show.
