By Regina Stracqualursi ’15
A record number of students made their way to the Marcelle Athletic Complex for the tenth annual Mr. Siena, a mock beauty pageant held each spring to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
The Siena chapter of Habitat for Humanity is one of the largest clubs on campus. Each year during spring break, Siena sends four groups of students to different locations to construct homes for those in need and the money raised during Mr. Siena helps to fund those trips. It also supports the Albany chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
This year, a record-breaking 825 students purchased tickets to the event and 20 alumni, including previous contestants, winners and co-chairs, traveled back to Siena in order to attend.
Of the 22 students that auditioned for Mr. Siena in October, eight were selected to participate in the show. This year’s contestants included Travis Pyka ’18, Erwin Premchan ’17, Paolo Fiore ’17, Petey Lilikas ’16, Mike Talarico ’16, Ben Caesar ’15, Matt Pinchinat ’15 and Ryan Moran ’15.
The show opened up as “Mr. Siena 2014” Shane Cronin ’16, Fr. Dennis Tamburello ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. , and Director of Liturgical Arts Kate Kaufman Burns sang a parody of the popular hit, “Let it Go” from Disney’s Frozen.
The eight men then competed for “Best Habitat,” a portion of the show where contestants must create engaging skits that illustrate the importance of Habitat for Humanity.
The talent part of the show included everything from singing and dancing to stand-up comedy. Some of the most popular acts among the audience included Petey Lilikas’s rendition of “Agony” from Into the Woods and Ben Caesar’s cello performance, during which he played a pop music medley.
“I’m always impressed with their courage and confidence. It takes a lot of guts to do what they do, especially with how high the caliber of the show is,” said co-chair Matt Schiesel ’15. “I’m extremely grateful to them for working so hard and putting in so much effort.”
At the end of the show, each of the contestants came out on the stage with their escorts in formal attire and answered a question about Siena or Habitat for Humanity.
It was then time for the judges to announce the winner. While they deliberated, the audience was treated to a dance performance of “It’s Raining Men,” which included past and present Mr. Siena contestants.
After the judges awarded “Best Talent” to Caesar, “Best Habitat” to Talarico, “Mr. Congeniality” to Pinchinat and “Runner Up” to Flore, Ryan Moran was crowned “Mr. Siena 2015.”
Moran sang and danced with the Bhangra team to “Wake Me Up” by Avicii. His “Habitat” skit was a parody of the “Weekend Update” sketch from Saturday Night Live.
“It feels kind of unreal to be Mr. Siena. The show was so much fun and it is really rewarding to know that all of my hard work has paid off,” said Moran. “Knowing that each year the show raises thousands of dollars for Habitat for Humanity made me want to join and do my best to help out other people in need.”
The show was the most successful Habitat for Humanity fundraiser to date. In just one week, Siena students will travel to North and South Carolina to build homes for families in need.
Click here to see the Times Union SEEN Gallery from Mr. Siena 2015
Ten Years of Mr. Siena Memories
By Julia Hess '15
In celebration of the pageant’s tenth anniversary, Mr. Siena 2015 co-chairs, Matthew Schiesel ’15 and Aleisia Kisel ’15 wanted to make this year’s event was unlike any other. They thought the best way to honor all that this event has done for the Siena community and Habitat for Humanity was to invite past contestants back to celebrate with a dance together to “It’s Raining Men,” an event staple since its inception.
Along with taking the stage for another dance number, the alumni reminisced about their experiences participating in Mr. Siena. “We all agree that this was the top of the things we’ve ever done,” said Joe Frumusa ’12.
As part of their homecoming, the past contestants gathered in Lonnstrom Dining Hall before the show. They remembered their time at Siena, including their countless hours of “saga sitting.” The group marveled about the growth of Mr. Siena and its change in venue.
“Having seen it develop since the inception, it’s amazing to see that they’ve change venues to the Marcelle Athletic Complex,” said Conor Geary ’09, a contestant in the first Mr. Siena competition who donned his “Best Talent” sash for his return to campus.
The alumni also laughed about the thought of competing against each other to figure out who was the ultimate Mr. Siena and they remembered the bond formed between the people in the pageant.
“It creates a family, it gives you a reason to come back to campus and know, hey, we’re all here and we’re all brothers,” said Mr. Siena 2011 Tim Quinn ’12.
Four-time Mr. Siena contestant Greg Marcoux ’12 echoed Quinn’s sentiment, but also highlighted the importance of supporting Habitat for Humanity. “I enjoy the brotherhood, but it was also nice to raise money for a good cause,” said Marcoux, whose ribbon dance routine was one of the most memorable “talent” performances in the pageant’s decade-long run.
After a decade of dancing, laughing and love, it appears that Mr. Siena is still building momentum all the while supporting the College’s movement to build affordable housing for those in need.
