In an effort to alleviate the effects of the devastation in Pakistan at the shifting faults and rising waters of earthquakes and floods, the SUNY New Paltz Student Association (SA) is preparing to hold the first male beauty pageant in recent history.
Spearheaded by SA President Jennifer Sanchez, the pageant known as Mr. New Paltz would pit representatives from various student organizations against each other while charging a small amount at the door to raise money. Sanchez also hopes to get the Residence Hall Student Association (RHSA) involved in order to have a separate competition for representatives from each residence hall.
“If this is successful, Mr. New Paltz could become an annual event for the Student Association,” said Sanchez. “And every year they could pick a different charity organization to give to.”
The idea for the pageant came about while Sanchez and a group of students were brainstorming ways to help and one said that they had a similar event in high school.
The money raised would be used to buy supplies and aid the relief effort for victims of the natural disasters in Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines has a program that enables supplies to be shipped over for free.
Death tolls in the region have surpassed 1,100 since July according to the United Nations, but the actual number of causalities is still unknown. The Pakistani government has been forced to raise income taxes to combat the rising costs of the outcome of the various natural disasters that the country is prone to.
As it stands now, only a date for the pageant has been set, but Sanchez is meeting with RHSA on Nov. 11 to drum up support and make the event a joint SA-RHSA venture.
Sanchez has high hopes for the event. According to her, the plan has garnered “nothing but support so far.”
Mr. New Paltz is scheduled to take place on Dec. 8 in the Student Union Multi Purpose Room. For more information or to get involved, students can contact SA by visiting the E-board’s office at SU 419 or visit newpaltzsa.com.