Move over, Miss America. Step aside, Miss Universe. There's a new pageant winner in town, and his name is Uzair Qadeer.

Qadeer (senior-industrial engineering) and 10 other male engineers competed last night in the fourth annual Mr. Engineering contest. The event, sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers, was held in Alumni Hall. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Interfraternity/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon. At the end of the night, the overall amount raised, about $723, was split in half. Half of it was donated to Thon by the Society of Women Engineers, and the other half was donated to in the name of the organization Qadeer was representing.

Steve Brown (sophomore-mechanical engineering) said he decided to compete not only because it would be a fun experience, but also because the event raised money for Thon. Brown, a morale committee member and first runner-up, used his Irish dancing "skills" to help him try to gain points during the talent part of the competition. In the middle of his skirt-clad, black braid-wearing jig, he pulled out two hot pink rhythmic gymnastics ribbons and danced with them around the stage.

"I was inspired by [the movie] Old School," Brown said. "I tried to make it as funny as I [could], and as entertaining as I [could]."

The event consisted of rounds involving engineer wear, talent, business wear, and for the final five contestants, a question-and-answer round.

"It [gave] engineering guys an opportunity to show off their talent and knowledge," Zoha Memari (junior-civil engineering) said.

The event was advertised through facebook.com and e-mail messages sent out through a listserv, Memari said. Interested engineering students e-mailed Memari and other organizers of the event to RSVP.

The event began four years
ago when members of Society of Women Engineers came up with the idea.

"It's a spoof of beauty pageants but with guys," Carla Gajdosik (senior-industrial engineering), a member of SWE, said.

Qadeer received a $250 scholarship from the College of Engineering, among other things. All 11 contestants received a $25 gift certificate to Best Buy, and several audience members won gift certificates to
the Student Book Store and Starbucks.

Qadeer, after winning, said he felt great, especially because this is his last semester at Penn State.

"This is the best thing that could happen to an engineer at Penn State," he said.