“Come one, come all to the Talonlt)
Show of the Year!” proclaimed the poster.

And they did come. By the time the
event was about to commence, The Bog was
packed with eager spectators ready to shout
their hearts out for some of the most driven
and talented students IIT has to offer. The
atmosphere was tense and thick, brimming
with sparks of nervousness and excitement.
“It makes me feel like I drank two double ven-
tis and I’m about to go skydiving,” admitted
Josh Harris, a competitor for the crown of Mr,
Hawk.

There were some quick and infor-
mative introductions during which the contes-
tants were hailed by the cheers of their friends
as they leaped onto the stage, and then came
the question round. Every contestant was
asked a random question. Some were heavy
and philosophical, like “‘Nhat is the mean-
ing of life?” directed at Bart DWOi'ak, who
answered slyly, “42.” Other questions where
whimsical, like “What is the perfect midnight
snack?” to which Harris said dramatically, “An
Oreo. With milk. ‘Cause it makes me feel like
an astronaut.”

Next came four “Minute to Win It”
games, quick and fun party games that pitted
the contestants against one another. The first,
“Hanky Panky,” involved removing tissues

Student newspaper of the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1928

Mr. and Ms. H_awk contest
crowns wmmng contestants

Andreea Beca
TECHNEWS WRITER

from a tissue box one—by-one. The person who
emptied their box first was the winner. Gus Al-
varez went up against his girlfriend, Brittany
Mead, in a contest of lovebirds. As a romantic
gesture, Alvarez gave Mead the chance to pull
the last tissue out of his box — but there turned
out to be many, many tissues remaining.

The second game was “Paper Drag—
on” and had Harris, Liz Pierce and Amy Zasa-
dzinski battle. The players had a roll of stream-
er material in each hand and had to wave them
around until both rolls were entirely unrav—
eled. In an intense match, Harris placed first
with Pierce at a very close second.

The third game, called “This Blows,”
involved each player using the air they blew
into a balloon to knock a row of cups off a
table. Melanie Standish faced her soccer coach,
Lauren Capuano, and emerged victorious. The
final game, “Movin’ On Up,” pitted Dworak,
Billy Bafia and Irshad Hussain against each
other in a test of dexterity. Each player alter-
nated hands taking cups from the top to the
bottom of a stack until the red cup at the bot-
tom was finally on top, and Dworak claimed a
landslide victory.

The final round was the talent por—
tion, where each contestant had the chance not
just to shine, but to glow. Up first was Bafia,
who admitted that his talents lay primarily in
the water but nevertheless made the audience
rollick with uncomfortable laughter at some
well-timed raunchy jokes. Hussain caught

us off guard by singing and dancing to slow-
paced Bollywood music that suddenly turned
up—tempo, with a switch to vibrant dance
moves. Dworak pulled DI Ade Maron out
of her desk as a partner in an eclectic mix of
dance styles with a humorous twist. Standish
showed off her tap-dancing skills in a spirited
whirl of a dance. Pierce demonstrated her pas~
sion with some clever puns of her own creation
and was quick to point out the abundance of
talon~ted people on stage. Zasadzinski per-
formed a heart-pumping stomping routine in-
volving both hands and feet. Harris pulled on
a black hoodie that obscured part of his face to
obtain the proper aesthetic and rapped an in-
spirational poem about Mr. Hawk and the col—
lege experience. Capuano claimed she did not
have a talent, then proceeded to surprise ev-
eryone with a dance style that stood out from
the crowd. Alvarez and Mead closed the talent
round with their best rendition of “A Whole
New World” from Disney’s Aladdin.

Then, finally, came the moment of
truth: the voting round, when the Winners
would be chosen by the crowd. The original
text voting setup was overwhelmed by the
sheer number of votes, so a less technological
method was employed: that of shouting. There
were concerns over choosing the most popular
competitors this way, but in the end the ec-
static cheering for each and every contestant
raised the spirits — and the emotional stakes —
of the competition.

technewsiit.com

OPINION 2-3
CAMPUS 4-5

SLIPSTICK 6
SPORTS 7

 

There was a clear winner for each
category: Irshad Hussain for Mr. Hawk and
Lauren Capuano for Ms. Hawk. Both were
crowned regally and rewarded with a sash and
Chicago Bulls tickets. Every contestant was
given a t-shirt for their talent and dedication.

“I feel honored to be crowned the
HT Ms. Hawk 2014, and I’d like to thank Po—
lina Batchkarova for helping me coordinate
my dance,” said Capuano on winning the silver
Ms. Hawk tiara.

“It makes me feel like I am the hap-
piest person on Earth. Thank you, IIT, for
hosting such an event. I am so humbled and
welcomed by friends here.” said Hussain, tears
brimming in his eyes with a large golden crown
perched askew on his head. He could not have
been more moved by his victory.

Thus the night ended onra high note,
thanks to the efforts of all involved: MCs Aki-
nade Aderele, Andreea Beca, and Michael Wu,
D] Ade, photographers Kyle Gray and Andree‘a
Beca, and most of all, the talented contestants

'and’enfliusiastic spectators.

“I really enjoyed the talent portion
of the competition. . .The location was suitable
and the prizes were great. Overall, great job!”
praised audience member Bryanna Mcneal.

For one night at least, the student
community united in a celebration of school
spirit and IIT’s many diverse talents.

 

Photos by Andreea Beca and Katy Banks