On Oct. 15, the University Program Council (UPC) hosted its first ever live Auburn Bachelor. The event brought 14 male students together on stage to compete for the chance to be named Auburn University’s most eligible bachelor. By the end of the night, contestant J.D. Merithew emerged victorious as the first Auburn Bachelor.
The event started at 6 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Upon arrival, audience members were greeted with bright, elegant decorations, all centered around the stage where the competition would take place. Students were invited to partake in a full pasta and salad bar, as well as cake pops decorated with icing recreations of the show’s iconic roses.
UPC Director of Live Entertainment Montana Maslonka hosted the event, while fellow UPC members Joe Champagne, Sophia Deshotels and Carter Stremmel served as the panel of judges.
Even Aubie the Tiger showed up, dressed for the occasion in a neon pink suit while carrying an oversized rose. He joined the contestants on stage for a few minutes before later taking photos with the audience during intermission.
The competition began with a series of questions for the participants to answer. While some of the questions were prepared before the event, others were submitted by members of the audience. These questions ranged anywhere from “What would you do if you could be Aubie for a day?” to “Do you believe in true love?” Each of the gentlemen got a chance to answer a question in each round, and their answers were a delightful mix of honesty, humor and wit.
The second event was the evening wear challenge, a particular favorite with the audience. In this phase, participants were given a variety of props, including tutus, feather boas and a shiny metallic hat to create outfits for various different prompts. Although one round resulted in a minor collision as multiple bachelors sprinted for the costume bins, no one was hurt, and the show was able to proceed as planned. The contestants then got the chance to show off their creations on the runway, which they did with great enthusiasm. One participant even performed a cartwheel during his catwalk, to the audible delight of those in the audience.
The competition ended with a head-to-head dance off between two teams of bachelors. The contestants danced to the Village People’s “YMCA” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” Their energy even got the audience participating as they sang and clapped along.
After the dance, audience members were given time to vote on their favorite bachelors for several honorifics, including “Best Dressed” and “Most Memorable Introduction.” When all the judges’ scores were counted, J.D. Merithew emerged victorious as the first Auburn Bachelor.
“I didn’t really come into it thinking I’d win," Merithew said. “I was just kind of coming for the fun, and really probably my favorite part of it was just interacting with the other guys.”
Ultimately, the evening was a resounding success. Both participants and audience members greatly enjoyed the evening. With UPC already hinting that this event could be recurring in the future, it’s safe to assume that this won’t be the last episode of Auburn Bachelor.
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