Havard Freshmen

Brian Butler (first from the right, second row), the title winner, with the competitors. COURTESY OF FREEZE COLLEGE MAGAZINE

IN talking about Harvard students, many people automatically refer to Bill Gates with his dark framed glasses and a colored check shirt – in a word, fashion-free.

However, a recent freshman male beauty pageants may have done away with some Harvard stereotypes. It made the claim that students had something "other than brilliant brains and bright prospects". It said they also "look good". Harvard's online Freeze College Magazine holds an annual beauty pageant for newly enrolled freshmen males from all over the world. Out of over 700 boys, 80 are chosen publicly to take part in the competition. A second vote by all the students picks 30 from those 80 for the semifinal.

In addition to cute looks, the winner needs a sense of humor and an outgoing, charismatic personality. Contestants are also asked to share their tips on picking up a girl for a date. In contrast to the other wise-cracking attention-getting lines like "What's the weight of a polar bear" or "Your dancing solo is awful, how about we do it together", the 2008 Mr. Harvard Freshman winner, Brian Butler, only managed three words: "just a smile".