UMW’s performative mascs stun in Ball Circle competition
3 min read
Community connection took center stage at the UMW Performative Masc Competition where many Eagles bonded over this lighthearted performance. | Violet Ayers, The Weekly Ringer
GRACE WAGNER
Associate Editor
Carabiners, jorts, cut-off tank tops and tote bags galore, the mascs did not come to play.
Given UMW’s history as a women’s college, impromptu planners took a bit of a creative spin on the “performative man contest” trend by introducing the UMW Performative Masc Competition, highlighting the many Mary Wash masculine lesbians, or mascs, in their own right.
College campuses across the country are experiencing an unprecedented surge in a new genre of masculine expression: performative man contests. Once confined to fraternity basements and the occasional intramural weightlifting meet, these “Bro-lympics” have now taken center stage with a more feminized twist.
Posted merely three days before the actual event, a flyer reading “PERFORMATIVE MASC CONTEST, THURSDAY, 6 P.M. Ball Circle, bring your wired earbuds, labubus, and ceremonial grade matcha. Maybe you’ll be the last masc standing,” was posted to YikYak.
The news of the post began to trickle into conversations around campus until it seemed as though everyone was talking about it, however, in the hours leading up to the event, students were skeptical of how many mascs would actually be in attendance.
The clock struck six, and lo and behold, about 30 contestants and over 100 spectators joined together on Ball Circle for the event.
Student judges asked the contestants to show off their outfits, explain why they should be the winner and try to describe women in just a single word.
Tensions were high as one masc after the other was seemingly even more performative. The judges looked on with strong poker faces so as not to reveal any sort of bias as the crowd went absolutely wild as the mascs performed before them.
As the competition came to a close, the crowd became antsy with anticipation as deliberations began to pick the winner. The judges took to the audience to pick their winner out of the final three contestants by measuring the strength of the cheers they received.
The final three stepped forward for the cheering crowds, and everyone held their breath as the judges made the final call.
The UMW Performative Masc Contest crown went to junior religious studies and physical therapy double major, Theresa Oetgen.
As the crowds cleared, students left with giggles, exchanged photos and some left with a new favorite UMW memory. While this event was very lighthearted and silly, it highlights something much deeper that college students are seeking out: a chance for spontaneous connection and a deeper sense of community right here on campus.
