Although this year’s Feb Fest included some incestual singing, “gymnastics”, pec-flexing and a twitter battle between the dark side and the light side, Felipe Garcia ’14 ultimately took home the Mr. Hamilton crown and impressed us all with his amazing talent, swimsuit strut, and heart-warming speech. Congrats to our Mr. Student Assembly, Felipe!
Name: Felipe Garcia
Year: 2014
Major: Biology/Pre-veterinary
Activities on campus: Class of 2014 President, RA for Carnegie, TA for biology lab, Tutor at the Oral Communication Center, Food Committee Chair, and Alternative Spring Break participant
Relationship Status: Single
Congrats on the big win! It takes a true man to get up on that stage and put it all out there. What inspired you to join the competition in the first place?
I have been doing male pageants since 11th grade in high school. They are very fun since they give me an opportunity to perform my rifle spinning talent and wear a revealing bathing suit while covered in body oil… best of both worlds!
Was there any part of the competition in particular for which you were especially nervous?
I actually get near crippling stage fright when I’m about to perform my rifle spinning talent. I always end up asking myself “Why did I sign up for this?” There is always the possibility of dropping the rifle. In contrast, the swimwear walk was a breeze because I don’t mind being almost naked in front of hundreds of people. I might be a bit of an exhibitionist in that sense.
Your talent was awesome and certainly caught the crowd’s attention! How did you get into this activity?
I started rifle spinning competitively in 9th grade for my high school’s drill team program. It was a military program that used real demilitarized rifles. By 11th grade, I became the Florida State Champion. Nowadays, my only opportunity to spin is in Mr. Hamilton.
What did you think of the other competitors?
I had a lot of fun with the other contestants. We cracked jokes in the dressing room throughout the whole night. Everyone was talented in their own respect.
Now that you have been crowned Mr. Hamilton, what’s your next move going to be? Anything good coming from Felipe Garcia that your adoring fans should be looking forward to next?
Every year, after Mr. Hamilton, several clubs and event organizers ask me to perform at their events. I usually accept their invitations so read your emails and watch out for my name or “rifle spinning” in the following weeks. My next performance will be on Tuesday Feb. 19th at 7:30pm in the Chapel for a talent show. It will be an encore of my Mr. Hamilton talent.