One swam with dolphins and corals in Hawaii and another proclaimed the benefits of avocado both on her face and on a sandwich. These are not your average Harvey Mudd College ladies. In fact, they also aren’t ladies.  

The annual Miss SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Pageant judges male Mudders on their appearance, talent and personality. The bravest, manly men go all out for the pageant. They put on pretty dresses, do their makeup and hair, and prepare an awe-inspiring performance.

For fall 2009, there were seven official contestants and one crasher. Professors Nancy Lape, Elizabeth Orwin and Jacqueline Wernimot served as the judges, and Professor Gregory Lyzenga was the emcee. During the interview session, the contestants were asked questions such as, “Which Disney princesses are you most like?” and “What’s the sexiest formula?” The talent portion consisted of a contestant playing with a lighter and fire, and another contestant dancing to the hit song “Single Ladies” by Beyonce.

In the end, only one—“Sasha”—was crowned Miss SWE and was rewarded with a sash, crown and plunger (scepter). The previous year's Miss SWE usually returns to update the crowd on what “she” did during during her reign, but this year, the audience was entertained by the Proctorettes (five male dorm proctors) who also danced to the song “Single Ladies.” 

The Miss SWE Pageant began in the 1990s and was an excuse for students to gather around and eat pizza. There were no faculty emcees or faculty judges. In fact, the judging was less formal than it is today. On occasion, professors participated as contestants. Other than that, much of the pageant history remains a mystery, even among former presidents of SWE.

Nonetheless, the Miss SWE Pageant continues to be an annual tradition at Mudd that celebrates women in technology—and men in pretty dresses.

Written by Corinne Cho ’10