The Network of Enlightened Women is having its annual Gentlemen’s Showcase throughout the month of March, providing women the opportunity to nominate the guy in their lives they say is most ‘gentlemanly.’
Beginning March 1, women across the country are encouraged to nominate their favorite college gentleman for the title “2014 NeW Gentleman of the Year.” Karin Agness, NeW’s founder, told Red Alert that the contenders for the honor are usually the types of guys who reflect the honor’s name.
“Women generally nominate men for gentlemanly acts,” Agness said, adding that the showcase is a way to “encourage gentlemanly behavior across the country.”
For instance, last year’s winner, Alfonse Muglia of Cornell University, advocated for the right of his conservative female peers at school to be heard.
“[He] purposefully worked hard to make sure conservative women had a voice on campus and in doing so, demonstrated great respect for women,” Agness said.
Past winners also include football player Jack Loonam of the University of Georgia and Bryant Condrey of Patrick Henry College. Loonam said in an interview with NeW after winning in 2012 that there are still plenty of good guys out there.
“I think gentlemen still exist,” Loonam said. “They are clouded by society’s pressures to act a certain way and if one goes against the grain, they’re not respected or are mocked for doing the right thing. So yes, they are out there, but just many have to overcome the ridicule like I have had to do and try and do the right thing.”
Participants in the “Gentleman of the Year” contest are asked to simply upload a picture of their nominee directly through NeW’s Facebook page, add a 500-word-or-less description as to why he deserves to be the Gentleman of the Year, and let the voting — in the form of Facebook likes — begin.
The winning gentleman receives a $500 scholarship, and the lucky woman who nominates him gets a dozen Georgetown Cupcakes sent straight to her door.
So ladies, go find your gentleman and start nominating. The official rules are on the NeW Facebook page, and the contest ends March 31 at midnight EST.
This piece has been updated.
