After an hour of thrilling competition at the Mr. Brandeis 2010 pageant, Jonah Seligman ’10 walked away with the title, a crown, a sash and a stuffed Dalmatian. Marc Eder ’11 and Ari Tretin ’12 were first and second runners up, respectively.

The event, hosted by Ari Stein ’11 and Jeff Cornejo ’10, was a fundraiser for Peers Educating about Responsible Choices. The club sold votes for $2, and raised close to $200, Tretin said.

“Thank you for making my dream come true,” Seligman said in his acceptance speech. “I have nothing else to live for.” Afterwards, in an interview with The Hoot, he said, “This feeling I have…it’s indescribable. I’ve been wanting this moment for a long time. I’d like to thank my parents and my legion of fans for their support.”

Seligman began his campaign for Mr. Brandeis last August with the Facebook group “Jonah Hussein Seligman for Mr. Brandeis,” which now has 170 members. He beat Eder, Tretin, Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum ’11 and Akash Vadalia ’12.

The win was announced after five rounds of competition, including casual wear, talents, beachwear and question and answer and formal wear.

All contestants received cheers and applause for their talents, but Seligman and runner-up Eder were clear crowd favorites. Seligman did a poetry reading of “Crank That,” by Soulja Boy, while sitting and wearing a bathrobe.

“I’m still speechless,” judge Cornejo said of the reading.

Eder proved his worth by creating a “really good” peanut butter and banana bagel, prompting one audience member to shout, “Look, he peanut-buttered both sides. He has my vote.”

Although he did not win, Tretin, the second runner-up, said he was “honored to even be a part of it.”

“I was the most dashing man out there, and that’s the truth,” Cornejo said, although he made it clear he is proud of Seligman.