Delta Phi Epsilon Male Beauty Pageant.
From silly to serious, pageant contestants brought their finest swimsuits, talents and rock and roll air guitars to the Delta Phi Epsilon male beauty pageant on Feb. 24.
The annual Deepher Dude pageant raised $714.50 this year for the the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, an official partner of Delta Phi Epsilon. The Humboldt State University chapter of the sorority also played a video created by members to uplift women and promote body positivity.
Kinesiology major Andrew Pedroza, a member of the HSU fraternity Chi Phi, is the 2018 Deepher Dude. Pedroza sang to one of his fraternity brothers in the crowd as his talent. In addition to being crowned Deepher Dude, Pedroza also recieved a hand painted paddle, a ticket to the Delta Phi Epsilon spring formal and bragging rights.
Pedroza said he was too embarrassed to participate last year, but decided to this year after pep talks from friends and discovering a talent for singing. He said his biggest influence, however, was his girlfriend Stephanie.
“I did it for my number one fan,” Pedroza said.
The pageant featured formal wear, swim wear, special talent and Q&A categories for seven contestants to show off in. The pageant theme was rock and roll, and contestants participated in an electrifying air guitar competition.
Some contestants, such as Tayler Fant and Tracy Wright, performed spoken word as their talents with themes of women empowerment and creative encouragement.
Wright read an open letter to the man who got his cousin pregnant.
“You must have an organ donor sticker on your driver’s license, because your heart is missing,” Wright said through tears.
Fant read two poems, one of which was his own.
“Why is it always beautiful before the storm, and why do you have to be cold in order to get warm and are we alive before we are born or is that something to leave up to the Lord?” Fant said.
Others did live tumbling, caught food in their mouths, performed a lip sync and performed a live improvised piano piece in dedication to survivors of anorexia and bulimia.
Sam Caudill, pageant judge, alumna of Delta Phi Epsilon and the current membership development alumnae advisor, said there was a lot of genuine talents this year.
“The singing, gymnastics and spoken word all blew me away,” Caudill said. “In the past, the talents have been more comical.”
Though Pedroza won the crown, two other categories were available to place in. Contestant Colin Slave won Rock ‘n’ Roll King and Fant raised the most money as a contestant.
All proceeds from the Deepher Dude pageant went to ANAD.
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