Delta Phi Epsilon crowns first ever Deepher Dude
By Katy Tonkin —
On Thursday Delta Phi Epsilon held their first ever Deepher Dude, a male beauty pageant. The pageant included two members from each fraternity on campus who competed in four events: Texan wear, a talent show, formal wear, and an interview. Most of the seats in the Tarleton ball room were taken, as the contestants entertained an enthusiastic crowd. The event served as a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs, digestive track and other parts of the body.
“The men of the inter-fraternity council are competing for the ultimate title of ‘Deepher Dude.’” Haley Hall, coordinator of philanthropy for DPhiE, said. “Whoever wins gets to be our first official beau,” she said. Hall said the men took pride in preparing for the event. “They’re wanting to run through rehearsal constantly before because they’re trying to shake their nerves out,” she said.
At the start of the pageant, the men presented their best Texan wear of the evening. Some dressed in very exotic pieces while others dressed in more down-to-earth clothing.
The men were excited to show off their outfits and dance to their designated songs. “I’ve been preparing for this for a month and I’m really hopeful,” Trey Simpson, member of Farm House fraternity, said.
During the pageant, each contestant had a money jar where audience member could put change for their favorite contestants. Whoever was able to collect the most money at the end of the night was awarded fan favorite.
After the contestants showed off their chaps and spurs, they showcased their talents. Some danced, some sang while others had talents such as ribbon twirling and painting. Aaron “Red Beard” Casey painted a portrait of John Tarleton in about one minute with Skrillex playing in the background. “I didn’t know when the song was going to end and my hands were shaking,” he said. His painting was given away as a door prize at the end of intermission.
The formal wear and interview portions came after the talent show. The men looked dashing as they strutted around the cat walk in their suits. At the end of the runway, each contestant picked a question out of a glass bowl to answer. The questions ranged from immigration to pick up lines.
When it was time to pick to the winner, each contestant came onto the stage and was given a medal for their hard work and participation. Casey won the overall competition and was named the inaugural “Deepher Dude.”
“It was a lot of fun,” he said.
