Deepher Dude drew students of the University of New Haven to Dodds Theater Nov. 14; not a single seat was free Thursday night as students came out to support Delta Phi Epsilon sorority for their annual event.
Deepher Dude, a male pageant show held annually by the sisters of DPhiE, raises funds and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. At the end of the night, Connor Debold was crowned Deepher Dude; Matt Curan came in second place and Chris Platz finished third.
Hosted by DPhiE sisters Jennifer Harrington, Lindsey Walker and Elizabeth Rieger, Deepher Dude was a success by keeping the crowded theater entertained and laughing from start to finish.
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. CFF became one of DPhiE’s three philanthropies in 1967.
Sami Jenkins and Celia Modell, both sisters of DPhiE, coordinated the event. Jenkins suffers from Cystic Fibrosis herself and shared her story with the crowd before the pageant began. Each member of the crowd received a straw as they entered the auditorium; Modell had the crowd breathe through their straws for 30 seconds in an attempt to show the audience what it’s like to live with cystic fibrosis.
“I am so proud of Celia and Sami for their hard work,” Jennifer Harrington, president of Delta Phi Epsilon, said. “The new location in Dodds helped amp up the event and their success was clear by how much we were able to raise for CF.”
The 10 contestants of Deepher Dude raised $2,789.93—far more than the goal the sisters originally set for the night at $2,000. Contestant Joe Anquillare raised the most money of all the contestants, bringing in over $360.
The contestants made their way to the stage and started the show by performing a choreographed dance to a medley of different butt-inspired songs, setting the atmosphere for the night. The contest featured four rounds—formal wear, creativity, talent and DPhiE inspired.
For the first round, each contestant wore formal attire and was escorted by a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon across stage. Contestant Oskar Sewerin got a few extra laughs as he came out in a woman’s formal dress, his escort in a suit.
The boys showed their creativity in the second round by coming out in outlandish costumes with their escorts. Some outfits included a Dove soap bar and a loofah, Barbie and Ken, and samurai warriors. Winner Connor Debold dressed as an over-attached girlfriend in a red sparkly dress, while his escort Sarah Alley dressed as his disinterested boyfriend.
An intermission show followed the first two rounds, featuring the brothers of Lambda Alpha Upsilon and the 5-6-7-8 Dance Team. The brothers of LAU strolled for the crowd while 5-6-7-8 danced to Fergie’s, “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got).”
The talent round followed; some acts including singing, guitar playing and dancing. Dean Bandong, of Sigma Chi, played “My Heart Will Go On” on the cello, while three of his brothers reenacted a scene of the Titanic behind him. Debold showcased the evolution of Miley Cyrus, starting with her Hannah Montana days and bringing it all the way to “Wrecking Ball.”
The final round of the show was DPhiE inspired; most contestants dressed in purple and gold, the sorority’s colors, or as unicorns; the sorority’s mascot. This round was accompanied by trivia questions about Cystic Fibrosis and the sorority in general.
Deepher Dude was truly centered on bringing awareness of Cystic Fibrosis to the campus throughout the night; facts were read between every round and the night started with an informational video.
“[Deepher Dude] was a hilarious night and it’s always one of our favorite events!” Harrington said.
