Delta Phi Epsilon held their annual male pageant, Deepher Dude, in the Little Theatre of the Miron Student Center (MSC) on November 1, 2016, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
This year, all funds raised were given to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). CFF is a non-funded organization that conducts research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects various organs including the lungs, pancreas and kidneys.
The pageant featured male students participating in this year's theme: Deepher's Next Top Model. The event itself was free, with a suggested donation at the door and was open to alumni, students and anyone else who wanted to come watch.
As soon as students entered the MSC, loud music could be heard coming from Little Theatre. All the sisters of the sorority attended, and friends of the contestants came to cheer for them.
Thomas Urbanski, sophomore business major, was one of the students who attended the event.
"I came to Deepher Dude because all my friends came here. I also like these kinds of events, although I see a lot more dormers than commuters here," Urbanski said. "I found out about this event last minute, so I wasn't a model, but I would have definitely tried being a part if I knew about it before. But still, I look forward to people performing their best."
During the pageant, each contestant had to showcase their talent and dress for the specific theme they were assigned to. They were judged by Melissa McKinney, a Development Director for the CFF; Maggie O'Hara, Operations Specialist for CFF; and Bryanna Dennison, a volunteer for CFF.
After the opening video, the men entered the stage. Jessica Kramer, senior public relations major and Vice President of Delta Phi Epsilon, and Cheyenne Murphy, senior psychology major and American sign language minor, were the hosts for this event.
After the introduction, the contestants were off to get ready.
Marius Price, freshman psychology major, came out in a black dress and heels, shocking the audience. For his talent, Price and his partner swing danced to an electro-swing song, amazingly throwing her around without dropping her.
When the hosts asked, "Why do you think you should win Deepher Dude?", Price answered, "I think I should win Deepher Dude because of the effort I put into my talent. I had to learn swing dance before, so it was a learning experience for both my partner and I."
Joe Sigona, sophomore athletic training major, came out in shades and a long-coat, giving him a mysterious and classy look. Sigona did a card trick for one of the sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon. Although he did not succeed at first, he still won the hearts and cheers of the audience.
Matthew Skibniewski, freshman biology major, came out in monochrome sports attire, having two females come out on stage with him to take pictures of him while he posed. Skibniewski did spoken word poetry and ended it with a mini dance.
Skibniewski was asked, "What three adjectives would you describe yourself with?"
He answered, "Innovative, because I can turn anything boring and dull to something creative. Honest, because even though the truth hurts, I wouldn't lie to you. And empathetic, because I have a soft spot when it comes to certain people."
Peter Miller, junior business major, came out in a blue polo and jeans, keeping it casual for the audience. Miller serenaded the crowd with "All of Me" by John Legend. He was asked, "What do you like about yourself?"
"I strive to do my best--to try--to accomplish the things I love," Miller responded.
Lucas Hernandez, junior public relations major, showed off his street wear to the crowd. Hernandez performed the water bottle challenge and succeeded on his second try. He topped off his talent with a dab. He was asked, "What is your favorite highlight of your Kean University experience?"
"My favorite highlight has to be getting into my fraternity. They made me who I am today," said Hernandez.
Abanoub Nakhla, junior biology major, kept it classy by showing off his gray suit to the audience while dancing with his partner. Nakhla was asked, "What would you like to do for Kean University?" to which he answered, "I would like to find ways to expand Greek life, because uniting all of us makes us a big family."
Brandon Morales, senior marketing major, walked out in his dinosaur onesie, showing his fun and comfortable side. Morales played "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber on the piano, which the crowd sang along to. He was asked, "Why would you want to be a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon?"
"There's nothing less that I want to be than a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon, because they can make great events like Deepher Dude," Morales answered.
Jonathan Prins, junior finance major, walked out in beach themed clothes, spraying himself with sunscreen and giving the audience a nice chuckle. Prins karate chopped a board with his bare fist, showing off his strength. His question was, "What do you think is the most important?"
"Community service is important," Prins answered. "For you to get where you are now, you got to appreciate where you come from, and that's the community around you."
Michael Ilcyn, senior marketing major, walked out in a white dress shirt with shades hanging from the middle and khaki shorts. His look gave him a mix of preppy and beach vacation vibes. Ilcyn played the drums to "What I Like About You" by The Romantics. He was asked to describe his own personality using only colors.
"Purple and gold because it's the colors of Delta Phi Epsilon, and my girlfriend is part of this sorority," said Ilcyn. "My girlfriend's the best so these colors make up my personality."
The judges went out to decide who the winner of the pageant would be. During this time, the hosts picked out tickets at random to choose raffle winners. Each winner received either a movie themed basket, pasta night themed basket or a coffee and tea basket.
Last year's winner made an appearance and passed his crown to this year's winner, Abanoub Nakhla.
Congratulations to Abanoub for winning this year's Deepher Dude!
