The Elm Student Newspaper
Mr. ZTA is entertaining for all; raises money for breast cancer research
Heidi Atwood
The sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha held a male
beauty pageant to raise money for breast
cancer research.
Photograph courtesy of Lana Hart.
Last Friday, thirteen WC men strutted across the stage in Norman James Theatre. Each was competing for the title of "Mr. ZTA" in the well-publicized male beauty pageant presented by the sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA).
ZTA sisters modeled this fund raiser after a similar pageant that Salisbury State's chapter of the sorority holds annually. "Our Traveling Leadership Consultant told me about the pageant, and we decided to do it," said senior Kelly Cooper, the fundraiser's chairperson.
The thirteen men who competed were John Paul Evans, Robert Roan, Jereomy Hartman, Andrew Maschas, Paul Landauer, Thomas Clancy, Steve Shaw, Ross Radish, Michael Dushel, AJ Rendo, Michael Coppola, Patrick Curtis, and John Leekley. All contestants participated in the talent and evening wear segments of the pageant.
Some of the most successful talent performances were Evan's dance routine to the song "I Touch Myself," Roan's imitation of Britney Spears's "Oops I Did It Again" music video, and Hartman's impression of Justin Timberlake singing "It's Gotta be Me."
Tracy Renfro said of the pageant, "It's hilarious ... all of the guys are really good at entertaining the audience."
Only five of the thirteen contestants made it to the toga competition and the question-answer session. Judges challenged the five men with the following questions: "What can you do with this blow pop to make all the girls here go crazy?" and "If you could be any desert, what would it be, why would you want to be it, and who would you want to eat it?"
Hartman, who shamelessly bribed the judges with champagne and strawberries in the evening wear segment, became the first Mr. ZTA. The first and second runners-up were Rendo and Evans.
Curtis, who did not make it into the top five, received the "best legs" award. This award was the result of a "people's choice competition" in which a picture of each contestant's legs was placed in front of a jar.
Students voted by casting a quarter into the jar. Whoever received the most money won this part of the competition.After the pageant, audience member Courtney Alfes commented, "Jereomy Hartman rocks. This is a really creative fundraising idea. It's great that the WC men supported it."
All the proceeds from the Mr. ZTA competition will go to the Susan G.
Komen Foundation, whose mission is to advance breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. More than 300 people attended the event, and ZTA was able to raise $440. This was more than anyone expected.Cooper said, "I was very satisfied. I wasn't expecting that many people to show up."
Cooper was, however, disappointed that some people received the wrong idea about the fund raiser. She said, "One thing that upset me and some of the other sisters was a lot of people thought we were raising money for our sorority. We had advertised that it [the money] was going toward breast cancer research."
As the pageant was a success, many have already expressed interest in next year's event.
Cooper said, "The week we were collecting nominations, so many guys would come up to our table and say, 'I don't want to be in a pageant,' and then after we had it, a lot of guys told me they wanted to be in it next year."
Next year's pageant will take place in Tawes Theatre. "It's sad that I can't run it, but I'll come back," Cooper promised.
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