Girls aren’t the only ones who can flaunt what they’ve got.
Árbol de la Vida Residence Hall is hosting Señor Vida, a male beauty pageant, on Saturday evening.
Señor Vida is in its third year at Árbol. The event started as a way to create camaraderie and have fun, said Ryan Richard, an undeclared freshman and co-coordinator of the event.
The event is the second biggest at Árbol, Richard said, and this year’s pageant will be even bigger than the last.
“We’re getting a stage this year,” Richard said. “That’s a pretty big thing.”
To win the title of Señor Vida, contestants must compete in the categories of swimsuit, formal wear, casual wear, talent and pick-up lines.
Alisha Glass, a freshman veterinary science major and co-coordinator of the event, said Señor Vida is unique because it’s typically women who participate in pageants.
“It gets the idea out there that it’s not all about girls that have to show themselves off,” Glass said. “Guys can do the same things.”
Contestant Chanlin Wong, a math freshman, said he is looking forward to doing just that.
“I always wished that our high school had a male beauty pageant, and we never did, so I’m excited that we have one here,” Wong said. “It seems like a fun time to show off different talents. It’s the guys in Árbol that are really outgoing and friendly that are doing it.”
Richard said the event has a satirical theme that leads people to examine the their preconceived ideas about beauty.
This event might change some perceptions of beauty, but the real goal is see people laugh and enjoy themselves, Richard added.
The pageant will be judged by female resident assistants from Árbol, and Richard will serve as emcee.
“Maybe the conventional definition of beauty is outdated,” Richard said. “Maybe it needs to be thought of in a different light.”
– Follow Jazmine Foster-Hall @Jazz_Foster