Author: Linni Kral
Occidental’s finest competed for the title of Alpha Male Friday, April 6 in Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha’s annual mock male beauty pageant. The event, a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, was held in the Samuelson Pavilion.
The contestants, Alex Ochoa (sophomore), David Martinez (sophomore), Rosny Daniel (sophomore), Danny Rucker (first-year), Teddy Zou (sophomore), Doug Locke (first-year) and Trace Wallace (first-year), competed in Formal Wear, Talent and Superhero contests. Doug Locke emerged as the winner.
“It feels great being Alpha Male,” Locke said. “It just so happens that my birthday is the seventh of April, so it was a perfect gift.”
The event was judged by Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez of Campus Safety, Kathy “The Sandwich Lady” Lauriha, ASOC Student Life Coordinator Kenna Cottrill and 2005-2006 Alpha Male Miko Quisumbing. ASOC President Matt Kuzio (senior) and Alpha member Amanda Martin (senior) hosted the pageant.
Rucker kicked off the talent portion by doing 30 push-ups with Alpha member Grace Pawlowski (first-year) on his back. Locke came dressed as an artist and drew an audience member in under two minutes. Zou and Martinez both performed a lap-dance-Zou gave one to Martin and Martinez gave his to Kuzio. Daniel did a rendition of the Asia song “Heat of the Moment” with audience participation in the way of lighters and orchestrated stomps and claps. Ochoa hosted a two-minute cooking show, where he made pull-apart bread for the judges, and Wallace performed a hip-hop dance.
The next segment required each participant to dress as a superhero and deliver their best pick-up line to Martin. Rucker dressed as a repairman, Zou was the Super Smart Noodle Delivery Man, Ochoa transformed into Captain Caveman and Locke played on recent events at Oxy by creating the Klepto Slayer, meant to take down thieves. Martinez became squirrel man and Daniel played many different roles as Dr. Chameleon, who did impersonations of Earic Peters, Susan Prager and the rapper E-40. Wallace danced around stage as Captain Planet, leading the crowd in song and stopping to seduce Martin with the line, “We need to save the environment and plant some seeds.”
“I think that all the boys really brought it, but T. Wally [Wallace] really stepped it up,” Locke said of his competition, “I was really nervous because the other boys were so good! I must dedicate the crown to all my fellow contestants, because they were awesome.”
The first elimination culminated in the loss of Zou and Martinez, who was met with uproar from the crowd, who chanted Martinez’s name off and on for the duration of the contest. The next portion was called Oxy Pride and Rucker started by performing a free-style rap about Occidental. Locke dressed up as the multicultural Power Ranger, the Oxy Ranger, Daniel chugged an orange drink and played a cheer on his trumpet, Ochoa wore a cheerleading uniform and performed a cheer and Wallace rapped “Io Triumphe” to the beat-boxing of Alec Amram (first-year).
Finalists in the second round also participated in a dance contest. Rucker and Daniel were cut after this round, and the judges asked the remaining contestants questions, which varied from describing their perfect date to stating which food best describes them.
Each contestant was asked how they would use their power as Alpha Male. Locke referred to the purpose of the entire event and said he would end breast cancer, Ochoa said he would make it so that nobody would worry about whether or not they’re accepted and Wallace addressed the campus-wide issue of diversity, saying that he would make everyone color-blind.
The judges tallied scores and announced Locke as the winner. Prizes included a gift card to Hooters for all-you-can-eat wings with nine friends. Other gift certificates were given to the runners-up for the Yardhouse, 21 Choices and Coldstone Creamery.
“I am extremely happy for Doug Locke. He deserved to win,” Wallace said, “I also think all of us that were in the Cooler that night were winners. Alpha Male is an event put on to raise a few dollars as well as awareness about cancer. That goat was accomplished and I feel great about that.”
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