Engineers get in touch with feminine sides

“What were animal horns used for in ancient Greece?” asked Chad Ford, clad in a short,… “What were animal horns used for in ancient Greece?” asked Chad Ford, clad in a short, strapless, pink, plaid, pleated summer dress — accented with a matching bow and high heels.

“It’s dildos, people!” said Brian Kelly during the question-and-answer heat ofThursday’s Mr. Benedum drag contest. Members and fans of Pitt’s Engineering Student Council tore themselves away from homework, the Union’s Chicken parm sandwiches, and other tempting Thursday night offerings to fill Benedum Auditorium in support of the annual competition.

Like the ESC date auction of the previous week, Mr. Benedum was co-hosted by Student Government Board President Kelly and ESC President Lauren Wolbert.

“[Engineering] is a really stressful major, and it gives them a chance to relax,” said Wolbert of Mr. Benedum and the rest of ESC’s E-Week events. After the grueling competition, only one man walked off the stage a winner.

That man was bio-engineer Jason Woods, who was officially crowned Mr. Benedum by last year’s winner, Joe Gallo.

The show took on two new aspects this year, adding a cover charge at the door and an “American Idol”-style judging panel. Panhellenic Association President Lauren Cavallero, Pitt News sex columnist Rose Afriyie, SGB members Liz Blasi and Dilinus Harris and SGB Allocations Chair Lauren Harris made up the elite panel of judges.

“I had a sneak peek, and they’re looking pretty good tonight,” Kelly explained to the judges. The 12 contestants then paraded down the aisles of the auditorium and onto the stage. They posed, they puckered, and they ruffled their skirts to Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like a Lady.” Even the judges got into the pre-show dance party, as Dilinus Harris jumped onto the judges’ table to shake his moneymaker right along with the skirted engineers.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting night,” Kelly added before the show kicked off.

Hansen Brenkus, a “Dance Dance Revolution” enthusiast and electrical engineering extraordinaire, wiggled in the spotlight to Eve’s “Who’s that Girl?” as the first evening wear model. Wearing a conservative green floral dress, paired with tube socks and sneakers that screamed “middle school science teacher,” Brenkus believed he would have made the best Mr. Benedum because, according to his profile, he “reeks of awesomeness.”

He did not participate in the swimsuit competition, but returned for the final round of the contest, showing off his “DDR” talents for the enjoyment of all.

Contestant No. 2, Joe Choflet, represented all freshman engineers as the only first-year student to walk the stage that night. Wearing a beaded, peach-colored dress, Choflet also sported the only real hair among the contestants. Straightened and braided, Choflet’s locks were admired by the judges. To display his talent, Choflet put on some big, ’80s-style headphones and belted the lead vocals of Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time.”

Choflet’s team of fellow freshman engineers from Tower A performed backup vocals.

Ford, the third gentleman to tap into his feminine side, raised eyebrows during the swimsuit competition when he came out not in a bikini, but in a bath towel. Prancing around like a Barbie doll waiting for her deep conditioner to set in, Ford denied the judges’ request for him to open his towel and scampered offstage.

Pete Gallagher, standing 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 105 pounds, wore the classic “little black dress” and flip-flops. Kelly revealed Gallagher’s hobbies to be painting his nails, talking on the phone and organizing the “O.C.” fan club.

Matt Lee’s got legs, and he knows how to use them. Dancing to ZZ Top’s “Legs,” Lee wore a red sequined dress with a halter neck. Revealing his shaved armpits gained him the respect of the judges.

Later, Lee came out in green, hibiscus-printed shorts, climbed onto the sturdy lecture table, and removed his shorts to expose a tiny blue Speedo.

For the talent competition, Lee teamed up with Ford in a duet of the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling.” The pair wore dog tags and aviator sunglasses to recreate the scene from “Top Gun.”

Michael Nguyen was next up at bat, wearing a black dress with a sheer floral layer of silk on top that Kelly commented on several times throughout the evening. Later, Win showed off his real assets during the swimsuit modeling, with a florescent-colored bikini top and revealing boyshorts.

“I don’t know if he knows, but crack kills,” joked Dilinus Harris, as Win pulled up the bottoms of his swimsuit and let the next contestant model.

Joseph Pannell followed Win in the show, belting out showtunes and wearing an elegant black evening gown paired with satin gloves.

Wearing a strapless, yellow sundress, the eighth contestant, Forrest Phillips, accidentally flashed the audience. Shaking his chest a little too freely caused the mechanical engineer’s chest to pop out of his dress and Afriyie to admit she was “a little turned on.”

Phillips glued two drink umbrellas to his chest and modeled red Hawaiian shorts to Lenny Kravitz’s version of “American Woman.” He also revealed a garter stuffed with dollar bills, which he wore throughout the competition.

Erik Roth danced his way through the competition, tap dancing for his talent and modeling to “S-E-X-Y” by They Might Be Giants.

Brian “Babes” Venus was the 10th contestant, and he schmoozed judges during his modeling. He sang “Just a Girl” by No Doubt and promised, “As Mr. Benedum, I would make sure everyone in Benedum would get a little more loving.”

“It takes a man to flash the judges,” Kelly said after Venus quickly removed his coconut bra during the swimsuit modeling.

Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” played as Ryan Wellock took the stage in a black dress and pink headband.

“He’s a member of every bastard club at Pitt,” Kelly said, explaining Wellock’s involvement in four-square, badminton and fencing. For his talent, Wellock performed BMX bike tricks on stage.

Ending each of the heats was bio-engineer Jason Woods. Woods entered the auditorium to the cheering of his adoring fans and stood on the judges’ table to show off his shaved legs. He sang “It’s Raining Men” and modeled the evening’s most elaborate swimsuit, complete with hot pink swimmies, a yellow tube and flippers.

ESC earned approximately $700 to put toward their E-Week events.