kramerkj@lopers.unk.edu
Alpha Phi held their eighth annual King of Hearts male pageant last week, with 12 contestants competing in the event. Rather than have the event live as in previous years, the majority of the contest was prerecorded and shown in a public video on the day of the event.
“I was really pleased with this year’s event turnout,” said Ryley Scherer, a senior and director of philanthropy for Alpha Phi. “We faced so much adversity and had to change so much to make this event safe while still keeping it fun. With all that has happened this year, the support from campus and our members was more than I could ask for.”
Alpha Phi sold approximately 400 tickets while still maintaining social distancing guidelines.
In previous years, the event has been held as a live pageant with contestants participating in a group dance, a talent show and an interview session. The crowning was decided and announced by judges who attended the event.
“We started looking for places to hold the event in March when we knew about COVID-19,” Scherer said. “It all really picked up in Aug. when we got a better view of safety measures.”
The event also differed this year in that it was prerecorded at the Merryman Performing Arts Center, where the event moved in 2016 due to past issues with overbooking. Members of the Kearney community were able to purchase a ticket and watch the recording of the pageant at the Health and Sports Center.
Sophomore Mason Casper won this year’s pageant to become 2020’s King of Hearts.
Casper, a member of Phi Delta Theta, represented Residence Life. He demonstrated his interpretive dance talent with a piece that he performed with his cousin, Mr. Phi Delta Theta, Trey Janicek.
“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to compete in this pageant and raise money for our community,” Casper said. “All of the guys we’re so fun to work with and I had a blast.”
Alpha Phi is working on a way to distribute the recording to people who were unable to attend the event for a $10 fee. All proceeds made from the event will go to the Kearney S.A.F.E center and the Alpha Phi Foundation.
