‘I’m a winner, baby’: Pride Union crowns SU sophomore at Drag Show Finals

Students and local Syracuse residents lined up in front of Goldstein Auditorium at the Schine Student Center Saturday to see their peers put on a show they will never forget. 

Doechii’s “Denial Is A River” filled the room while the audience filtered in around a runway-style catwalk stretching out from the stage, giving the full “RuPaul’s Drag Race” experience.

Syracuse University’s Pride Union hosted its 24th annual Drag Show Finals. Every year, SU students and local drag queens and kings compete in various tournaments to get to the finals, hosted by celebrity Drag Race stars. The queens each lip-sync a song of their choosing. But whether they move forward is up to the audience.

After all queens have lip-synced, there is a vote for the top two, who battle it out for the win together on stage.

However, besides the performances, the night offered a space where students could step into the spotlight and fully express who they are in front of a crowd full of their friends and classmates. 

“We want to absolutely give them the chance to just come up and have fun … I think it’s a beautiful thing to see people take their five minutes on stage, and relay who they are,” said Landon Nance, Pride Union vice president and winner of last year’s drag finals. 

Planning for the show begins months in advance. Pride Union’s executive board organizes everything from the performances to booking a celebrity host. 

“It is like a full year planning cycle,” Nance said. 

This year, Symone, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13, was the drag superstar hosted the competition. Symone is a Los Angeles-based drag performer who has jumped into the fashion and entertainment world following her win. You can also see her in RuPaul’s upcoming movie “Stop! That! Train!” in theaters June 12.  

“I love doing college gigs … there’s something special here,” Symone said. “It was so fun, and y’all just so open and receptive.”

After Symone’s opening performance to “Scheiße” by Lady Gaga, the competition began, with four contestants taking the stage to dance and lip sync for the crown. 

Jack Withee, an SU senior also known as Skye Skraper, took the stage first, lip syncing to “Hard Times” by Paramore. Withee was wearing a bright green floral set that no one could miss. 

The contestants’ costumes ranged from sparkly and colorful to a little dark. Each performer really brought their own interpretations of drag to the stage. 

Malichi Simmons, who goes by Ruffles Royale on stage, is a member of Syracuse’s Haus of Royale and sang “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry live. 

Hunter Kusak, called Quirt when performing, followed. Lip-syncing to a mashup of songs including “Gimme More” by Britney Spears and “Kiss” by Prince & The Revolution. His performance included rapid on-stage changes like changing shoes and tops in between the songs,  keeping the audience on their toes. 

Ivy Monroe, or Addie Raw, closed out the initial round of performances by lip-syncing to “Cannibal” by Kesha ahead of the first vote. 

Following the last performance, Symone returned to the stage and presented a QR code, allowing the audience to vote on which two performers would lip-sync for the crown. 

The audience selected Quirt and Addie Raw as the top two contestants, advancing them to the final round. 

But before the final decision, Nance, who also goes by Landon Interrupted, kept the energy high as the votes were counted by lip-syncing to “Thinking of You” by Katy Perry.  

Nance says that her drag persona is still very true to herself, but has a little edge. 

“It’s very me,” Nance said. “I like to think I bring something more fierce than any day-to-day.”

After the votes were counted, the top two returned to the stage and battled it out to “All The Things She Said” by t.A.T.u. 

A final vote was held and the audience voted Addie Raw as the winner. In true RuPaul’s Drag Race fashion, they pranced the stage to “I’m a Winner, Baby” by RuPaul. 

Addie Raw, mostly known as Ivy Monroe, is a sophomore architecture major. Monroe started pursuing drag just a month ago after their longtime best friend and drag mother convinced them to start. 

“It [winning the competition] means I can perform and behave how I want to, and not be scared of having to just do what society says,” Monroe said. 

Monroe identifies as nonbinary and said that performing in spaces like Pride Union’s drag show has allowed them to express a more authentic version of themself. 

“I have a lot of time struggling to dress more feminine, and these spaces allow me to do so … winning this, I know I have the confidence to be able to express myself in more feminine way,” Monroe said. 

Monroe was dressed in all black and later revealed a red corset underneath.  

The audience also brought the energy to all of the contestants with loud cheers and snaps, fueling each performer as they lip-synced their hearts out. 

Max Smith, an SU alumni, said he was excited to attend as a huge Symone fan. Smith even earned a shoutout by her. However, he ultimately said that the audience is the best part of the show. 

“It’s a vibe … I think it’s really important to bring the community together and get everybody in one space and celebrate,” Smith said.