The Yassification of Regis: QSA’s Drag Show

By: Gabby Sabater, Staff Writer

As a part of Queer Weekend, Regis QSA put on their 4th annual drag show last Saturday and my, did they put their hearts and souls into it! The room was buzzing with excitement and the performers showed up and showed out.

Before the show even began, our lovely MC, Clementine, took the stage and my goodness was she stunning in her grunge number! She prefaced the show and introduced two of Denver’s very own drag performers– Felony Misdemeanor and Onyx Steele. Both folks have been involved in drag for over twenty years and shared their stories and excitement for this event to be happening on our Catholic campus. They enlightened us with their personal journeys with drag as well as what it means to them and the LGBTQ+ community, inspiring many in the audience.

After Misdemeanor and Steele took their seats, six delightful Regis students strutted down the runway in full drag and lit up the room with their contagious energy: Macklemore, Crystal Paul, Freddie Her-Cury, Justin Butt, Summers, and one of the Highlander’s very own Tyler Steersnqueers executed outstanding renditions of songs we all know and love. And when I tell you they ate, not a crumb was left on that stage.

And not to mention, they all got dolled up before the show by professional makeup artist Alice Glamoure! She was gluing down eyebrows and sketching on beards galore making our kings and queens look fabulous; I think Justin Butt even had a little pre-show workout and showed off their stunning six-pack!

As if this environment wasn’t welcoming enough, the QSA cabinet invited folks in the audience up on stage for a little lip-syncing of their own! The night went on as students lined up to take their turn in the limelight.

The evening was lively and glamorous and queer to say the very least. QSA would like to thank RUSGA, Dave Law, and the Programming Board for helping sponsor this exceptionally successful event. And I would like to give a special shoutout to Madelaine Johnson for the creation and production of the drag show – the show truly couldn’t have gone on without you. With roughly 170 folks in attendance, this was the biggest turnout for the drag show! I think I can accurately speak for everyone when I say we were all starving for community (and drag), and we satisfied this hunger last Saturday.

Photos by: Seamus Prim

Thrifter’s Paradise: The Goodwill Bins

By: Gabby Sabater, Staff Writer

Have you been wanting to transform your drab wardrobe with vintage pieces and thrift flips but are unsure of where to start? Well, I’ve got a suggestion, however, it’s not one for the faint of heart: Goodwill Outlet World, otherwise known as the Bins. This gem is located a mere ten minutes down I-70 East and is a must-go for thrifters in Denver. 

When I stepped into the store for the first time, I was overwhelmed by bins upon bins filled with clothes, shoes, furniture, and lost treasures. Thrifting warriors were armed with double N95s, latex gloves, and strapped with hand sanitizer. This spot was indeed a mixed bag of folks: moms and Depop-sellers galore were eager to claim cheap, unique finds as their own. 

I looked around me and shoppers were lined against the wall as employees shuffled the bins around. My friends mentioned that they exchange some of the bins out every twenty minutes or so, but it was an odd sight to see in action. Shoppers had their finds stockpiled up against the walls and stared down the employees as they replenished the floor. As the last employee lingered out of the aisle and toward the back, he gave out a muffled “alright” and scavengers booked it to the bins. 

The staticky early-2000s music and fluorescent lights gave it an eerie ambiance along with the shirts, scarves, hats, and pants that were soaring across the room. Shouts of “Hell yeah!” and “No way bro” scattered into the air and echoed throughout the warehouse. If you’ve seen the Hannah Montana movie, picture the scene where Tyra Banks and Miley Cyrus are hashing it out over a pair of pumps. Yeah, you could say that’s pretty spot-on to the energy here. 

I shuffled my way in with some elbow grease and parsed through the endless clothing. While the contents were rather picked over and now consisted mostly of baby clothes and lone gloves, I ended up collecting two solid t-shirts and a Pashmina. I’d grown exhausted of the clothes – it was time to take a stroll over to the shoes and home goods.

In the land of used shoes that seemed to stretch on for miles, it was love at first sight; I’d come across a pair of the most lovely little cowboy boots. I’d been searching for a pair like these high and low and had thus made my time here most definitely worthwhile.

When I thought it couldn’t get any better, I began rummaging through a few bins down and another pair of boots caught my eye– vintage Steve Madden 3-inch platforms. Are you kidding me? Yes, they had very much been pre-loved but I didn’t mind the scuffs and rips this time around. They were mine.

And the best part of it all – checking out. At the Bins, you pay for your items by the pound as opposed to individually-priced items, making purchases super low-cost. I loaded up my finds on the scale and paid $11 for everything. Talk about staying on a college budget.

Overall, I would definitely recommend heading to the Bins for people who really enjoy digging for unique and rare pieces; although here they may be a little pre-worn, they’re still very much really awesome finds. However, you may spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for something that might not even be there.

If you’re not doing anything over spring break and might want to do a little thrifting, go for it! Bring a friend and let the hunt begin.