By Megan Freeman

You’ve probably passed by the colorful tables inside Hammond and Holmes with silver buckets on them. And maybe you’ve wondered to yourself, what are they collecting money for?
This year is the 10th annual Drag Show, hosted by the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Fitchburg State University. The reason behind the tables is the drag race. It’s a competition for several male students here at Fitchburg State University to join the show—to be dressed up in drag and whisked up on stage to perform for everyone in attendance.
The top three students who earn the most money in a coin race will be dressed up. The winners will be announced at the show itself, and the tables will be running up until the day of the show and through the show itself, so the identity of the three winners is completely up in the air.
Many of the males nominated to participate in the show are part of student run organizations on campus and thus the idea of seeing them parade around on stage in dresses is very tempting.
“We’ve had people drop 20’s for their friends during the show. Nothing’s set in stone,” A GSA member sitting at the table informed a student asking about who was in the lead. Finding an underdog winner is not uncommon in the drag race. Many of the students in the running are eager to go up on stage, especially Dan Fallon, who performed a song of his own outside of the dining hall near the table hosted by the GSA. With the drag show just on the horizon, the competition is getting fierce.
The drag show itself is one of the biggest shows held annually at Fitchburg State. Last year, the show sold over 700 tickets and the Recreation Center was packed with people. This year, an even bigger turnout is expected by the GSA.
 
A lot of work has been put into the drag show this year, and it will take place on Thursday March 26th. The doors open at 6:30 PM and the show will start at 7 PM. Tickets are available at the info desk in Hammond (right across from where the GSA has their table set up in the mornings) or at the door of the show. But if you’re planning to wait until the day of the show, be wary of a long line!
 
There’s been a lot of hype about the drag show this year, and there are a lot of bars set for the 10th annual show.
“This year, the drag show is going full court. That means that the entire rec center will be open. Each year, the drag show’s always a huge hit. And we’re inviting 14 queens to come and perform on Thursday night.” Says a member of Fitchburg State University’s GSA, “This year, we’re expecting a huge crowd. We’ll be selling candy and water for the first time, too.”
Every year the GSA hosts a drag show, and there’s always a benefactor. Usually, the benefactor is an organization that has something to do with LGBTQ+ youth, and is chosen by the students in the GSA via majority vote. This year, the benefactor for the drag show is an organization called the Waltham House, which is a local safe house for LGBTQ+ youth with nowhere else to go.
 
The Waltham house will even have a table reserved at the show, according to the GSA. Anyone is encouraged to attend, and all money from ticket sales will be going towards benefiting the LGBTQ+ community.