Finally, an event that glorifies the talents and beauties of the male being for the gawking enjoyment of a crowd of strangers: Mr. CALS.

Mr. CALS Competition, the male pageant featuring students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for CALS Week, has been a charitable event since 2013, with ticket proceeds and the donated canned food going toward Food at First, a local food pantry that offers a free meal program.

Wait, a beauty pageant that doesn’t objectify women? What?! Yay college kids.

Though often dubbed as a scholarship program, female beauty pageants still uphold the traditional, sexist standards society uses to criticize women: their bodies, as showcased by the swimsuit competition and dress portion; what women say and how they say it, shared through the question segment; if they’re good at something, demonstrated through the talent competition; and any other categories in various pageants.

This is by no means a jab at women who participate in beauty pageants. You are all respectable individuals who probably just want to make a difference in the world.

We’re here to applaud the Mr. CALS Competition for raising money for a good cause, having a good time and challenging a social norm.

According to Statistic Brain, there are about 100,000 female beauty pageants in the United States. A Google search of “male beauty pageants” pulls up about five major competitions worldwide, with the rest of the results being bodybuilding competitions.

Sure, some could argue that by holding a male beauty pageant, those participating are making fun of people who take seriously regular female pageants or mocking those struggling with gender identities, but Mr. CALS is all for the joy of a charitable event.

The Mr. CALS Competition featured similar categories to a regular pageant. The men participated in formal wear, dress your major, dream date and lip-sync, categories that are far more fun and are way cheaper than the thousands of dollars some women spend for entry fees, dresses, coaching, swimsuits and travel.

Bearded farmers parading around a stage wearing outfits that reflect their perfect date — one of the best of the night, by the way, was definitely April 25 — is easily one of the most entertaining events held on campus and one of the most notable charity events.

Throughout the event Monday night, a grand total of $4,039 was raised, with $2,469 raised by the contestants and about $1,500 came from ticket sales. A total of 164 canned food goods were also collected for the food pantry.

So, hats off to you, Mr. CALS, for breaking the mold of outdated, traditional values showcased in female pageants by strutting your stuff for a good cause.