News

Ladies vie for 'Gold' honors

Winner got $1,200 scholarship

By Udochi Igbokwe
The Daily Cougar

After several hours of close scrutiny during on-stage performances, Raelynn White was crowned Miss Black and Gold on Sunday. The sophomore psychology major was selected from among 12 contenders in the scholarship pageant.

Behrooz Paizi/The Daily Cougar

With the crowning, White won a $1,200 scholarship and 4-day, 3-night stay in Miami, Fla. White won the competition by performing a poem she wrote and an interpretive dance to the music of Grammy-nominated artist India Arie.

The event, hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.is UH chapter, was the 20th annual Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant. It was held in the UH Hilton Hotelis Conrad Ballroom. The theme of the program was "The Aura of Her Mystique: A Timeless Allure."

"The Black and Gold Scholarship pageant is an annual event that acknowledges the good aspects and greatness of the black woman on the UH campus," said sophomore computer engineering technology major Brian Paisley, a co-chairman of the pageant and member of A Phi A.

Pageant Chairman Brian Frederick Malone, an architecture junior, said the pageant "exudes the positive aspects of the young and talented African-American women here on the University of Houston campus."

In addition to White, contestants included business and political science senior Donica Beckett; studio photography sophomore Hope Eugene; communication freshman Valencia Evans; and communication freshman Melanie Hill.

Finance freshman Jamila Hodge; MIS senior Ashley McCarley; accounting junior Tiffani Robinson; and hotel and restaurant management freshman Noel Shorten also competed.

Marketing sophomore Chantea Warner; electrical engineering sophomore Constance Washington; and political science sophomore Stacie Wilson rounded out the contestants.

Hosted by Umeme B.C. Smith, the evening offered much to entertain the audience. Sabrina Braxton gave her rendition of "The Negro National Anthem." Tye Robinson performed Toni Braxtonis "How Can an Angel Break My Heart?"

Judges for the event included Ronald Green and Assistant Dean of Students Edgar Berry.

Miss Black and Gold 2002, Ieesha Johnson, spoke to the 2003 contestants and wished them good luck.

Contestants were judged in six different categories: introduction, casual wear, swimsuit, talent, formal wear and oral expression.

Oral expression, the most important segment of the night, counted for 35 percent each contestantis final score. They were asked questions about current events ranging from going to war with Iraq to the allegations of child pornography against r&b artist R. Kelly.

The first runner-up was Warner, who received a DVD player and $500 scholarship. Warner also won the Miss Congeniality award.

Beckett was the second runner-up, for which she won a home theater system and a $300 scholarship. She also received an award for most advertisements sold for the pageant.

Alpha Phi Alpha was founded in Dec. 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. This pageant, which many A Phi A chapters around the nation sponsor, is meant to showcase the fraternityis ideal of "respecting womanhood."

-- with additional reporting by Contributing Writer Torri Bryant
 

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