Hi 62 / Lo 54
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Volume 72, Issue 91,
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
News Student shines at pageant Vaughn says valuable bonds formed between Miss Black and Gold contestants by DANTE EGLIN
Eleven contestants vied for the crown at the 24th-annual Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant on Sunday Night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom. The scholarship pageant, presented by the Eta Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, is a yearly tradition that celebrates college women and gives them a spotlight to showcase their talents. This year's theme was "Impressions of Eminent Beauty." Scoring was divided into six areas -- introduction, casual wear, swimwear, talent, formal wear and oral expression. The oral expression segment included a question-and-answer session dealing with local and national issues. "Contestants were judged more on their intelligence, their poise and their general presentation rather than emphasizing simply each individual's outer appearance," civil engineering junior and pageant chair Brandon Cheatham said. High-scoring oral performances from creative writing and sociology junior Kalaiah Vaughn helped her capture the crown. Vaughn received a $1,200 scholarship and two airplane tickets to any destination in the continental United States. "I was blown away," Vaughn said. "This pageant transcended the stereotypes of beauty, and I'm so grateful to the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha for this whole experience." Miss Black and Gold was Vaughn's first pageant experience. In addition to her win Sunday, Vaughn will be the UH chapter's representative in the district pageant in Dallas this weekend. After representing her native Jamaica in several segments, biology senior Candace Williams was able to secure first runner-up, winning an $800 scholarship and a 27-inch flat screen TV. Psychology junior Dymon Dumas won a $500 scholarship and a three-disc stereo system for earning second runner-up honors. Hotel and restaurant management senior Courtney Perry won Miss Congeniality and was awarded a massage package gift certificate. An assortment of skills were on display throughout the evening, which included original dance performances, a live portrait drawing, original spoken word performances and poetry renditions. "The level of competition at this year's pageant was arguably the best ever, and definitely the best talent I've seen," Cheatham said. The abundance of original oral presentations reflected the ladies' ambition, Cheatham said. "We urged them not to be comfortable, not to take the easy route," he said. "We wanted them to utilize their skills and stick out from the crowd, to be unique." Turnout was strong, with nearly 75 women auditioning. After formal interviews, nine to 13 women usually advance in a given year. Eleven made the cut this year. The interview process began in October, and contestants and coaches practiced four days a week for nearly four months in preparation for the event. The rigorous schedule drained some of the contestants, but most said they valued the weeks of preparation. Marketing sophomore Britni Deese entered with goals of meeting new friends. She echoed Vaughn's assessment of the pageant transcending physical attractiveness. "This pageant isn't focused on just beauty,"Deese said. "It's focused on intellect, and that's what makes it elegant. Everyone carries (herself) with grace and beauty, and that's what makes this pageant really stand out from others." Cheatham noted that though the coaches played an integral role in each contestant's development, the interaction between the women was paramount. "I would say that the biggest thing that the contestants take away from the pageant, besides the opportunity to get a scholarship, a lot of girls take away experiences and build relationships with each other," Cheatham said. Theatre freshman Whitney Mickel said the contestants and coaches forged a strong support system. "Sometimes I'd come to practice and I'd just be upset or emotionally destroyed," she said."But … everybody in the pageant has grown so close to the point where no matter what's going on, you can always pull someone aside and just talk to them." Vaughn said that friendship was one of the main benefits of participating in Miss Black and Gold. "The pageant allowed (the contestants) to bond with each other and become like sisters," Vaughn said. "Instead of people simply seeing our outward appearance, they saw the articulate and intelligent women who we discovered each of us is." Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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