The 28th annual Miss Black and Gold scholarship pageant was held Wednesday, Jan. 31 in the Memorial Student Center auditorium. Spectators filled the auditorium to capacity, all anxious to see which contestant would walk away with the prestigious title.
This year’s pageant was creatively themed “Egyptian Allure,” and featured several decorations and props that corroborated the theme. The participants in the pageant were contestant #2 Andreya Henson, contestant # 3 Anita Jones, contestant #4 Alyssa Rhodes, contestant #5 Sheree White, and contestant # 6 Vorice Batts. Brianna Mitchell, who was originally contestant # 1 withdrew from the competition due to health concerns.
The first phase of the pageant was the swimsuit competition in which contestants displayed one-piece bathing suits. The next portion of the competition was the talent showcase. The talent showcase featured a wide array of unique acts that ranged from singing, to poetry, to dancing.
Freshman Brook-Lynn Bryant said, “The talent portion was my favorite phase of the competition, each act was very individualistic. It was obvious that all the contestants worked really hard on their acts.”
The talent showcase was followed by a brief intermission, and then the third portion of the competition, the formal wear showcase, began. Each contestant was escorted on stage by a male companion to display evening gowns that highlighted their individual style. The last phase of the pageant was the question and answer portion, in which contestants randomly selected a question from the host and hostess and was asked to give their response.
As the competition came to a close, the reigning Miss Black and Gold, Jessica Waiters, gave a heartfelt farewell speech thanking those who supported her during her tenure. Finally, the moment came that everyone had been anticipating -the announcement of the winners. Sheree White was awarded first runner up and received the title of Miss Epsilon Tau Lamda, but in the end Vorice Batts was victorious and won the title of Miss Eta Gamma.
Batts graciously accepted the crown by saying, “It feels great to win. When we were practicing, we didn’t worry about who was going to win. We just practiced equally hard and had lots of fun.”
The Black and Gold Pageant was sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. The winner will receive a scholarship, as well as a host of other prizes and awards.