Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. held their annual Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant on Nov. 12 where they crowned junior mathematics major, Ciara Vinson, as Miss Black and Gold 2009. The pageant showcased the talents of six Texas A&M University- Commerce female students. The contestants were Sharonda Drake, Virginia Giganti, Jaimee Harris, Ciara Vinson, Crystal Walker and Anquenette Whiteman. The contestants competed for a scholarship through dance, poems, songs, appearance and oral expression. Preparation for the pageant started with gathering coordinators. The pageant coordinators were Ashley Ofuokwu, former Miss Black and Gold 2008, Destiny Tolbert, Natalie Jenkins and Saundria Jackson. The coordinators jobs consisted of preparing the contestants by coordinating the dances, helping the contestants with the talent portion of the program and making sure the contestants were comfortable in what they were doing. “We tried to make it a fun environment for the contestants to be in,” senior elementary education major Natalie Jenkins said. In order for Miss Black and Gold to be crowned, judges had to be arranged. The panel of judges consisted of alumni, faculty and staff from A&M- Commerce. “This was my first time judging, and it was a great experience,” Assistant Director for Financial Aid Ms. Rose Giles said. The night started out with the contestants performing a dance routine choreographed by Saundria Jackson, and then moved on to speeches that introduced the contestants to the audience and the judges. After music from “The Instruments,” the pageant went into the swimsuit portion of the show. Then came the talent portion and later the oral expressions. The oral expression portion of the pageant gave the contestants a chance to express their input on major issues going on in society today. “The questions that the contestants were given were great questions to see how they felt about issues that are major concerns in the world today,” senior elementary education major Brittney Johnson said. One contestant felt the oral expression portion of the competition represented one of her strong suits.
” I feel that I did exceptional in answering the question that was asked and in the competition,” junior biology major Crystal Walker said. Students who attended the pageant said they were pleased to see their friends and fellow peers on stage representing their organizations. “I think that all the contestants did a great job overall,” Johnson said. “No one had a breakdown.” After the pageant, the families of the contestants and the students went over to the dance floor where winner Ciara Vinson was announced. “I am humbled and shocked that I won,” Vinson said. ” I still can’t believe it.” Though it was a surprise to Ciara Vinson, some students said they thought she was the perfect person to win the title. “I thought that it was an excellent choice,” junior sports and recreation management major Brandon Coyle said. “She did a great job.” Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., said they were happy the contestants and the coordinators were willing to give up their time to put on this event. “Thanks for blessing us with your beauty and talent,” Alpha Phi Alpha’s Director of Education Darron Harris said. ” You all did a wonderful job.” The other winners for the night were second runner-up Jaimee D. Harris who won Ms. Congeniality and third runner-up Anquenette Whiteman. “All the girls were extraordinary,” Jenkins said. “I thank them all for their participation.”
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