Annual scholarship pageant to be held Sunday

The Gamma Eta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, will be sponsoring the annual Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant on Jan. 22.
 
The pageant consists of 12 women who will be judged based on their commitments to the production as well as the showcase of their talent during the show. The top three pageant ladies will each receive a share of a $3,500 scholarship from the chapter. First place will receive $2,000, second place will receive $1,000 and third place will receive $500.

“We think that this year is going to be one of the best shows that we have had in a long time,” said Adrian Love, a representative of Alpha Phi Alpha. “All the girls went over and above expectations in community service. I am very excited, and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to work on this event.”

At the beginning of the pageant, the girls will introduce themselves and tell the judges their goals and ambitions. From there, they will display their individual talents before moving on to swimsuits and gowns.

“The point of this part of the competition is to help the women compete on a national level,” Alpha Phi Alpha representative Jefferey Williams said. “They are developing the skills that they need onstage.”

The women will not only be competing onstage, however. For the past two and a half months, the 12 contestants have been working with the community and gaining sponsorships on top of their regular schoolwork, Williams said.

The goal of the pageant is to encourage African American women by facilitating the development of confidence, poise and speaking skills. The judges are looking for intelligent women who are advanced in their academics and active in the community.

“We have a panel of seven judges,” Williams said. “There are numerous organizations around campus that are represented in the panel, such as Residential Programs and Services, the Indiana Memorial Union, the Arts Institute and Athletics. There is also a past Black and Gold participant that’s going to be judging.”

The pageant is a national event for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and the winner of the pageant at the IU level will go on to a district competition.

“The Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant is part of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated’s ongoing efforts to promote ‘Scholarship’ while embracing ‘Love for all Mankind,’” said Darius Sawyers, president of the Gamma Eta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. “We believe that this scholarship pageant plays a significant role in demonstrating the important strides females make that go unnoticed on our campus. Twelve intelligent, humble contestants will be participating in this pageant after working earnestly and fervently for the past two and a half months.”

The pageant will begin at 7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue, where tickets will be sold at the door for $7 or $5 online at buskirk-chumley.org.

“I hope that everyone has a chance to come out and see this wonderful display of true talent,” Williams said. “I’ve really seen the girls grow, and I respect the confidence that they have developed. I can’t wait to see how they all perform on Sunday.”