Maya Parker and Aliyah C. Tipton
MC Practicum/Staff Writers
Parents, faculty, staff, and students gathered in the Rose E. McCoy auditorium on March 30 to witness history. They saw firsthand, who would be in the running to become the 78th Miss Jackson State University, along with the first ever Mr. Jackson State University.
The Lion King-themed pageant began promptly at 7 p.m. and was hosted by former Miss JSU Charence Higgins, along with JSU alum Jason Gibson, an award winning gospel artist and a 2014 graduate of JSU.
Gibson and Higgins welcomed everyone to the event, and introduced the judges and the categories in which they would be judging. The judges were Trey Baker, Lisa Shoemaker, Erin Pickens, Jackie Hill, and Chris Bell. The categories included oratorical ability, talent, and poise/projection.
The JSU Dance Ensemble opened with a dance to “Circle of Life”, preceding the entrance and introductions of the seven contestants for Mr. and Miss JSU. There were four female contestants vying for Miss JSU, and three male contestants for Mr. JSU.
The contestants were: Cayla Harris, Comelia Walker, Shelbi Ware, Jaelah Wright-Keely, Dre’Quan Cooley, Telandus Craft, and De’Angelo Riddle, all members of the junior class at JSU.
Following the introductions was the oratorical portion of the pageant. Contestants spoke on the topic “Challenging Minds and Changing Lives: What has JSU done for you?”
Harris said, “The Jackson State Student Body has allowed me to serve in many capacities, and in addition it has given me many opportunities. All of which I will use to further my endeavors.”
Riddle reflected on his experiences at JSU.
“It has not been one of ordinary pleasure, but has been a journey of perseverance, dedication, determination, and growth,” said Riddle.
During Riddle’s speech, he began to have microphone troubles. Instead of pausing to adjust his microphone, he continued. MC Gibson, came onto the stage and tried to provide Riddle with a hand-held mic, but he refused, ending his speech. He smiled and waved to the crowd as he exited the stage. When Higgins and Gibson returned to their posts at the podium, Higgins came up with the hashtag, “We don’t need no mic”.
Ware made references to her faith during her speech.
“God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called,” said Ware.
During the talent portion of the pageant, Harris played “Stand by Me” on the piano followed by an inspirational dance performed by Walker. A praise dance was performed by Ware and Wright-Keely played the drums to a medley of Beyoncé and Rihanna songs.
Immediately following, Cooley recited a poem, Craft sang a gospel medley and Riddle performed a monologue.
There was another performance by the JSU Dance Ensemble, as well as musical performances by the Jazz Ensemble throughout the evening.
The final portion of the pageant was Poise and Projection, which included modeling of formal wear and a question and answer segment.
The women showed off their breath-taking gowns, as the men looked dapper in their suits. While the judges tallied the scores, the audience was given a chance to meet the candidates’ running for Class King and Queen, as well as viewing the final walk of 2016-2017 Miss JSU, Destiney Lawrence.
A pre-recorded message to her Jackson State family, which expressed her thanks to those who took this special journey with her, played as she walked. She also took to Instagram after the pageant to express herself, saying, “Thanks for all the lessons that I wouldn’t have learned without putting my faith to work! Dreams are mere dreams until you wake up and realize that your reality is closer than you think. Fear is only a tactic to paralyze you from pursuing the things God has called you to…”
The host and hostess then returned with the decision.
Because there were only three men vying for Mr. JSU, they were automatically allowed to campaign. The judges were responsible for deciding which three of the four Miss JSU contestants would join the men on the campaign trail.
In the end, the judges selected Walker, Ware, and Wright-Keely to campaign for Miss JSU. They stood onstage alongside the Mr. JSU, Cooley, Craft, and Riddle.
Election week is from April 3 – 7. Voting will take place on Friday, April 7.
