University not just academics: meet Miss U.B.
There’s more to university life than academics…and if you don’t believe me, you can ask the six young ladies vying for the title of Miss U.B. Ann-Marie has a preview.
Contestant #1
“Hi, my name is Shakira Bennett and I’m Miss Perseverance.”
Contestant #2
“Hi, my name is Karen Requena and I am Miss Unique.”
Contestant #3
“Hi, I am nineteen year old Jacqueline Ciego, Miss Dynamic.”
Contestant #4
“Hi, I’m eighteen year old Michelle Hamilton, Miss Ambitious.”
Contestant #5
“I am eighteen year old Nicky Williams, Miss Spontaneous.”
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
The first pageant since the university amalgamated with five tertiary level institutions takes place Friday night at the Parish hall in Belize City.
Stephanie Young, Pageant Co-ordinator
“In the costume part we’re trying to get the colours of U.B. united together, which is purple and yellow. So the costume will be purple and yellow, floral like a skirt and they will be wearing purple T-shirts. Then they have the casual segment, which is basically trying to represent school life. They will be dressed as how they are in school, if they come to school in jeans shorts, that’s how you’d dress for the casual wear. They can also carry knapsacks on stage, books, whatever will reflect school life.
We have the career session, where they will choose a career of their choice and represent it by the costume that they wear and they have little chat about the career of their choice. And also, we have the talent competition, which is a big part. Whatever the girls possess, what kind of talent they have within them.”
There’s also the evening gown competition and the question and answer section. Jacqueline Ciego is one of the six contestants enrolled in the Associate’s degree programme. She’s Miss Dynamic.
Jacqueline Ciego, Contestant
“I’m self-motivated and full of life.”
Miss ambitious is studying to be a nurse. Michelle Hamilton tells us why she entered the event.
Michelle Hamilton, Contestant
“To have fun and to participate in the university’s activities and to win.”
Nicky Williams, Miss Spontaneous, feels she has what it takes to win.
Nicky Williams, Contestant
“It’s not about the beauty, it’s about the intelligence that the individual has. This pageant is fixed on the person’s brightness and their intelligence because the person has to represent U.B. in many different activities.”
And if it’s all about the intelligence, then why are rehearsed questions given prior to the event.
Stephanie Young
“What we will do is give them that question to study, but then you have a final question and they don’t really know what they final question will be.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“But is it really necessary to give them something to study if you’re measuring intelligence?”
Stephanie Young
“It’s not necessary, but we choose to do it that way. It doesn’t really has anything to do with the intelligent or not, I think it’s just part of giving them a go ahead of it or whatever.”
Tickets for the Miss U.B. pageant can be purchased at the school and at the door for five dollars. Showtime is seven p.m. on Friday at the Parish Hall.
