Mr. and Ms. UPG Crowned

by Jessica Stewart

The Diversity Student Coalition (DSC) hosted the Mr. and Ms. UPG Pageant on Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. in Ferguson Theatre.

“The pageant is a way to promote diversity, while encouraging the student body to participate,” said Le’Nisha Williams, DSC president.

The contestants were judged on five segments that included swimwear, casual wear, talent, evening wear, and question-and-answer. The judges were Sheila Confer, Troy Ross, Jen Kominsky, and Dr. Jackie Horrall. There were eight contestants this year: Shelby Povlick, Gami-Lou Beli, Amanda Smith, Shayla Clisby, Brittney Lojas, Chad Weissert, Ryan Tang, and Jerome Williams.

The swimwear segment ranged from bikinis to shorts and some cool shades. Casual wear showcased the sophisticated side of the contestants. The talent portion had singing, magic tricks, comedy, and art, allowing each contestant to express their individuality. The theatre filled with laughter and applause after each performance.

“My favorite part of the pageant was getting the chance to perform on stage for the talent segment,” Amanda Smith said.

DSC concluded the segments with the evening wear. Contestants put on their very best to make one more appearance on the stage. The evening concluded with the crowning of Mr. and Ms. UPG. When the judges’ scores were tallied, Ryan Tang was crowned Mr. UPG and Amanda Smith was crowned Ms. UPG for 2015.

“It was the wonderful support from my peers that encouraged me to enter the pageant,” Ryan Tang said.