Pageant represents African culture
By Philicia Montgomery
On November 30, 2012
The Pan-African Student Organization will be hosting its sixth annual Mr. and Miss Ankobia
Pageant at 5 p.m. Sunday in Rockwell Hall.
The free event will include eight contestants who will be expected to demonstrate intellect,
eloquence, confidence, originality, and culture in themselves and the country of their
choosing.
Contestants will represent different African countries and engage the audience in
interactive and entertaining ways while demonstrating why they should be Mr. or Miss
Ankobia.
"The purpose of the Mr. and Miss Ankobia pageant is to educate people across the Buffalo
State community about different African cultures," said Coumba Sy, entertainment chair of
PASO and 2011 Miss Ankobia winner.
Contestants who will aid in this education include freshmen Bianca Williams and Beatrice
Aidoo, sophomores Fatima Toure, Constance Boakye, Alieu Baldeh, Bangali Doumbia and
Tewodros Tella, and junior Joey Ahmedu.
Contestants will begin with a Unity Dance and the Introduction, where competitors will
participate in a choreographed dance routine and introduce themselves.
Next, contenders will explain the countries they are representing and state why they
should be Mr. or Miss Ankobia.
In the Creativity Round, competitors will pick an item, explain its significance and
incorporate some aspect of the item in their appearance.
The Talent Round asks contestants to present a skill they possess and the Formal Wear/
Question and Answer Round will have competitors dress in their formal attire of choice and
answer randomly chosen questions.
The winners will be the two contenders who ranked the highest out of 500 points among
their competitors.
The judging panel consists of Stella Amoako, founder of PASO, Lamar Timmons, graduate
assistant of CSTEP Program, Yvette Apenteng, president of D'Youville ASA, Tamara
McMillan, associate director of Student Life, Kwabana Boakye, CEO of Non-Profit, and
Jessica James, former PASO executive board member.
"The judging system has been designed to encourage leadership, distinction, and
achievement among all contestants," said Ebenezer Baawuah, PASO president. "All judges
will be provided with rules and regulations of the Miss Africa International judging
system."
Fatima Toure, sophomore criminal justice major and Miss Ankobia contestant, said she
thinks the purpose of Ankobia is to bring knowledge to students of their ancestral linkages.
"In order for us to know who we are today, we have to know who we once were," she said.
The show will have intermissions of dance by D'Youville and PASO dancers and will
include a poetry reading by USG AVP for Campus Affairs and Government Relations, Trivet
Jarmond.
The event will also provide free food for guests and participants.
"This year's pageant, I expect a lot of diversity," Sy said. "Since we have a wide span of
countries represented, the pageant will be an enriching experience."
Toure said she expects the show will be great because all of the contestants are passionate
about the countries they are representing.
Winners of this year's pageant will receive a unique African artifact.
"I can't wait to see the dancing and the talents," said Siraj Bah, graduate student non-profit
management major. "I'd like to see how they represent themselves and their country."
Philicia Montgomery can be reached by email at Montgomery.record@live.com.
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