The Caribfest festivities continue Sept. 19 as five contestants vie for the title of Ms. Caribfest 2013 in the Akin Auditorium at 7 p.m. to express their talent and culture through pageantry.
“MSU students and the Wichita Falls community are collaborating to make this show even better than last year’s,” Collette Lewis, senior in mathematics and theatre and co-chair of the Caribfest pageant, said.
The contestants for the pageant, “Experience Nirvana,” are Heather Hayes, sophomore in theater performance, Jennell Willette, senior in marketing, Micayla Brown, junior in art, Suprena Poleon, sophomore in biology and Donna-Lisa Nelson, junior in biology.
“The winner should embody talent, grace and intelligence,” Lewis said, and with these qualities, Ms. Caribfest Adrie Letang, senior in marketing, was crowned last year.
The contestants have been preparing for the pageant for the last two months under the tutelage of the their chaperones. The contestants remain focused on their academics but are still going all out for the pageant.
Sandiford identified finance as the committee’s major challenge.
“The sponsors of the event really helped out the girls in paying their expenses,” Sandiford said.
The sponsors are the University Programming Board, Yuma (Trinidad), Dynamics (Antigua), L. Bass Photography and the ITS Academy.
“Last year’s pageant was a success because of Fatisha Imo,” said Leona Sandiford, senior in theater arts and co-chair of the Caribfest pageant. Imo and her team introduced the pageant to the Caribfest line-up in 2012.
Sandiford said Imo and Damali Greenaway, senior in biology, recruited and selected this year’s contestants over the summer.
“Balancing college responsibilities [while] learning routines, working on their talent and outfit fittings was not easy,” Sandiford said.
The inclusion of non-Caribbean participants allows CSO to spread the Caribbean cultural experience on campus.
“CSO is not only for Caribbean students. It’s an organization which welcomes persons from different backgrounds, and that’s why two of our contestants are not from the Caribbean,” Sandiford said.
Ms. Caribfest 2013 will receive a scholarship from Student Development and Orientation, a gift basket and a photo shoot with L. Bass Photography. The winner will also take part in the parade and culture show this Saturday.
There was a change in the schedule as university officials designated new dates for the event. Organizers said participants should prefer September’s warm weather rather than the potentially chilly October. Caribbean Students Organization leaders said this also gave them a reason to transform the cultural event that begins Sept. 13-21.
“People were tired of the same line-up, and we [the organization] were ready for a change,” Anthony said.
“Caribfest is an annual event that brings Wichita Falls, Texas alive,” Quinneth Anthony, sophomore in biology and co-chair of Caribfest, said. “Expect no less than the best,” Anthony said.
The proceeds benefit The Kitchen, Patsy’s House and Wichita Falls ISD.
