 "Photo: Jennifer Johnson")
By the day of the 37th annual Miss Eboness Pageant, the five contestants had become more like sisters than rivals.
They huddled together backstage, cheering each other on, miming each word and dance move as their competitors performed.
Before the hosts announced the winner, the five women stood, hand-in-hand, praising one another.
Alpha Phi Alpha's Beta Eta chapter held the event at Shryock Auditorium Saturday night.
The winner, Arielle Thompson, a sophomore from Chicago studying chemistry, won a $500 scholarship through Alpha Phi Alpha and will go on to compete regionally and nationally for larger scholarships.
"Now I get to shine as a role model for other African American women," Thompson said. "It's about confidence and boosting each other as black women."
Thompson was so nervous she thought the first runner up, Tabitha Williams, a sophomore from Chicago studying journalism, won the pageant. She retreated from the spotlight before she realized they had called her name as Miss Eboness 2008.
"I'm so proud of myself," Thompson said. "I was really scared and nervous."
Charles Alexander, president of Alpha Phi Alpha and coordinator of the pageant, introduced an ice cream social to the pageant's events last week to familiarize the university community with the contestants before the competition.
"They've been practicing for over a month, every day Sunday through Thursday," said Alexander, a senior from Chicago studying speech communication. "These are beautiful, talented, intellectual African American women."
The social was one of many bonding moments for the group members, who said they grew very close through the hours they spent coaching each other.
The camaraderie between the contestants made the pageant work easier, Williams said.
"We didn't know each other before, but now we're sisters," she said. "We bonded."
She said she brought her 13-month-old son, Keith Lee Jr., with her to practice and the other contestants kept him occupied as she fought her inner tomboy and learned to be graceful in high-heels and dresses.
"I had to woman up," she said. "I'm such a tomboy, you can kind of tell in my performance."
Her poetry performance and response in the question portion earned her first-runner up.
The contestants practiced their talent, walk and the question portion of the pageant for three hours a night.
"This means a lot to me," Thompson said. "I really want to give back to the community and what better way is there than this?"
Brandy Oxford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255 or brandy.oxford@siude.com
