March 12, 2007 — Four young women will compete in this year's Miss UVI Ambassadorial Pageant, coming up March 24 at the Reichhold Center.
The contestants are Janeisha John, Sharifa Maloney, Zahra Spencer and Shamika Thomas, according to a news release from the University of the Virgin Islands. They will be judged in professional wear, evening wear, talent, question and answer, ambassadorial presentation and a pre-pageant personal interview.
The show will also serve as a 45th-anniversary student celebration — complete with a red carpet.
"Expect nothing less than excellence from the Student Government Association Queen's Committee," said SGA President Rick Grant, whose committee organizes the event. The contestants provide good representation, he said, with two originally from St. Croix, one from Trinidad and Tobago and the other from St. Thomas. UVI administrators echoed his sentiments.
"You're not going to see a mirror image as each contestant comes out," said Junie Violenes, UVI's St. Thomas campus student-activities supervisor. "They all have distinct personalities."
It will be a good show, having the best of what UVI has to offer on display, said Violenes, whose office oversees the Student Government Association. UVI students and alumni will provide entertainment between segments of the show, which will be hosted by UVI student Amarae Blyden-Richards and UVI alumnus Julian Baa.
The contestants:
— Janeisha John is majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. Originally from St. Croix, her plans are to become a marketing consultant in the entertainment and multimedia industry. John is a member of Cruzan Dance.
— Sharifa Maloney is majoring in business administration with a concentration in accounting. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Maloney plans to become an auditor and entrepreneur. She belongs to UVI's Rotaract Club and Accounting Association.
— Zahra Spencer is majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. Originally from St. Croix, Spencer plans to become a "formidable entrepreneur" with multiple Caribbean-based health spas and outlets for natural health care products. She is a UVI Student Housing resident assistant, a Memorial Moravian Church dance instructor and SGA Sports Committee secretary.
— Shamika Thomas is a biology major who plans to become an orthodontist. Originally from St. Thomas, she is a member of the UVI Debate Society, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, a peer mentor and a member of the Concert Choir.
John attends the UVI St. Croix campus, while the other contestants attend UVI's St. Thomas campus.
The show will be followed by an after party at the UVI Dining Pavilion. Music will be provided by DJ Pops. "Staying true to the glamor and glitz that will set the mood early in the evening, the newly crowned Miss UVI and her court will be transported via a limousine to the Dining Pavilion, where they will descend a red carpet to the after party," the news release said. "There the queen will give a toast to UVI for its 45th anniversary and cut a celebratory cake."
The contest will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on UVI's St. Thomas campus. Tickets for the Miss UVI competition are $30 for the covered section and $25 for uncovered. UVI students get a $5 discount on tickets purchased from the UVI Bookstore. Tickets are available on St. Thomas at Modern Music (Nisky and Havensight), the Parrot Fish, the UVI Bookstore, Urban Threadz, V.I. Bridal and Tuxedo and the Reichhold Center Box Office; on St. Croix at Alliance Clothing, Urban Threadz and the UVI Bookstore; on St. John at Connections. Ticket price includes entry to the after party at the Dining Pavilion. Entry to the after party for non-ticket holders is $5 for UVI students and $10 for the general public. For more information, call the St. Thomas campus Student Activities office at 693-1111.
