Eleven contestants left it all on the floor last night at The Royal Jukebox Mister and Miss Howard University Pageant in Cramton Auditorium. 

Students and family members packed the theater with signs and t-shirts ready to see their next Mister and Miss HU.

Joyce Dipoumbi, the two-time executive coordinator responsible for bringing the pageant to life, provided insight into this year’s running.

The annual contest compromises five components: introductions, an oratory prompt, talent, the question and answer, and evening wear. The Cramton Auditorium is the largest stage candidates have access to during the campaign process.

“When you’re campaigning on the yard or wherever you’re campaigning, it’s difficult to reach a large group of students but when you’re in an auditorium with 14,000 seats, everybody gets to hear what you have to say,” says Dipoumbi.

Cover 2 Cover compiled a breakdown of the pageant contest for your convenience.

Introductions:

The show began with the contestants in formation, each pairing dressed in a style reflective of a decade from the 1950s-2010s. The opening dance was the perfect way to show community within the competition while warming the crowd up for the excitement to come.  

After a high-energy dance performance, the six women and five men vying to be your next Mister and Miss Howard University made their opening pitch to the audience.

A song of choice blared through the auditorium as each candidate made their way to the mic. Eager and open-eared, the audience listened closely as the contestants introduced themselves and their platforms. 

In true HBCU Pageant fashion, each introductory speech was riddled with song lyrics, animated choreography, and references to each contestant’s hometown. Though comically dramatic, the performance is crucial to catching the audience’s attention and eventually, getting elected.  

Different contestants proposed different approaches to their reign, but the platforms highlighted similar initiatives. 

Mentoring underclassmen, uniting the student body, reinvigorating the Howard experience, leaving a legacy behind, finding a purpose on campus, and assuring a sense of security for the student body seems to be the most pressing issues facing the HU community as each candidate mentioned at least one of these initiatives in their platform.

Oratory Prompt:

The oratory prompt is a make-or-break portion of the contest. “In terms of what weighs the most it's the oratory because you’re asked a question that helps people understand what your platform is and what you want to do,” says Dipoumbi. “You’re scored on answering the question as well as how you articulate yourself, your confidence, the content, etc.”

Most candidates used the opportunity to get vulnerable with their constituents. 

While few actually answered the question (see the prompt below), heartfelt anecdotes of single motherhood, gun violence, religion as a safe haven, and mental health struggles allowed the audience a calculated glimpse of who each candidate really is.

Others took a personable approach to the question, calling out the underbelly of the Howard experience. One candidate structured their answer as an HURollCall Instagram post, a popular way for incoming classes to connect with other future bison. Another referenced HUSpeakyomind posts about her, an anonymous forum for students to submit commentary, questions, and overall, tea.

It is fair to say people were touched one way or another, as the occasional ‘oops’ or ‘talk yo s–t’ could be heard from the crowd, making the high-stake answers engaging. 

A visiting family member behind me commented, “I swear, I love us.”

Talent Show Highlights:

Students get out of their seats as their peers perform.

The talent portion is, arguably, the main attraction to the annual pageant. Each contestant has roughly three minutes to showcase a talent. 

Contestant one, Anaiyah Boone Douglas, stole the crowd’s heart through a dance performance with several kids, entertaining but still relevant to what she’s passionate about: education.

Contestants two, three, and four included runway models in their performances, a disadvantage as the ‘wow’ factor was lost after the first walk. Contestant three, Mahlon West, was able to garner some hype with a multifaceted showcase of his designs. West was seen crafting something at the back of the stage while models sported his brand all while smoke filled the auditorium. At the climax, he let his hair loose, ripped off his suit, and turned around to reveal the name of his platform on the back of his shirt. 

Unlike the previous act, contestant four, Kobe Kegler, was the focal point of his runway performance. 

Contestant six, Armani Washington, reinvigorated the crowd with her spoken word piece on the realities of being a black woman. 

Contestant seven, Rejon Jones, stole the show with a praise dance to Kurt Carr’s “For Every Mountain.” Jones opened with a solo before a duet of praise dancers and a choir joined him on stage. The passion shined through the junior’s performance, earning him a standing ovation and a subsequent “Rejon!” chant at the end of the three minutes.

Contestant eight, Sydney Embry, got the audience out of their seats once more when she played “Swag Surfin’” during her DJ set.

Q&A and Evening Wear:

The contest concluded with a final walk in evening wear. Hosts, Zian Lane and Roland E. Reynolds Jr., read brief biographies of each candidate as they walked the stage for the final time before potentially becoming the 47th Mister or the 85th Miss Howard University. They were asked to approach the microphone to answer a question, handpicked from a bowl carried by the current Mister and Miss. 

Question aside, each candidate took the time to circle back to their platforms, reminding the audience why they believe they’re the best candidate.

Next Steps:

“I’ve coordinated seven pageants and each time it ends I’m like ‘Okay, they got it.’ But this year it's like everyone brings something different and unique and powerful to the table so I’m just excited for March 30,” said Dipoumbi.

The Jukebox-themed pageant is only one portion of the election process. 

“For Mister and Miss Howard they have interviews with administration, how they progress in pageant process- I give a 5% coordinators score, they create a portfolio that represents what their qualifications are, and what they’ve done on campus goes into their score,” said Dipoumbi.

Student voting will take place tomorrow, March 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Buddy. Students will be emailed a link that will take them directly to the ballot.

Candidates are expected to continue making their last pitches all day today.

Watch the full pageant live stream here.