Sigma Gamma Rho hosts second annual Mr. Blue and Gold pageant

Quiche Matchen

Students, friends and family were lined up waiting to see six male contestants battle for the Mr. Blue and Gold crown in Downing University Center Auditorium Thursday night. 

Mr. Blue and Gold is a male pageant hosted by Sigma Gamma Rho Inc. This is the second year for the pageant.

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Clarksville, Tenn. junior Symkia Carter, vice president of Sigma Gamma Rho Inc., thanked everyone for coming out and talked about why they hosted a male pageant.

โ€œMost pageants are for women,โ€ she said. โ€œWe wanted to show that men too have grace.โ€

She said the pageant is in memory of her sorority sister, who died in a car crash a few days ago.

โ€œShe pushed the hat to get this started a year ago,โ€ she said. โ€œNow weโ€™re going to start doing this every year in her memory.โ€

Carter introduced the six contestants: Vincent Taylor, Miles Morton, Ernest Simmons, Sean Watson, DeGerald Watson-Morton and Trae McFarland.

The contestants then came out and recited Bible verses while telling a little bit themselves. Contestants had four scenes throughout the night.

The first scene was a beach scene where contestants walked the runway with their beach attire, while dancing with the girls on stage.

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The talent scene included talents ranging from playing the electric guitar, DJ mixing, interpretative dance, spoken word and singing.

Taylor won the talent competition, singing a gospel medley that got the audience singing along with him.

For the formal scene, the contestants came out dressed in suits with their escorts, whether it was their girlfriend, mother or other relative.

Last yearโ€™s winner, Darien Green, took his last walk as Mr. Blue and Gold.

โ€œItโ€™s been my honor and my privilege to be a part of this pageant,โ€ he said. โ€œI hope whoever wins carries the title with dignity and pride.โ€

Miles Morton won this yearโ€™s Mr. Blue and Gold pageant.

โ€œThanks everyone for showing up and showing out,โ€ he said. โ€œIf youโ€™re not involved, get involved!โ€

Denver, Colo. junior Elicia Tillis said she expected Morton to win.

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โ€œAfter that speech, I knew heโ€™d win; it was empowering,โ€ she said. โ€œIt was very nice and itโ€™s great theyโ€™re doing pageants for guys.โ€

Paducah freshman Ariel Robinson said the pageant was really good and Carter put a lot of work into it.

Robinson said she wasnโ€™t expecting Morton to win, but โ€œit was anybodyโ€™s game, honestly.โ€

Other awards that were given included Mr. Congeniality to Sean Watson, the scholarship award, for highest GPA which went to second runner up DeGerald Watson-Morton and an award for perseverance and first runner up, which went to Ernest Simmons.