As the student body entered the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center, they were greeted with gold shimmering curtains, an all black stage, a host of photographers and videographers waiting to capture the magnificence that was about to occur: Solange Sayers being crowned Miss GSU.
The Mistress and Master of the Ceremony were Tanisha Cousby and Latari Flemming, who welcomed the student body, family and friends, faculty and staff, and others to the night’s festivities.
Former Miss GSU, Ahvery Thomas, gave recognition to the past queens of the university, which was followed by the parade of Carnival Queens. An explosion of Caribbean music covered the Assembly Center as dancers dressed in elaborate costumes of Carnival attire performed in the aisles and across the stage wowing the audience with their tummy rolls, twisting hips and tantalizing dance moves. “I was really shocked to see the dancers seeing as how I have never witnessed something like that before,” said Brittany Curtis.
“Overall it was a great performance and kept me entertained.”
The parade also displayed the different organization/club queens and their escorts.
To enhance the carnival-like experience, the ladies dressed in colorful, bright gowns complementing the island- flavored theme.Yellow was a popular color among many.
As the crowd simmered down from the energetic performance of the Caribbean dancers, the presentation of the royal court began.
The class queens and their escorts were: Miss Freshman Morgan Neal and Jeremy Smith; Miss Sophomore Casey Linn Wells and Jonathan Allen; Miss Junior Jamesia Leonard and Channing Gaulden, and Miss Senior Cemia Khalek and Jamarious Andrews.
After all the excitement and energy, the moment everyone was waiting on arrived, the presentation of Miss GSU.
Sayers was brought out in a carriage, looking like an absolute queen of style, dignity and grace. She rode in the eloquent carriage onto the stage to take her rightful place.
“The presentation of the queen was original and lively and uncommon for a formal coronation, but I loved it,” said Lara Lettsome.
“She is really a beautiful person inside and out and her radiance shined through.”
Sayers is a native of the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies.
She was reared by Richard and Sylvie Sayers. Matriculating in the field of nursing, she is a senior with a presidential grade point average of 3.7.
Even before being crowned Miss GSU, she was actively involved on campus. She participated in the Student Government Association, Student Nurses Association, National Society of Leadership and Success, International Model Society, Earl Lester Cole Honors College, and Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, just to name a few.
She is also a part of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. where she once held the title of Miss ZPhiB.
Her commitment and dedication to campus is personified through her involvement in various organizations and above all else, her leadership skills.
She gained through being in these various organizations should prove to be beneficial as her reign of Miss GSU carries on.
As the night came to an end, unlike past queens, Sayers delivered a live speech, instead of a recorded message.
“The fact that she said her speech instead of having it recorded made it more personal in my opinion and came across more heartfelt,” said Darnae Taylor.
“Her presence just glow when she walks into a room … Solange is the perfect example of a lady,” said Juliuna Mitchell.
Capping the night off, President Dr. Frank G. Pogue and his wife, along with the Favrot Student Union Board members, toasted to Sayers.
Afterward, she took her walk as the newly crowned queen of Grambling State University. She is trailblazing a road of change and setting the bar high for future queens and Gramblinites.