The Pageant Of The Africans

Mr & Miss Ankobia being crowned winners

The Pageant of the Africans
By Elias Taveras

 African drums and dance movements were present in last Sunday’s Mr. and Miss Ankobia Pageant of the Pan-Africa Student Organization.

More than merely finding a handsome African man and a beautiful African woman. The pageant was looking for more than just a pretty face.

Coumba Sy, a junior health and wellness major, previews miss Ankobia, and entertainment chair of PASO from Harlem, said that it was important for PASO to find two individuals that truly represent the African community.

 “We want to make sure that the students participating in the scene embody their country,” said Sy. “It is important that through their scenes in the pageant they show the beauty, history, and talents of their country without making it a lecture.”

The Pan-African Organization attempted to educate the Buffalo State community about African culture through the Mr. and Miss Ankobia pageant.

 The pageant that was set at Rockwell Hall’s state of the art performing center consisted of four stages of competition.

 There was a creativity scene where contestant had to bring an artifact or object of their country. The object was supposed to represent the culture of the country the contestant was representing. Then fallowed the beauty scene where the competitor had to embody the beauty of their countries.

 The contenders later had a talent portion. In this part of the competition contestants had to come up with a talent that illustrated the talents of the people in that country.

 Finally, the participants had to go through a question and answering segment. In this segment contestants answer questions about the social and economic problems of the African countries.

Before, the four stages of competitions all participants participated in a unity dance.

The pageant had eight participators half females and half males. The winners of the pageant received an African artifact and the opportunity to host a liberty banquet in the upcoming spring semester.

 The winners of the pageant were Beatrice Aidoo a sophomore business major from Brooklyn who represented Ghana and Bangali Doumbia who represented Ivory Coast. Aidoo and Doumbia both had highly applauded creativity scene.

 “I decided to do Ankobia because I am a competitive person, and I enjoy knowing more about my African roots and how to tie it in a pageant,” said Aidoo.

Many of the audience members had favorites from the beginning. They expected Fatima Toure to have become the winner. Fatoumata Binta Barry, a junior communications major from New York, said that she believed that Fatima should have been the winner.

“I think Fatima Toure was the best because she looked gorges while on stage,” said Barry. “I think that the judges did not make the accurate choice in picking the winner”

Spectators of the pageant said that it was very well organized and enjoyable. Zseniiyah Dior, a junior speech pathology major from Queens, said that the pageant was different than the others

“With this pageant I feel like everything was organized as far as time goes,” said Dior. “Every contestant seemed well rehearsed and the show went smoothly.”

After Mr. and Miss Ankobia were crown the crowed was told that there was going to be a banquet provided in Butler 212.