Winton Anderson, business administration freshman, and Dara Davenport, biological sciences freshman, were crowned the 2006 Mr. and Miss Imani on Monday night.
The Black History Month Committee ended its unprecedented two-month run of programming with the fifth annual Mr. and Miss Imani Scholarship Pageant in the Union Royal Cotillion Ballroom.
“Imani” is Swahili for “faith.”
Tanya Chapman, African American Cultural Center coordinator, said the duties of the reigning Mr. and Miss Imani will be to attend BHM events for 2007 and lead the black community by exhibiting their faith.
Anderson and Davenport received flowers, gifts and a $300 scholarship funded by the University Black Faculty and Staff Caucus and the AACC.
Baxter Sanders, co-coordinator of the Imani Pageant, said competitors were judged on GPA and campus involvement by a panel of six judges who were picked based on their past involvement with the University and the Imani Pageant.
The twelve competitors, six men and six women, danced around onstage to illustrate the theme “Beats, Rhythms, and Soul: The Music of Our People.”
Contestants were introduced in the theme of the deep, old South with the ladies fanning themselves in their big hats and finishing in their formal wear.
They also demonstrated short, choreographed dances in ’80s themed going-out wear, with the women wearing off-the-shoulder shirts, and showed off their business chic as the Master and Mistress of ceremonies, Donavan Hobdy and Darian Breaux, announced their inspirations and post-graduation plans.
Breaux told the audience of more than 100 that Anderson is a delegate for the Black Student Union, a member of the Genesis Mentoring Program, a member of the Union Programming Council Black Culture Committee and a member of the LSU Gospel Choir.
Hobdy told the audience that Davenport is active in the Genesis Mentoring Program, Student Christian Medical Association and was the administrative assistant for the 2006 Martin Luther King Celebration. She also serves as chair of the 2006 Asian American Cultural Celebration.
The winners of the competition both said they would use this opportunity to bring unity to the campus.
Davenport said she was surprised to win the pageant.
“I definitely want to lead by example,” Davenport said. “I’m going to use my faith to continue to unite us as a campus.”
Anderson said he felt privileged because two freshmen won the competition.
“Hard work pays off in the end,” Anderson said. “But now that I’m Mr. Imani, I can better unite blacks on campus.”
 
Contact Rebekah Allen at [email protected]