Students donning White gowns and tuxedoes paraded across the Student Union’s Cotillion Ballroom stage during the annual Imani Pageant Thusday night. The new Mr. Imani is Montorios Howard, a general studies sophomore, and Myranda Adams, a history and liberal arts sophomore, is the new Ms. Imani. They were each awarded a $300 scholarship for claiming the crown and the scepter.”It feels special because it’s something I worked for,” Howard said. The University Black History Month Committee sponsored the pageant.The first runner-ups and recipients of a $150 scholarship were Marcus Sylvas, a finance senior, and Gabrielle Jenkins, a mass communications and business major.”The Imani Pageant is a scholarship pageant held at LSU, and it focuses on recognizing African-Americans at LSU,” said Bethany Blackson, a team leader for the Imani Pageant and an English and sociology junior.Ray James, a team leader for the Imani Pageant and a political science senior, said this pageant is the only one on campus with both male and female participants.The pageant celebrated the theme “Lessons Learned — Generations of Achievement.” “It basically focuses on different generations of African-Americans and how they’ve been affected by different African-Americans throughout history,” Blackson said.”It sounded like a good opportunity to meet new people, and also, it was my way of supporting Black History Month,” Jenkins said.According to Jenkins, the students have been rehearsing together for two or three months.”We had to dedicate time three days a week to do choreography for two to three hours a night,” Sylvas said of his group’s preparation for the dancing skits.The twelve contestants were judged on four themes — an opening theme, a casual theme, a business theme and a formal theme. Each was accompanied by a skit.”I like the skits,” said Hillary Cuiellette, kinesiology sophomore. “It’s easier to show their personalities.”During the formal theme, contestants answered questions ranging from the meaning of Imani — one of the seven principles of Kwanza meaning faith — to health care reforms. Judges also considered individual interviews conducted ahead of time.—-Contact Joanna Zimmerman at [email protected]