The candidates for Mr. & Miss A&T presented themselves to the student body Sunday in Harrison Auditorium in an attempt to reel in votes for today’s election.

The pageant included three portions: platform, talent, and formal wear. During the platform portion, the contestants introduced themselves and explained their visions for the campus.

The Miss A&T candidates include, Megan Mills, Kibibi Hawkins, Precious Bradley, Michele Delgado, and Catherine Hamlin, while the Mr. A&T candidates include Reginald Johnson, and Cameron Moore.

At the start of the program, the contestants entered the stage joyfully dancing to Chris Brown’s “Forever.” During the dance they took brief intermissions to introduce themselves individually.

“I want to have a true impact on students and serve them while in office. I am approachable, open-minded and dedicated to pushing our university and Aggies to higher standards” said Moore.

Jasmine Gurley, current Miss A&T, opened the pageant by introducing herself and giving a short speech about the institution and candidates. As a way to get the audience familiar with candidates, they were characterized by personality traits. Contestant number one for Miss A&T, Mills, was introduced as the “American Girl.” Contestant number two, Hawkins, was introduced as “The Smiler.” Contestant number three, Bradley, was introduced as “Miss Bubbly.” Contestant number four, Delgado, was introduced as “Miss Versatile.” Lastly, Contestant number five, Hamlin, was introduced as “Miss Lady.” For Mr. A&T, Contestant number one, Johnson was introduced as “The Trendsetter.” His opponent, contestant number two, Moore, was introduced as “The Golden Boy.”

During the talent portion each hopeful brought something different to the stage.

Mills performed a piece that included ballet and modern dance. Hawkins presented a call and response speech entitled “Do You Know What You Want?” Bradley did a tribute to her deceased mother and sang a gospel song. Delgado played a ballad on the piano while a slide presentation of her journey from freshman year played in the background. Hamlin performed Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman.”

Contestant number one for Mr. A&T, Johnson, also performed a ballet and modern dance to a song entitled “We Are More Than Conquerors.” Moore followed with a monologue from the movie “A Time to Kill” that encompassed law and injustice.

The formal wear portion of the pageant gave the contestants the opportunity to exhibit poise and grace. During this section the contestants were dressed in formal wear and given one question to answer about themselves. They were asked things such as “Is graduating from an HBCU a prerequisite or an accomplishment?” as well as “Is it better to be beautiful on the inside or the outside?”

“I really came out and tried to perform at the best of by ability to prove to students that I can be a great representation of them and the university. I hope they did learn something about me and recognize that I am a regular student just like them who is trying to do great things,” said Delgado.

Camille Wilkerson, a junior sports science major, thought the pageant was successful. “I think it was very organized and gave an opportunity for the candidates to express who they are to the student body, but I feel like the questions should have been more difficult.”

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• Kayla McLaughlin, Contributor