Miss Ļć½¶Ö±²„to be chosen during Friday evening program at Lee Hall
Contact: Brad Hill
STARKVILLE, Miss.āFifteen women are seeking the title of Miss Ļć½¶Ö±²„ 2018.
Taking place Friday [Sept 29], the annual pageant gets underway at 7 p.m. in Lee Hallās historic Bettersworth Auditorium.
General admission is $15; $10 for enrolled Ļć½¶Ö±²„students with identification. Tickets may be purchased online at or from the Center for Student Activities in Colvard Student Union, Suite 314.
The winner will represent the university next summer in the Miss Mississippi Pageant in Vicksburg. The winner there advances to the Miss America Pageant.
In addition to Mississippi, this yearās contestants include residents from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Illinois. Listed by hometown, they are:
BLUE SPRINGSāFreshman Rachel Shumaker, a communication/public relations major and the daughter of Donna and Don Shumaker. She will perform on the piano to āPiano Fantasy.ā Her platform is Ahead of the Curve - Scoliosis.
BOYNTON BEACH, FloridaāJunior Rontier Whitfield, a fashion merchandising major and the daughter of Crystal Pugh and Anthony Whitfield. She will perform a piano and vocal rendition of āFeeling Good.ā Her platform is Tackling Insecurities and Regaining Esteem (T.I.R.E.).
BUFORD, GeorgiaāSenior Christana Landress, a broadcast meteorology major and the daughter of Cecelia Kay Landress. She will be performing a baton routine to āDefying Gravity.ā Her platform is Eyes on the Sky.
DECATUR, AlabamaāJunior Victoria Matthews, a biochemistry major and the daughter of Steven Matthews and Philisha and Jonathan Stephens. She will perform a vocal rendition of āA Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.ā Her platform is Volunteer with Passion.
GREENVILLEāSenior Jona Barron, a finance, risk management and insurance major and the daughter of Janice Stanford. She will present a dance performance of āWho Am I.ā Her platform is Math for Mississippi.
LEROY, AlabamaāSenior Hannah Lynn Daugherty, a communication major and the daughter of Tony and Gina Daugherty. She will present a vocal performance of āIām a Woman.ā Her platform is Give a Heart: Become an Organ Donor. Ā
LUCEDALEāSenior Callie Brown, a biological sciences major and the daughter of Steven and Dorene Brown. She will perform ballet en pointe to āFuego.ā Her platform is Americaās Tooth Fairy.
OLIVE BRANCHāJunior Sydney Slocum, a kinesiology major and the daughter of Les and Trina Slocum. She will perform a tap dance to āBlue Suede Shoes.ā Her platform is Showing the World that Impossible is Really āIām Possible.ā
NEW AUGUSTAāSenior Chelsea Bolton, a kinesiology major and the daughter of Doris Moody and Edward Bolton. She will present a vocal performance of āColors of the Wind.ā Her platform is Confidence Builds Dreams.
SHANNONāSenior Alivia Paden Roberts, a communication/broadcasting major and the daughter of Kenneth and Teresa Fields Roberts. She will perform ballet en pointe to āStorm.ā Her platform is Healthy Teens for a Better Mississippi: Teenage Pregnancy Prevention.
STUTTGART, ArkansasāSophomore Hannah Oliver, is a fashion merchandising major and the daughter of Erin and Lane Oliver. She will perform a tap dance to āOne More Time.ā Her platform is Multiple Sclerosis: Taking Steps Toward a Cure.
TAYLORSVILLEāSenior Kaci Bryant, a food science, nutrition and health promotion major and the daughter of Kim and Karen Bryant. She will perform āNostradamusā on the piano. Her platform is H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating for a Longer Life).
VICKSBURGāSophomore Emily Tingle, a political science/communication major and the daughter of Jeb and Shelley Tingle. She will perform an instrumental piece āSwan Lake.ā Her platform is 37 Books.
WEST POINTāFreshman Mikayla Poindexter, a special education major and the daughter of Alex Poindexter and Crystal and Rusty Sullivan. She will perform a dance to āHeart Cry.ā Her platform is Integrating Dance and Athletics into the Lives of Special Needs Kids.
WINTHROP HARBOR, IllinoisāJunior Samantha Neargarder, a communication major and the daughter of Tim and Melissa Neargarder. She will perform a baton routine to āAll That Jazz.ā Her platform is St. Jude Childrenās Research Hospital.
For additional information, call the Center for Student Activities at 662-325-2930.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .
(Photos by Russ Houston)