PAGE 6
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CAMPUS PAGEANTRY
Homecoming queen Sierra Franklin, a junior from Wichita, and Will Nelson, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., hug each other after winning the Black Student Union homecoming pageant on Monday in the Student Union.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Ryan Evans, a sophomore from Overland Park accepts his crown and sash after winning the title of homecoming prince at the Black Student Union homecoming pageant on Monday in the Student Union. Evans won the title of homecoming prince.
Black Student Union crowns king and queen
Sierra Franklin and Will Nelson were named queen and king of the Realign and Shine Black Student Union (BSU) annual Homecoming Pageant.
The pageant was held in Woodruff Auditorium at 7:30 last night. Candidates were judged on spirit, essays read during the pageant, and their answers during the Q-and-A section.
During the essay category, both the crowned queen and king spoke on the topic of beauty.
frankin, a junior from Wichita, spoke about her insecurities as a child and how her perception of beauty has changed.
"I see beauty as the strength to overcome obstacles," she said. "My confidence is what makes me beautiful."
leison, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., spoke about the imperfection of beauty.
"When you see past flaws, you can see beauty in its truest and most divine form," he said.
Katherine Johnson, a sophomore from Shawnee and Ryan Evans, a sophomore from Overland Park, were named princess and prince.
Two students ran for prince, two for princess, two for queen and three for king. All candidates were members of BSU.
Franklin and Nelson will represent BSU during the homecoming parade on Friday.
Before the pageant began, Dorothy Pennington, associate professor in African and African-American Studies, gave a brief history of the BSU.
"In 1969, there was a black homecoming queen who was crowned to represent the black students, along with a white homecoming queen who represented the student body in general," Pennington said. "The queen contest idea was discontinued, so what we have tonight is a pageant that is a throwback to those years."
— Nikki Wentling
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Katherine Rainey, a sophomore from Shawnee, tap dances to the Kansas fight song at the Black Student Union homecoming pageant on Monday, Oct. 22 in the Student Union. Rainy won the title of Homecoming Princess.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Homecoming princess Katherine Rainey, a sophomore from Shawnee, homecoming prince Ryan Evans, a sophomore from Overland Park, homecoming queen Sierra Franklin, a junior from Wichita, and homecoming king Will Nelson, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., stand on stage after being crowned at the Black Student Union Homecoming Pageant on Monday.