Daniel chosen as new Miss Black Penn State

The night hinged on one simple question -- who? Who would acquire the throne of Miss Black Penn State and epitomize the theme of the event -- "Women of Virtue"?

After hours of anticipation and tension Saturday night at the Miss Black Penn State Pageant in Schwab Auditorium, the judges named Lurie Daniel the Woman of Virtue.

"I feel blessed," said Daniel (junior-African and African-American studies and Spanish). "I had the opportunity to minister for God in front of hundreds of people. It just doesn't get any better than that."

Bola Ajayi approved the results.

In expressing her reaction to the results of the pageant, Jorise Roberts (senior-nutrition) spoke to Daniel's spirituality.

"When you put God first, all things will be added unto you. I liked the theme 'Women of Virtue'," she said. "When you know who you are, you can be an example to others."

But it wasn't an easy night, for either the participants or the spectators -- the tension was in the air. Who would be chosen to represent the African-American community at the University?

Dressed to impress, the near-capacity crowd exchanged friendly greetings and voiced heavy anticipation as they entered the auditorium. The lights dimmed, the curtains opened and the crowd was silenced.

Who?

The nine contestants presented themselves to flashing cameras and echoing cheers. Their confidence was apparent as they each strutted to the microphone for a formal introduction.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen and judges. I am -- Sonya Garlington; Mikkia Newsome; LaDonna Spence; Angelique Deas; Shawna Riley; Andrea Jackson; Treassa Thomas; Lurie Daniel; Nicole Dunn," they said.

As this was a celebration of the virtuous black woman, Master of Ceremonies Jibri Bond took the crowd back to the foundations of African culture.

"Let's take a trip, back to Africa," said Bond (senior-marketing), basileus of Omega Psi Phi fraternity Inc. NOMMO Performing Arts Company greeted the audience with brilliantly colored costumes and vintage African drum arrangements as they performed the dances of their ancestors.

Following NOMMO's performance, the pageant contestants modeled traditional and contemporary African garb. The strong sense of spirituality at the root of African-American culture was an integral part of the program.

It was time for the talent portion of the program. Each contestant displayed her talent of virtue. Poetry, theatrics, dance, martial arts and song all possessed Schwab's stage and solicited the opinion of the seven judges.

And then it had finally come -- the part of the program that would decide the fate of each contestant -- impromptu questions. Many of the questions revolved around issues facing the contemporary black community.

The vote was in. The audience hung on Bond's every word. He approached the podium and informed the audience a winner had been selected. There was a tie. The tiebreaker involved two more impromptu questions.

A second vote was taken. The contestants held hands in support of one another as the results were read. Angelique Deas was second runner-up and Sonya Garlington was first runner-up.

In an effort to maximize tension, the master of ceremonies withheld the name of the winner. Whispers surged through the crowd as tension peaked. Finally, Bond inquired, "Are you ready?"

They were.