Miss Green and Gold pageant to crown winner this weekend

Contestants practice for the second Annual Miss Green and Gold Pageant on Thursday night. Of the 26 participants, one will be crowned Miss Green and Gold and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photo Editor
Contestants practice for the second Annual Miss Green and Gold Pageant on Thursday night. Of the 26 participants, one will be crowned Miss Green and Gold and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.
Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photo Editor
By Julia Eckardt
Reporter

Contestants will be participating in the second annual Miss Green and Gold pageant at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Waco Hall.

The winner, chosen from 26 contestants, will have a chance to compete for the title of Miss Texas and, potentially, Miss America.

Houston senior and pageant founder Amira Lewally said she noticed during her freshman year that Baylor did not have its own pageant.

According to the pageant’s website, the mission of the Miss Green and Gold Pageant is “to recognize the talents of the young women of Baylor University through scholarship, leadership and philanthropy.”

Lewally said she decided to start the pageant as a way to showcase the platforms, or social causes, of young women at Baylor.

“I started it mostly to prove that everyone has a voice, and to prove that they can show it in different ways,” Lewally said.

This year, the contestants represent a wide range of platforms including teen pregnancy prevention, suicide prevention and raising awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder and treatments for the disorder.

The pageant will consist of five rounds. The first is a preliminary interview conducted in private. The show will then start with the next two rounds, an opening number and contestant introductions. The final two rounds, a talent portion and question-answer session, will conclude the show.

As per pageant custom, the judges are going to be announced on Saturday, but Lewally said they are all registered in the Miss USA and Miss America judging systems.

One winner will be crowned Miss Green and Gold with two runners-up. The prize for coming in the top three are scholarships. The first place winner will be awarded $1,500; the second place winner will win $1,000; and the third place winner will win $500.

Aside from the top three winners, three other contestants will be crowned: Miss Congeniality, Crowd Favorite and Socialite.

Contestants elect Miss Congeniality from among themselves for being the most inspirational and admirable participant, Lewally said.

Crowd favorite will be determined by attendee votes the day of the pageant. Socialite will be determined by voting via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Saturday starting at midnight and ending at 6 p.m. before the pageant.

More information about the pageant and each contestant can be found at https://missgreenandgold.weebly.com