Nine vying for Miss Passion title
Stabroek News
January 27, 2004
Nine young ladies will vie for the first ever Miss Passion title on February 7, at the National Cultural Centre.
The delegates had their first opportunity to impress the judges last week Sunday when they performed in the talent segment on the lawns of Red House.
Despite it being a heavily overcast day and the show not starting until 90 minutes after the scheduled time, the contestants' pieces proved outstanding.
The judges for the talent segment were designer Michelle Cole, first runner-up in the Miss Guyana/ Renaissance Pageant Romona Baxter and accountant Gillian Phillips.
In an interview with Sunday Stabroek, pageant producers Ian Thorne and Candace Wickham said they organised a pre-judged talent segment combined with fashion displays in a bid to help raise funds for Artistes In Direct Support. Apart from displaying their talent, the delegates, along with three guest models, appeared in clothing designed by Thorne and Wickham. City Dancers group and Henry Rodney and friends also entertained.
On pageant night the delegates will appear on stage in four segments: swimsuit, corporate, evening wear and platform presentation. The delegates are:
Melissa Ann Atwell, 18, of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara and a sixth form student of School of the Nations. Her platform is racism and her talent piece was a Latin dance.
Donnette London, 18, is a student of the Government Technical Institute. She performed a dramatic monologue about teenage pregnancy and has chosen AIDS and the effects for her platform.
Jennell Samantha Lynch, 22, is an accountant by profession, but on the night of the pageant she will be presenting her thoughts on AIDS and how to help people living with it. Her talent piece was a steel pan rendition.
Queen's College sixth former, Natoya Maria Jacobs, 18, feels deeply about peer pressure and teenagers. She wooed the crowd with her Soca dance piece.
Shamaine Felisha Richmond, 18, sang Christine Aguilera's "I am Beautiful" for her talent. Her platform for the night's pageant will be gender issues.
Shemida Hodge, 17, is a student of Global Technology. Her talent piece was a dance and her platform is drug abuse.
Shari Latoya Pierre, 18, feels strongly about single parenting. Her talent piece was a dance to Yolanda Adams' "I believe".
Lydia Eve Prescott, 17, performed "Sixteen and pregnant". Her focus for the platform presentation is racism.