10 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 24, 1995 Black and Gold Contest promotes talent and pride By Eugene Bowen Daily Arts Writer Competition was fierce and the go- ing wasn't always easy. So when Harriet Russell - a proud, determined, inde- pendent African-American woman - says she is Miss Black & Gold 1995, don't think the title was given to her. She earned it. Russell's grandmother best voiced how she felt screaming "I don't believe this!" as her granddaughter's-name was announced. After all, Russell did enter this compe- tition on a dare from fellow competitor, Alisha Jefferson. "If it were not for my mother, my sister, my grandmother and those but- terflies, I would not be so amazed," she said. Now, Russell will represent the Ep- silon Chapter of the historically Black Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in state competition - along with the winners of the other Miss Black & Gold Pageants sponsored by over 700 chapters of the fraternity nationwide. Considering the talent displayed by the eight other competitors, if Russell has what it takes to defeat them, her chances of winning state are better than good. The night began with the competitors one by one strutting their stuff on stage flaunting their individual styles. First up was senior Lael Wright whose fire-engine red jacket embedded with golden beads exemplified her obviously outgoing personality. Freshman Chas- -, - -MMMMM09 Miss Black and Gold Contest Friday, October 20, 1995 Michigan Union Ballroom tity Dotson traveled a fine line between radiance and earthen beauty with her black, flower-embroidered silken skirt and tan blouse. Senior Alisha Jefferson's radiant smile, and the silken, scarf-adorned outfit which accentuated her full- figured physique, would be a per- fect complement to any Sunday pic- nic excursion, and freshman Chanda Morris' booming voice and confi- dence - not to mention her high- powered, all black pants outfit - presented an aura of strength and charisma that glowed. Freshman Mikerra Bostic entered the stage with one of the most unforget- table looks of friendliness and childlike innocence I've ever seen; this strongly contrasted with junior Adero Fleming, a self-proclaimed "child of God and your future leader" whose black, short- skirt outfit offered a heaping dose of sexy radiance. Senior Petra Petway carried herself businesslike in a black-and-white skirt suit. Russell's walking style - part march / part strut - exemplified both feminine strength and persistence, and freshman Christina McPhail's '80s- style brown outfit hugged her in all the right places. These were the women vying to wear the crown that Miss Black & Gold 1994, Patrice Petway, has worn for the past year. While the parade of contestants placed the women on equal footing, it was the talent competition which helped to distinguish many of these women. Bostic's performance of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise," though nice, was short compared to the more lengthy performances of her fellow contestants. Jefferson's recitation of Angelou's "I Grandmother" was also very decent, showing only one no- ticeable flaw. The night was not so good to singers, though. Although Russell did a fairly good job of per- forming Whitney Houston's "Miracle," the cracks were a few too numerous to be forgotten. And, Morris' sign language didn't comple- ment her vocal performance of "Let Us Worship Him." It made up for it. There was no hiding the fact that Petway's violin solo didn't go very well, and her facial expression showed she knew this, too. Both Wright's and Dotson's dramatic interpretations were outstanding. The most innovative performances belonged to Fleming and McPhail. Fleming'sthe- ater expertise did her well in her excel- lent dramatic interpretation of B. Spencer's "A Black Woman Speaks" where she plays the part of a white woman reading the diary of a Black female slave, and McPhail's Bach rep- ertoire on the baby grand was virtually flawless and worthy of the standing ovation it received from some. Coming not a moment too soon was the bathing suit contest, offering con- testants a chance to make up some much needed points. Although this part of the competition was the lowest-scored, the contestants sported their mandatory one- pieces in an attempt to garner as many points as possible. Dotson embodied ecstasy in her royal purple swimsuit, and Morris looked quite, uh, perky in her deep blue ensemble. Fleming an- swered the call of the wild (and men's dreams) in her leopard-skin bathing suit, whereas Russell sported a virgin purity in her all-white suit. The closing event included an evening-gown / oral expression pre- sentation. The contestants offered a variety of opinions about topics in- cluding the O.J. Simpson verdict, Colin Powell as the nation's first Af- rican-American president and the feel- ing of racial separation on the Univer- sity campus. As chapter president Sean Franklin stated in his opening remarks, "This program is more than just a pageant, it is meant to highlight the charisma, in- telligence and charm of the African- American women before you." In the end, the three-woman, four-man judg- ing panel felt that it was Russell's beauty, charm, poise and strength which best exemplified the type of African- American woman meant to wear the crown of Miss Black and Gold. Wright was first runner-up and Dotson won second runner-up. Harriet Russell also won a scholar- ship prize, as well as climbing one step closer to competing in the Na- tional Miss Black & Gold U.S.A. Pag- eant. It was first sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in 1976. Not bad for a woman who competed on a dare. RECORDS Continued from page 9 The Beat Farmers Manifold Sector 2 Records Whiskey-soaked, bar-razed, and full of FM guitar licks, The Beat Farmers1 have established their own brand of neo-country rock that really isn't all that original. If John Cougar Mellencamp and John Fogarty had teamed up with Mojo Nixon, they would have sounded like this, too. The Beat Farmers are in every sense a hometown bar band. The hot licks go on and on, trekking through a barren landscape of country and blues honky- tonk we have seen many times before. But, with an occasional brew drinking anthem or jug-stomp, The Beat Farm- ers do manage to rise above a lot of contemporary country. With the occasional bellow of way- low Country Dick Montana, The Beat Farmers sometimes sound like Johnny Cash singing with Moio Nixon's band. Rich, low andnearly off-key, Montana's vocals are a highlight of Manifold. Never moving out of his low-range, Montana groans each song to its sweet demise. But unfortunately, Montana does not sing on most of the songs. Instead, his bandmates Jerry Raney and Joey Har- ris' do; their generic drawls are the main voices on manifold. Yet, where the Farmers sometimes fall short vocally, they often make up for with their lyrics. Commenting on everything from Elvis to social secu- rity, The Beat Farmers embrace humor, religion and politics, making it clear that they are not crooners, but bar-stool- warmers, capable of speaking in drunken humor on a wide variety of subjects. Though it has been done before, The Beat Farmers pull together a fairly de- cent album with the sound and wit of Manifold. -Josh Biggs Win free tickets to Sigourney's new film "Copycat." Would you like to win a pair of free tickets to an advanced screening of the new Sigourne Weaver- Holly Hunter mystery movie "Cop cat?" Then stop the daily (420Maynard Street) any time today and just tell us two other movies that have featured S' ourneyWeaver ictured left). C'mon. You've only got one day to do it. I dare you. Give in to the Mall Did ya' love last-year's wacky, convenience-store epic "Clerks?" Well, then you'll be sure to love "Clerks" director Kevin Smith's latest opus, "Mallrats." Tracing a day-in-the-life of two jilted lovers, T.S. (Jeremy London) and Brodle (skateboarder Jason Lee), the film is simple, direct and craftily amusing. Wanna win a way cool poster of the gang, a set of trading cards or other mall-memorabilia? To enter, all you need to do is call the arts office at 763-0379 on either Tuesday or Wednesday between 10a.m. and 6p.m. and prepare to get malied. m m m