The contestants of the Miss Black EIU Scholarship Pageant are in their final days of rehearsing after practicing four to five days a week since November.

The pageant has seven contestants participating in such categories such as creative expression, African garment, talent and evening gown with an impromptu question.

This will be the pageant’s 40th year. It will be at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

To participate, each contestant must have a 2.5 GPA and raise $500 in ticket sales.

Many of the contestants have looked forward to participating in the pageant for years.

“I always wanted to do it,” said Destiny Lee, a junior health administration major. “It’s a part of Eastern. It’s not your average pageant, it’s a heritage pageant where you can show your intelligence and beauty.”

The Black Student Union sponsors the pageant and many of the participants including Timery Jackson, a junior elementary education major, heard about the event at a BSU meeting.

“This is something I always wanted to do,” Jackson said. “I felt I was ready this year. I would encourage all young women to be confident and elegant.”

Each of the contestants will perform a unique talent during the competition. The talents include skits, singing, dancing, acting and poetry.

Kimberly Vincent, a sophomore political science major, said she feels her talent, a monologue, is her strongest category.

“(The monologue) really came from my heart,” Vincent said. “My approach to the whole situation will be a surprise, the ending is completely out of nowhere.”

Lee said she feels her African garment speech is her strongest category because of the creativity it let her express.

“(The speech) really brought out my writing skill,” Lee said. “Now I love writing and I used to hate it.”

Several of the contestants said the pageant helped them learn more about themselves and express more confidence.

Lyttia Roseman, a junior accounting major, said that her goal for the pageant was to put her shyness to the side and step out of her comfort zone.

“It’s nice being involved with an on campus event. I got to meet new people and make new friends,” Roseman said.

Vincent agreed with Roseman and said the pageant has been a way for her to make friends.

“Even though they are my competition I’ve grown really close to these girls,” Vincent said. “We all have nicknames for each other.”

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].