Howard Crowns King, Queen

The Department of Student Activities hosted "A Night at the Oscars," the Mr. and Miss Howard University pageant, in Cramton Auditorium Friday night.

This year's theme was the vision of Lisa Reeves, Committee Advisor and Pageant Coordinator. Part of her vision included the weeklong individual college pageants entitled "A Week At The Cinema." In October, a Mr. and Miss of each college was selected and after coronation, crowned into the Royal Court of 2010-2011.

This year's Royal Court included: Mr. and Miss CEACS James Smalls II and Briana Allen, Mr. and Miss School of Education, John Saulters and Jasmine Hayward, Mr. and Miss School of Business, Johnny Travett and Janicia Moore, Mr. and Miss School of Communications, Daniel Cokes and Jaszmine Watson-Booth, Mr. and Miss COAS, Blair Matthews and Amanda Patterson and Miss CPNAHS, Ashlee Thomas.

Contestants were judged based on their acceptance speeches (introduction), talent, evening wear, question and answer and platform, but not before the reigning Mr. and Miss Freshman, Castell Abner III and Ariel Powell, introduced the academy of judges. The judges included Kevin Nickelberry, head men's basketball coach; Cynthia ‘Lil Mo' Loving, R&B Icon; Cedric Frazier, director of catering; William ‘Bo' Martin, Mr. Howard University 1991-1992 and Brenda Johnson, actress and playwright.

After the question and answer portion of the pageant, former Mr. & Miss Howard University 2010-2011, Jeffery Pugh and Adrien Pruett, took their final walk as royalty and removed each other's sashes.

After months of preparation and anticipation, it was time to crown the newest royal family who would go on to represent Howard University in the 2011-2012 school year. Mr. School of Education, John Saulters and Ms. COAS, Amanda Patterson, were runner-ups, garnering them the titles of Mr. & Miss Blue & White.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity. Serving as Miss COAS has been a great chance to be able to work on my platform here and even in the greater community as well," Patterson said.

"As Miss Blue and White, under my platform S.H.I.N.E: Students Having Integrity and Noteworthy Excellence, I really want to expand what we do here at Howard out into the community and globally as well," she said. "Now, let's all support the new Mr. & Miss Howard in the upcoming year."

Mr. School of Communications, Daniel Cokes, and Miss CPNAHS, Ashlee Thomas took the title crowns of Mr. and Miss Howard University.

"I'm very humbled. I could do nothing but cry when they called my name," Cokes said after being crowned the new Mr. Howard. "I thought about all the struggles I had to go through. Even up to the day before the pageant. Receiving that crown was a reminder to me that God is a God of second chances."

"It was absolutely surreal. It still is," Miss Howard University, Ashlee Thomas, sophomore natural science and pre-dentistry major, said. "Words can't describe how amazing the feeling is."

Cokes said that he would use his role as Mr. Howard to target high school students who feel hopeless and helpless to the idea of life beyond high school, among other things.

"My reign is incomplete without sharing my story. I want to go out there to the high school students who feel like I felt about not going to college and let them know that anything is possible," Cokes said.

Thomas' platform, "School Daze: Waking Up To Success" aims to raise awareness on the topic of the mental and physical health of college students and the black community at large.

"You know we, as college students, do get stressed about an array of different things and I just want to make sure that students are taking some time out for themselves," Thomas said. She plans to implement community and campus wide health fairs and committees to help raise the awareness.

To their Howard family, Cokes and Thomas are greatly appreciative.

"A big thank you to the Howard University family. They've always believed in me and for that, I thank you. It is a pleasure to serve as your 2011-2012 Mr. Howard," Cokes said.

"From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful to even be put in the position to serve. It is an absolute privilege to serve as your Miss Howard University 2011-2012. Thank you so much," Thomas said.