 "Photo: Courtesy Men of Integrity")
Flashing cameras illuminated the tears of Kiomi Williams as she took home the title of Miss Voluptuous 2009.
Williams, along with nine other competitors, dazzled a crowd of 350 screaming supporters, family and friends at the Pegasus Ballroom in the second annual Miss Voluptuous Scholarship Pageant on Friday.
Sponsored by Men of Integrity (MOI), the Miss Voluptuous Scholarship Pageant celebrated plus-sized women at UCF. The pageant gave the contestants room to express their creative side and put their personalities on display while competing for a $500 scholarship.
It was Williams’ bright personality and enthusiasm that won the judges over, said Brittany Jackson, a social worker and judge for the pageant.
“Everyone was judged fairly, but Kiomi was most consistent with her enthusiasm while performing on stage,” Jackson said.
Williams strutted across the stage, smiled and spoke with overwhelming confidence.
Williams’ crowning moment was during the evening wear portion of the competition as the crowd oohed and ahhed when she stepped out on the stage in a gold evening gown.
This year’s theme was Sex in the City: The Quest to be Big, Bold and Beautiful.
When asked about this year’s theme during the question and answer portion Williams said, “A voluptuous woman is no longer afraid to show off what they have.”
MOI is a campus organization geared toward developing male leaders who make a positive impact.
Marcus Sanderlin, an elementary education major and the organization’s president, said the men of MOI wanted to do the pageant because it had never been done before.
“It was something the school needed,” Sanderlin said.
Lawrence Gardenhire, a biology major, said the pageant encouraged conversations on plus-sized issues, like low self-esteem and childhood bullying, experiences that many plus-size young adults share.
Yvelaine Alexandre, a radio/television major, had one such story.
She said she had been bullied in elementary school because of her weight. However, instead of trying to fit into society’s mold, Alexandre found a way to overcome that obstacle: her personality.
“When I meet people I’m like, ‘Hey, how you doing and here I am,” Alexandre said.
Contestants were scored in five portions: introduction, casual wear, business wear, talent and evening wear along with a question and answer period.
Though the question and answer portion brought up issues that the women shared, the casual and business wear and talent portions allowed the contestants to show off their own personalities in fun and creative ways.
During the casual wear portion Kendra Marshall, a business management major, danced the merengue to show off her short, red empire-waisted dress. Christan Bennett, a health sciences major, danced and pretended to cure an ailing MOI member during the business portion, in which contestants had to dress up in clothes inspired by their future professions.
Many contestants felt that the pageant helped define them as a woman and to get over traits that were holding them back.
Chelsea Times-Marshall, a biotechnology major, said the pageant helped improve her self-esteem and self-awareness.
“This pageant has taught me that I don’t have to fit into society’s stigma to be successful and beautiful,” Times-Marshall said.
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