Pageantry and diversity at Miss NSU CSA pageant

The Caribbean Student Association will present its third annual pageant “The Jewels of the Caribbean” on Feb. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second floor auditorium of the Mailman-Hollywood building.

Competition participants must be active members of CSA and will represent the island their family is from. According to sophomore legal studies major, Kanika Liburd, CSA secretary and one of the event’s coordinators, the pageant is an opportunity for the NSU community to appreciate and learn about the diverse cultures the university represents.

The contestant who wins Miss NSU CSA will compete against Miss CSA winners from other colleges and universities around Florida to become Miss Florida CSA and also a member of the FCSA board.

As this year’s theme, the organizers of the pageant chose “Jewels of the Caribbean” to represent the elegance of the islands. Each contestant will represent a specific jewel and their costumes for the introduction dance.

“It’s really a learning experience that’s right there in front of you,” Liburd said. “We want to make sure that people see different cultures.”

The pageant will include four categories: an introduction dance, talent show, cultural wear and Caribbean knowledge. The judges will be the former Miss FCSA, the vice president of FCSA and Josh Hammers, director of assessment and student engagement.

In order to compete in Miss NSU CSA, contestants must be undergraduate students in their freshman, sophomore or junior year, have a minimum 2.5 GPA, be in good academic standing, and complete an interview.

The pageant is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to dress formally, though an RSVP is not required. For more information, contact Liburd at 786-414-6114 or kl784@nova.edu.
Below are the 2014 Miss NSU CSA contestants:

Contestant #1 Nehemie St. Georges