A “Miraculas” Evening at Miss Phi Beta Sigma

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Contributed Photo

Miraculas Clemons poses after winning the title of Miss Phi Beta Sigma

Keely Brewer

…competitive event with the Phi Beta Sigmas wanting to elaborate upon what it means to be a woman in today’s time through the empowering event

— Cody Welborn

On Saturday, January 27, members of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the Mississippi University for Women, and the city of Columbus gathered in Rent Auditorium for the Miss Phi Beta Sigma Scholarship Pageant.

The main event of the evening was a pageant comprising women on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women. Miraculas Clemons, an RA in Goen Hall, was one of the contestants in the pageant.

“The pageant has been hosted on the campus of MUW for quite some time. The purpose is to provide financial assistance, as far as the scholarship, and promote service,” said Clemons.

Several students provided entertainment throughout the evening including Victoria Gong, a junior at MSMS.

“I just played some classical music as entertainment, sort of as an intermission in between the competition events,” said Gong. “The piece I played was ‘Reflections in the Water’ by Debussy.”

“The competitors really knew what they were doing, and I was impressed,” said Gong. 

Cody Welborn, a senior at MSMS who also provided a musical performance, noted Gong’s performance as a highlight of the event.

“It was a very well put together, competitive event with the Phi Beta Sigmas wanting to elaborate upon what it means to be a woman in today’s time through the empowering event,” said Welborn.

“Christian asked me to fill in because the arranged performers were not able to show up,” said Welborn. “I played ‘Pony,’ per request, after the swimsuit section of the competition.”

Aaron Montgomery, a junior at MSMS, praised Welborn’s performance.

“The event was amazing,” said Montgomery. “Most memorable part was when Cody played guitar on stage and the crowd was shocked an amazed at the song he sang. He wowed them.”

Clemons shared the personal impact that this pageant has had on her.

“After seeing flyers and hearing about it, I was involved with the pageant in 2016. I was encouraged to step outside of my comfort zone. This year, I wanted more. I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone more. However, I wanted some things to come into place for me as a woman, and I felt that this experience would allow it to happen and it did,” said Clemons.

I enjoyed every bit of it, whether it meant working with the contestants to learn things when preparing for it, or just being able to show confidence,” she shared.

Clemons’ involvement in the pageant will continue next year because of her success at this year’s event.

“Because I have the title of Miss Phi Beta Sigma, I will be involved in the pageant again when I crown the next Miss Phi Beta Sigma for the next year.”