CONTACT: Julie Navejar
kajam03@tamuk.edu or 361-593-2590

Contestants Vie For Honor of Miss TAMUK 2002

KINGSVILLE (February 20, 2002) — The Office of Student Activities at Texas A&M University-Kingsville welcomes the public to "Erevu Mwali," this year's theme for the Miss Texas A&M University-Kingsville Scholarship Pageant. This year's pageant has 10 contestants and is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, in Jones Auditorium. "Erevu Mwali" means intelligent young woman in Swahilli.

Candidates are judged in an evening gown and a swim suit during the pageant. Each contestant also participates in a personal interview prior to the event. The pageant winner receives a $1,000 scholarship. Other scholarship prizes include first runner-up – $700; second runner-up – $500; third runner-up – $250; and fourth runner-up – $100.

Candidates include Rebekah A. Snyder, a junior biology major from Falcon Heights; Sofia Lewis, a sophomore animal science major from San Antonio; Beatrice Lopez, a junior biology major form Rio Grande City; and Monica De La Garza, a freshman human development and family studies major from Kingsville.
Other candidates are Bigh Nhat "BN" Le, a sophomore biology major from Kingsville; Jennifer Lynn Sweatman, a junior biology major from Merkel; and Kennie Alaniz, a senior political science major from San Isidro.

The remaining candidates are Rebecca Lynn Peterson, a junior communications major from Kingsville; Christen Willms, a junior civil engineering major from Los Fresnos; and Clarissa Nori Garcia, a sophomore music major from Alice.

Special entertainment at the pageant will be provided by Kuumba House Dance Theatre. They will perform African songs and dances throughout the evening. This company of dancers, singers and drummers brings the reverberating syncopations of South Africa with their highly charged energetic performances of traditional and contemporary, ceremonial, social and folk dances.

The singers bring the exciting vocal harmonies of not only South Africa, but other countries south of the Sahara, like songs sung in the click sounds of Zulu, Xhosa and Sesotho. Their songs carry messages of hope, freedom, love and praise.

For more information call the Office of Student Activities at 361-593-2760.

-TAMUK-