The next Mr. and Ms. ASA carry on a 10 year tradition
6th contestant Zainab Bah, a junior at the university. Bah is from Bowie, Md., but her family’s origins are in Sierra Leone and Guinea (Mauriah Allen/ The Black Explosion).
The halls of the Stamp Student Union came alive with vibrant colors as it transformed into a scene straight out of West Africa on Dec. 3.
The African Student Association Executive Board welcomed students and community members into the Grand Ballroom for their annual Fall Ball event. Dressed in a distinctive blue and teal pattern, each board member wore a traditional outfit uniquely tailored to them.
Their guests were also encouraged to wear traditional African attire to celebrate the pageant and culture show. The standout stars were the pageant contestants who made grand entrances one by one, clothed in cultural ensembles complete with headpieces, beaded jewelry, veils and bejeweled feathered fans.
While ASA holds club elections every spring, Fall Ball decides the last two positions: the titles of Mr. and Ms. ASA. The role involves serving as an ASA representative, liaising with other organizations and overseeing the community service committee.
During the introduction round, contestants delivered platforms to address community issues such as food insecurity, sexual assault awareness and health literacy. If elected, Mr. and Ms. ASA would work during their term to conduct service projects to address the issues they outlined.
One Ms. ASA contestant, Zainab Bah, had her entourage wheel her in on a cart decorated as a throne. Bah took to the stage and told her story of being shot six times. Her experience inspired her platform for gun violence prevention.
In total, there were six contestants. Bah, as previously mentioned, Cullen Kweti, Mojorooluwa Dehinbo, Sharon Idowu, Simona Dike, and Victor Chongwa. All contestants were of African descent, representing the countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
In the culture round, contestants had to represent more than their home country. Contestants used fashion, acting, and other creative ways to teach the audience about a culture they did not belong to. The cultural aspect of the competition drew in students like Queensley Oligie.
“We have an event where we can go out and show our tradition and our culture and learn about other people’s culture, from their different countries. So that’s why I decided to come,” said Oligie, a sophomore letters and science major.
Following the culture round were the talent and the “question and answer” portions of the pageant.
“It takes a lot of hard work and preparation,” said Naomi Wilson, winner of the 46th Miss Unity Pageant, hosted last month by the Nyumburu Cultural Center.
“Raising money, working on your platform, asking your friends and family for help—that’s definitely a big deal,” Wilson said.
Favour Maduka and Stephanie Ngonyobe traveled from Towson, Maryland to support their cousin.
“It’s nerve-racking because you don’t know how it’s going to end. You just want to be there for moral support,” said Maduka.
Some attendees had no horses in the race but came for entertainment. The show featured performances from Afrochique and Diazporic, the university’s two African dance troupes.
Hameenat Adekoya, a university alumna, came to see old friends and watch performances. The event also offered her a second chance to experience ASA, which she missed out on as a student.
“I feel like it gives me a chance to relive that [and] be a part of it because I didn’t get to be a part of it when I was here,” said Adekoya.
As the night closed, there could only be two winners. After deliberation, judges crowned Victor Chongwa and Zainab Bah as the 2023-2024 Mr. and Ms. ASA.
Their win marked ten years of the Fall Ball tradition, celebrating African culture at the University of Maryland.