After competing over a timespan of about three hours, Cyrah Moore won the crown of the Miss Captivating Pageant on Wednesday night, Sept. 27. She competed in five categories against Shayla Hammond, Tamara Cheeks, Tia Wooding, Zy’Aira Keene and Gabby Mcnab. As the winner of the Miss Captivating Pageant, Moore, a Marshall senior and member of Black United Students, received a $500 check from Black United Students and will be crowned alongside Marshall Royalty at the Marshall vs. ODU game on Saturday, Sept. 30.

She described winning the pageant as an honor and said that competing this year has brought her out of her shell.

“I did not even think that I could get up on stage and do the things that I did today,” Moore said, “but it definitely made me a much more confident person.” 

Shaunte Polk, the Black United Students faculty advisor, called the Miss Captivating Pageant the brainchild of the former Black United Students president, Tanika Williams. The pageant is a revamp of what used to be Miss Black Pearl, which passed down its main theme of “promoting scholarship beyond beauty,” Polk said. 

“Sometimes, we as women don’t feel confident getting up in those outfits or even in front of an audience,” she said.

Moore, however, praised her competitors for their beauty.

“Everybody looked so beautiful,” she said. “It’s definitely a big platform to have and to hold. So, I’ll definitely keep it at its pedestal and make sure that I obtain the worth of this crown.”