A few Marshall University ladies will showcase their talents and compete for a scholarship on Saturday.

The women will compete in the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant sponsored by the Nu Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for a scholarship and respect in the community. The pageant will be in the room BE5 of the Memorial Student Center at 7p.m. Saturday and will cost $5.

The theme of the pageant will be “Arrival of the Queens of the Nile.”

Practice and preparation for the pageant began early in the year and became more frequent as the date of the pageant approached.

When the meetings first started they were usually once a week. Now, the women meet several times a week to rehearse and prepare their final touches.

On March 15, the women held a date auction to raise money for necessities for the pageant.

The competitors are led by former pageant winner and graduate student Khalud Khudur. Over the course of the semester Khudur has coached and mentored the competitors.

Khudur said the most difficult part of preparing for the pageant was recruitment. Several girls were interested in competing but lacked the time and devotion to make the cut.

The competition was narrowed down to five girls who will compete for the scholarship on Saturday.

Even through the adversity, Khudur said she is still happy with the experience.

“I’m proud to see my girls blossom,” Khudur said.

She said the ladies have come to work together and have honed into their talents.

Most of all, Khudur said she is excited to see the final product at the pageant.

Freshman Prisuave Walker said she is glad that events showcasing African American women are taking place on campus. Even though organizations like BUS on campus, she said it has been hard to find an event celebrating African American women specifically.

“I think it’s uplifting for black women,” Walker said.

Sage Shavers can be contacted at [email protected].