Keeping With Tradition

A 72-year-old tradition continued in Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium on Wednesday night, Oct. 4, as Tiffany Turner and Jason Lewis were crowned Ms. WSSU and Mr. Ram 2006-2007. For Turner, the continuation of this legacy is what gave the coronation ceremony special meaning.”It is an honor to be part of something that has been going on for years and years, to be officially crowned and walking in the legacy of other queens,” she said. This year’s coronation was entitled “Egyptian Royalty: Treasures of the Nile,” following a theme that Turner said she got from her father. “We wanted to pay homage to Africa and our roots. We wanted to recognize that the first kings and queens were from Africa,” she said.The program certainly had a Pharaoh’s touch, from the opening dance performed by the Association of Rhythmic Talent (ART) to the pyramids and foliage decorating the stage’s background, to Ms. WSSU’s grand entrance on the shoulders of four muscular young men dressed in Egyptian costume. Mr. Ram himself serenaded the procession with “A Whole New World” from Disney’s “Aladdin.” Presented along with the university king and queen were Little Miss Winston-Salem State University, Little Mister Ram, Miss Alumni 2006-2007, the class kings and queens, and 53 organizational kings and queens. “We do have a lot of leaders on our campus, and it was a chance to showcase the talent of WSSU,” Turner said. “It shows that a queen does not come in one form.”Coronation ceremonies have been held since 1934, and kings and queens have been reigning together on this campus since 1975, when the first Mr. Ram was elected. However, there is an element present this year that separates the current Ms. WSSU and Mr. Ram from the rest: the friendship that began long before last semester’s showcase.Turner and Lewis, both of whom are Biology majors, have been good friends for the four years that they have been at WSSU.”I definitely think it is a great experience to work with Jason because we have known each other since freshman year,” Turner said. “We came into this reign knowing what each other had to bring, so where he slacks, I can pick it up, and where I slack, he can pick it up. He has always been my king since I met him and now that that’s officially true, we already know and understand each other. “I cannot imagine working with somebody I did not know; we are so comfortable with each other,” she added.The coronation ball in the Neil Banquet Hall of the Anderson Center immediately followed the ceremony, where students, family, friends and general supporters showed up in outfits that ranged from business casual to prom-worthy formal wear. Food, song and dance set off the celebratory atmosphere as the smooth tunes of the live band, Platinum Sounds, set bodies in motion. Once the festivities came to a close around midnight, however, these two outstanding students were ready to get back to work representing and serving the university through public appearances, campus volunteer projects and community partnerships.”Having the opportunity to represent our great institution as Ms. WSSU, you have more power to do community service on our campus. It makes it easier to make a difference by implementing programs and partnerships, holding forums, and serving our student body,” Turner said.