A Night in Egypt: The crowning of the 95th Miss Alcorn and first Mister Alcorn
History on the reservation was made when the first Mister Alcorn State University, Dennis “DJ” Stevenson was crowned at this year's coronation. Sharing the heartfelt moment, Olecia James was officially crowned the 95th Miss Alcorn State University.
A host of family, friends, students, and Alcornites appeared dressed in black attire to celebrate “A Night in Egypt,” which was the coronation’s theme. The investiture was hosted in the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex Thursday, Oct. 7.
The grateful feelings of being crowned for James and Stevenson were an enriching moment for both.
“To officially be named the 95th Miss Alcorn State University is an unexplainable feeling. I am embracing the fact that this is my moment, my space — created just for me. It is an honor and blessing to represent such a profound University,” said James.
“It’s a crazy feeling any time you get to make history at an HBCU. It feels good to represent the university. This is a university I’ve been wanting to go to since I was a child. I just wanted to follow my father’s legacy because he left a good one here, so anytime I get to represent my university, it’s a joyous time,” said Stevenson.
The journey to becoming Miss Alcorn was a path faced with challenges, but James did not let it affect her. She overcame the obstacles and established her new role, one in which she was determined to take.
“I ran for Miss Sophomore at this institution, and I did not win. From that, I learned what worked and what didn’t work. I capitalized on my mistakes, but most importantly I trusted that if it was for me, it would be for me. I was so discouraged when I ran for Miss Sophomore and lost, but God said, “Nah, bigger.” I had to trust myself and God’s timing. By doing that, everything worked out beautifully,” said James.”
The perseverance that James personified is an essential factor of her being crowned the 95th Miss Alcorn. While campaigning, both James and Stevenson vowed to meet the student body’s needs, as well as uphold both of their platforms.
“I plan on leading the student body by planning events surrounding topics such as mental health and finances because it's a lot of things we don’t know about that we should know at this age, so I plan on hosting events that are going to help out students in a very positive way,” said Stevenson.
“My goal is to stick to my platform. I want to make Alcorn an institution of inclusiveness, opening the minds and hearts of individuals to receptive ideas that differ from theirs or their native descent,” said James.
Both students are excited about their leadership roles.
“Before coming to Alcorn, I knew I wanted to be Miss Alcorn one day. Reaching this goal was important to me, not only because I set it and wanted to achieve it, but I knew I had something different to bring to this leadership position, and I was relentless in my desires to do so,” said James.
