SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Twelve Teen and Senior Carnival Queen Pageant contestants modelled impressive custom cultural wear and motivated their opinions on independence and diversity in front of a jam-packed conference room at Sonesta Great Bay Resort on Sunday night.

The annual Speech and Cultural Wear competition proved a hit with the crowd, and was the first segment of the overall pageant. Points gained carry over to the main event at Carnival Village, so no winners were announced. Attendees will have to wait to see who the ultimate winners are, although they hold their opinions on what girls gained a leg-up in the running.

Judging by cheers of the crowd, Jondalin Brown delivered the most impactful speech of the show's first half, which featured the Teen Carnival Queen contestants speaking on "My Village of Diversity." Contestants were asked to described an imaginary village, diverse in terms of colour, religion, culture and sexual orientation, and to motivate their opinions on the pros and cons of this diversity.

"One thing that confuses me is that we do not embrace diversity," Brown said in rhyme at the beginning of her speech, in a more critical take than the other speeches. While some members of the audience seemed hesitant at first, they were won over by the end of the speech that challenged society in "St. Maartenburg" to wake up.

Fellow teen contestants Ishani Richardson, Samantha Williams, Adreeane Harrigan, Romaincia Fleming and Tsjaniqua Lake described primarily from a positive perspective how diversity makes a community stronger, praised embracing differences, including in sexual orientation and language, and lauded St. Maarten's multicultural society as a strength.

They spoke of different perspectives and skills being essential and how diversity made them grow and become better. "Diversity taught me to love and embrace," said Lake, who has local and Guyanese roots.

The Teen and Senior contestants modelled cultural wear designed and made by some of St. Maarten's best cultural artists and designers. No two outfits looked remotely similar, save for a few recurring patriotic colours of red, white and blue.

Outfits honoured or represented traditional ways of life or local flora, such as Senior contestant Mabel Arnaud's, which modelled a flamboyant tree. Damiana Blijden was dressed as a "cotton lady." Depictions of St. Maarten, country flags, sea shells, starfish, planes, flowers and monuments were some of the objects added to the outfits.

Senior contestants Blijden, Arnaud, Phausha Winklaar, Chalmarie Vlaun, Anttonet Baker and Sidneila Richardson delivered speeches on "Independence for St. Maarten: Destiny or Fantasy?"

"Destiny" was the resounding patriotic answer from the contestants, who motivated their opinions in a number of ways, but outlined what they envision as needing to happen before the goal becomes reality.

The task of summarising the country's problems and potential in five-minute speeches without notes was notably more difficult for the Senior contestants, who also had to pay attention to criteria such as eye contact, pace and audience engagement, but the crowd encouraged them by clapping whenever the contestants lost steam or stumbled.

St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) President Michael Granger said the challenges presented "the best of pageantry in one event" and gave insight into "what and how they feel, how they communicate, their dreams and aspirations for country."

The judging panel comprised Donovan Smith, Ashayna Nisbett and Zahira Hilliman for Speech, and Fabiana Arnell, Fabian Badejo and Marcellia Henry for Cultural Wear.

The evening was hosted by Fernando Clarke and co-hosted by reigning Carnival Queens D'Shnay York, Bria Sorton and Anna Rabess-Richardson.

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs was counted amongst special guests, along with other Carnival 2015 contestants.