One For The History Books: Southern’s First Mr. King Size Pageant

tanIya nIChols THE SOUTHERN DIGEST

A luminous red light set the stage as Jags quickly began to fill the Event Center with anticipation. This wasn’t any ordinary pageant. Some may compare it to the well-known Miss Thicker than a Snicker Pageant, but it allowed the spotlight for plus-size men on campus to reset the standard.

As host, Kelvin Powell emphasized, the show is to empower plus-size men and build their platform, so the crowd was enthusiastic with cheers as the show began.

The contestants performed a group dance to the famous New Edition songs: “Can You Stand the Rain” & “If It Isn’t Love.” The crowd filled the room with shouts and cheers watching them dance.

As the lights dimmed, each contestant, one by one, introduced themselves.

Contestant 1, Jaden

Cheatham, announced himself as a Donaldsonville native majoring in Culinary Arts.

Contestant 2, Nicholas Brown, presented himself as a Pre-Nursing student from Society Hill, South Carolina. Contestant 3, Richard Johnson, greeted the crowd and introduced himself as a Music Performance major