By Cathy Richards
Nineteen-year-old Ruqayayah Boyer stayed ahead of the game to win the confidence of the judges and take home the Miss Linden Town Week 2010 title and crown.
At the pageant, held on Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in front of the smallest audience in a long time, Boyer, Monette Mingo, Wrenea Sydney, Shellon Milling, Rhonda Harry, Shenella Thomas and Michon Guillaume first appeared on stage in black shorts and life jackets for their opening dance sequence which was followed by their individual introduction.
The trend of loud screams and clapping continued for Boyer when she took the stage displaying her two piece swimsuit under the Diadiai line of known designer Derrick Moore. All the contestants wore the same line of swimwear.
But the highlight of the Boyer’s stage performance was her talent piece, an elocutionary version of “Colours of the Wind”, the theme song from the film Pocahontas. Her costume for this segment depicted various aspects of the rainforest.
Her ‘lady in red’ evening gown also appealed to the judges and the audience alike. However the gowns worn by all of the girls were seen as very elegant and appropriate. Boyer’s strongest competition in that segment was Sydney.
At the end of the evening wear segment it was a moment of truth for the girls since two of them would have had to be eliminated and in a backstage invited comment Boyer said she knew that her competition was very strong. Nonetheless, she was optimistic that her place in the final five was more than safe. Right she was as Milling and Thomas were the contestants eliminated.
The remaining five girls then had to pull the name of a judge from a bag and were then asked a question by the judge whose name they had pulled. At the end, Mingo was adjudged the fourth runner-up, followed by Harry as third runner-up; second runner-up was Guillaume and the first runner-up position went to Sydney leaving Boyer as the queen.
Boyer a naturalized Guyanese who was born in Suriname had said that she was confident of capturing the title of Miss Linden Town Week 2010. She migrated to Guyana with her parents after spending two years in Suriname and five years in Canada.
She aspires to become an environmental lawyer because of her passion for mother earth and its protection and a novelist as well. Additionally she is considering pursuing a degree in psychology, communications or international relations.
The pageant this year was organised by Dynasty Entertainment for the first time after it won the franchise from the Linden Town Council, the body which spearheads the activities of town week. According to Selwyn Lancaster, Moore was contracted as the trainer and his input was key in the night’s performances being dubbed the best in a very long time.
A presentation ceremony will be held in the very near future.