Despite campus crisis, student pageant important for university -organiser says

The eleven delegates during the pageant’s official launch last month.

Facing questions about the timing of the first University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) pageant, the head of the pageant committee has defended the decision to go forward, saying the event was a platform to highlight problems affecting the university.

On Saturday evening, 11 students took to the stage of the National Cultural Centre to vie for the titles of Mr. and Miss UGSS 2015. The competition provided the opportunity for the youngsters to earn a year’s tuition money. First prize in each category was $200,000 towards tuition, while the second and third prizes were $100,000 and $50,000, respectively towards tuition.

The scholarship programme was officially launched last month and the ten competitors were introduced to the general public. However, since the programme’s launch there had been a backlash against the pageant, with many persons deeming it unnecessary. These negative views intensified when, more than two weeks ago, wage negotiations between the