On May 18th, the Saint Lucia Red Cross Society held its third annual Red Cross Pageant. Participants hailed from various Secondary School Red Cross groups and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, with the 2014 edition featuring a total of nine contestants; six females and three males.
The young volunteers once again came together for a worthy cause, with the main goals of entertaining, having fun and capturing the crown. Enjoying the sweet taste of success on the day were Tameca Caul and Asa Willie.
Sixteen-year-old Tameca Caul resides at Barre Denis, Castries. She is a form 4 student of the Ciceron Secondary School currently pursuing eight CXC subjects, with a passion for acting and theatre arts.
Have you ever taken part in a pageant before and what was the experience like for you?
TH: It was my first time taking part in a pageant and it was really a fun experience for me. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
What influenced you to be a contestant for the pageant?
TH: Well I love volunteering, I love doing things for people and also because it was the Red Cross Pageant I thought I should take part.
What was the most enjoyable part of the pageant for you?
TH: For me it was the talent segment. For my performance I did a soliloquy in which I was a vagrant who ends up saving a man’s life.
What was the most challenging part of the pageant for you?
TH: I can’t say that anything was really challenging for me. At first I thought the question part would be really difficult, but luckily for me, well in my opinion, I managed to get the easiest question. When I heard the question I just smiled and answered it as confidently as possible (giggles).
Going into the pageant, were you confident that you would win?
TH: Well, honestly I went into the pageant with the aim of having fun; it wasn’t really about winning for me.
And how did it feel to actually win?
TH: When the results were called and I heard that I had won, I was so shocked that I knelt down and I tapped the stage with my hands and I said to myself, “I won!” They say that when you win, you should win with grace, but I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t believe that I had won.
Will you take part in other pageants?
TH: No, I don’t think so. Most pageants are all about beauty and looks and that sort of thing, and that’s not who I am. I’m more into volunteering and helping people out.
When you are done with school, what would you like to do as your career?
TH: I love theatre arts, so I would love to be an actress or theatre arts teacher. If for some reason that doesn’t work out, I would like to be a lawyer or a chef because I love cooking.
Asa Willie is a fifteen-year-old form 4 student of the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School. A Business student, he currently does nine CXC subjects, but aspires to do ten or even eleven. Originally from Ti Rocher Micoud, he currently lives in Beausejour Gros Islet.
Was this your first time entering a pageant and describe the experience.
AW: Yes it was my first pageant. The experience was very nice; I enjoyed it. At first I was nervous but afterwards I got the gist of it and I was okay. The main point is to make the best out of it and to enjoy it.
Pageants have usually been associated with women. Was it a difficult decision to participate in the pageant?
AW: Well, a lot of things are associated with women also. It wasn’t much of an issue for me. It was for a worthy cause and my aim was to help the show be a success.
What was the most enjoyable part of the pageant for you?
AW: Well I really enjoyed the talent segment, as well as the prize receiving (chuckles). I did a poetry piece, which I wrote myself, about my experience as a Red Cross member, which I incorporated with the theme, ‘My Red Cross Story’. I also did a dramatization during my recital, sort of like a gladiator, where I had my sword and shield, portraying that I will fight for Red Cross.
What was the most challenging part of the pageant for you?
AW: My biggest problem was with my tardiness. My stuff for the pageant finished late, actually the morning of the show. Preparation was tough for me. Also I didn’t really have a chaperone. My teacher and my friend Lindsay were actually the ones supporting me from the start, so they were basically my chaperones.
What career would you like to go into?
AW: I would love one of my professions to be a chartered accountant and a businessman with a few businesses. My
dream is to start businesses that would actually create employment opportunities for the youth and generate steady income for the country. I know I will accomplish my goal because I love accounts, I love working with numbers and saving money!
