Culture and talent will come together at the Miss Latina NIU Cultural Pageant.

Presented by the ladies of Sigma Lambda Gamma, the event will be held today at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

The event is in honor of our founders week, said Karla Pavone, former president of the sorority.

“It’s a very informative pageant,” said Sarah Allen, cultural awareness chairwoman for Sigma Lambda Gamma. “Students get to see the different Latino backgrounds that are on campus.”

This year, three ladies will be competing for the title and will be judged by five faculty members.

Hagar Allen, last year’s pageant winner and vice president of the sorority, said it was a privilege to compete.

“It provided an outlet for myself,” Hagar said.

The contestants will strut their stuff in cultural wear, formal wear and also participate in a talent portion and a question/answer session at the end.

Dance troupe Vibe and Groundhogs, a break-dancing group, will be among the four filler acts.

Sarah Allen, who attended last year’s pageant, said she was surprised because she was expecting a traditional beauty pageant.

“They really stressed cultural background and pride,” Allen said. “Our motto is ‘culture is pride, pride is success,’ and we live by it.”