The most beautiful black woman at NIU was chosen last Saturday night at the Omega Psi Phi fraternity’s Purple-and-Gold Ball.

Twenty_one_year_old NIU student Danielle Richmond was chosen as the most beautiful black woman at NIU out of an original group of twenty-five contestants.

Willie Fowler, graduate adviser for Omega Psi Phi, said the

contest started last September, and through eliminations, was brought down to the six finalists.

“The young ladies went through several interviews and had to complete writing and public speaking exercises,” he said.

“We started out with 25 contestants, then it was eliminated to ten then again to the final six,” Richmond said.

The final six candidates were judged by the audience at the Purple-and-Gold Ball, where the top three places were decided, Fowler said.

“Part of the final score came from the interviews, but most of it came from being judged by our peers at the ball,” Richmond said.

“Basically, the whole contest was just a show to provide good role models for students,” Fowler said.

“All the contestants in the contest were not only beautiful, but intelligent and academically sound,” Fowler said.

“We are trying to show the positive,” he said. “To show that someone can be beautiful as well as maintaining academic standards.”

“I was real excited when I won,” Richmond said.

Besides recognition as the most beautiful black woman on campus, Richmond will also receive a night on the town.

“I will get to go to Chicago for a night on the town with whoever I choose, either to dinner at a nice restaurant or a play. It hasn’t been decided exactly yet,” Richmond said.

The second place winner was Levetta Futrell. There was a third-place tie between Nicole Richmond and Cindy Elly.