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Introducing: CAU’s First Attendant
Lakesha Birdwell
By Na’imah Labetan
Contributing Writer
Lakesha Birdwell is
“redefining elegance through an
image of excellence” in her title
of first attendant to Miss Clark
Atlanta University.
Birdwell, a chemistry major
from Dallas, TX., wanted to stress
the importance of the first
attendant’s role.
“She’s not just a runner-up,
she and second attendant not only
help conduct and plan coronation,
but also assist Miss CAU in
executive decisions, because
Miss CAU can’t do everything
by herself,” she said.
Birdwell is also a part of Miss
CAU Terris Raiford’s physical
fitness plan. The plan designed
for the King and Queen’s
Coalition, is a morning run around
Morehouse College’s track, until
CAU’s track is finished.
Anyone can participate and run
with Birdwell on Tuesday’s and
Thursday’s between 8 and 9 a.m.
This is only one project the King’s
and Queen’s Coalition planned
for the year, but Birdwell said
she hopes to implement a project
from her original platform that
would help increase the spirit
and knowledge of their school.
Honors and titles for Birdwell
include Beta Kappa Chi honor
society, homecoming publicity
committee co-chairperson, Miss
AKAdemic, Miss Chemistry
Club, Orientation Guide and
member of Pre-Alumni Council.
Birdwell also had the honor of
representing CAU in Essence
Magazine earlier this year. She
was among other Atlanta
University Center students
featured in an article highlighting
the AUC’s role in the Olympics.
When asked how she was
chosen, she quipped, “I was in
the right place to the right time.”
She then related that she was in
an empty SGA office one day
and happened to answer the
phone. An Essence
representative on the other line
wanted a CAU student in the
special Olympic issue. She was
then asked if she could do it
since no one else was around.
She got permission by the then
SGA President Samuel Bell and
the rest, she said, is history.
By being in a bachelor’s /
master’s program in Chemistry,
Birdwell will not graduate until
May of 1998. After graduation,
she said she hopes to work on
chemical synthesis or possibly
go on to pursue her Ph.D.
Ultimately, she wants to be a
college professor, saying, “There
are not enough females teaching
in math and science.”
Introducing: CAU’s Second Attendant Camilla Malloy
By Sherri Day
Contributing Writer
In her quest for the title of
Miss CAU, Second Attendant
Camilla Regina Malloy
described herself as “the
common person’s” candidate.
“I didn’t have any gimmicks,
a 4.0, or a lot of money. I just
wanted to be Miss CAU,” said
Malloy.
No doubt, Malloy’s reasons
for seeking the title of Miss CAU
are starkly different from those
of past candidates. “I felt that
the diversity of the entire student
body needed to be represented.
Students needed to see that
people just like them are on the
court,” said Malloy.
Since becoming a member of
the Royal Court, Malloy began
to tear down some of the
stereotypes she implied
surrounded campus queens.
“I take a stand for things. I
can’t help what other people do,
but I can help what I do,” said
Malloy. In addition, “I still dress
the same way — in T-shirts and
jeans. That’sjust me,” she said.
A practicing Christian, Malloy
also felt the need to use her
campaign and subsequent reign
to challenge the misconceptions
of many people concerning
religious students.
“I wanted to show that not all
Christians are somewhere in a
closet praying 24-hours a day.
Christians are real people. We
have the freedom to live life,”
Malloy said.
And, just how does Malloy
live her life? When the Athens,
Ga. native is not studying or
attending church, she enjoys
listening to and writing music.
She is also involved in campus
activities such as the Orientation
Guide Corps and the
Inspirational Voices of Faith
Gospel Choir.
Perhaps it is her campus
service that helped to make her
into the advocate for student
involvement that she is. “If
everyone takes the attitude of
not getting involved because
they are sure that someone else
will, then no one will. Then we
[students ] won’t make decisions
anymore. Everything will be
left up to the administration,”
she said.
While Malloy is quick to
advise students to become
involved in campus activities,
the engineering turned chemistry
major also advises students to
stay focused and complete their
academic course work.
Upon the completion of her
courses in 1998, Malloy said
she plans to earn her master’s
degree in chemistry and
eventually go to medical school
to become a pediatrician.