On Monday Oct. 22, the FAU Housing Department hosted the Eighth Annual Timucua Pageant in front of the west entrance of the Heritage Park Towers (HPT) dormitory. Fourteen students participated in the pageant, and over 100 students and faculty were in attendance.

This year’s queen, 18-year-old nursing major Precious McPhall, said she was “speechless” when she won. Mark Thurman, a 20-year-old business major was crowned king. Thurman said his victory was “totally unexpected.”

The Timucua Pageant, which is the third longest standing tradition at FAU, began in 2002 on the second floor of the Timucua dormitory. The building was demolished in the summer of 2006 to make room for the new dorms currently under construction.

Although the event has occasionally been a part of homecoming week in the past, this year the housing department decided to officially add the event to homecoming week.

“This year’s Timucua Pageant yielded the largest campus wide audience I’ve seen since the pageants conception,” said Housing Department Assistant Director Larry Federman.

“The neatest thing is that past winners come back to participate in the event and that really helps to sustain tradition on an otherwise non-traditional campus.”