Carolyn Johnson, Freelance Writer

Newly crowned TVJ Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2007, Alisha Julie-Ann Morgan (centre), representing the parish of St. Thomas, is flanked by runners-up Kenise Ann-Marie Watson from St. Elizabeth (left) and Monique Jody-Ann Prescott from St. Catherine. The coronation took place at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, on Sunday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

It seems the St. Thomas support worked because Alisha Julie-Ann Morgan, St. Thomas parish queen, was crowned the TVJ Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2007 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Sunday night. She won more than $1 million in cash and prizes, including a Nissan Sunny motor car.

Her runners-up were St. Elizabeth queen Kenise Ann-Marie Watson and Monique Jody-Ann Prescott from St. Catherine.

In her capacity as queen, Morgan will pursue her community project, "to improve the living condition at the Morant Bay Infirmary".

"I also have plans to develop cultural awareness at Seafort High School," she told The Gleaner. Though very happy with her win, a composed Morgan said after the show that she entered the competition because it was a challenge. "And also to gain personal development. I really didn't think I'd win because at this level, any of us could have won," she said.

But her win was no surprise to the audience who all but carried her from the stage in their celebration. It seems her supporters were only calculating points because having won most culturally aware, the geography and social studies teacher from Seafort High in the parish had already stolen 40 points. This category which assessed community involvement, leadership qualities and achievements and general knowledge was done in a prejudging on Friday.

Great house backdrop

She also won best performance for 'St. Thomas Oil', a drama in which she dressed as a 'modda ooman' fully decked in her long white dress with blue and red bands around her waist, her head tied with pencils sticking out. She featured well against the great house backdrop as the African ancestry came alive from colonisation in the themed show 'Honouring the Beauty of Our Ancestors'.

Added to the props was a table with candles, orange, coconut, a chicken and all the other items necessary to 'fix a case'. Morgan had the audience mesmerised as she talked about all the achievements of her home parish. "You tink a likkle candle me light fi mek de contract sign fi mek de bridge start build," she said.

Other big winner

The other big winner of the night was Watson who won most poised, most community involved, best costume (which went to the designer) and the Digicel popular vote. Most congenial went to the queen of Trelawny, Coleen Robinson.

All the young ladies represented their parishes well, while there were exceptional performances from St. Catherine, Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Elizabeth and Hanover. But the supporters were not as well behaved as it took great effort from law enforcement officers to quell a near brawl when water was thrown on a St. Elizabeth supporter. As entertaining as the side show was, it took nothing away from the well executed show, hosted by Dervan Malcolm and Jennifer Small. Performances from One Third and In2Nation were simply icing on the cake.