Forty years after its inception, the Miss University of Alabama competition has decided to commemorate its tradition with a reunion-style pageant.

Pageant Director Carol Wright said this year all former Miss UA winners will be invited to attend a gala dinner on Feb. 14, the night before the pageant. Former Miss UA and Miss Alabama Shannon Camper-Chandler serves on the executive board, coordinating marketing for the event.

“For the pageant, the University football team has helped make money,” Camper-Chandler said. “We have a lot of vendors who want to help with wardrobe opportunities for Miss Alabama to look her best, as well as physical fitness for Miss UA. One of our key roles as formers is keeping those relationships forged.”

Entertainment will be provided, including skits by former Miss UA winners. The crowning ceremony will proceed as it has in years past, with this year’s winner Miranda Ward handing off the crown. Five judges will decide who the winner will be, based on the same five categories as the Miss America pageant. Miss UA serves as a direct preliminary for the Miss Alabama pageant.

“I cannot say enough things about the Air Force ROTC drill team,” Wright said. “Each year I’ve been doing this, they’ve formed a saber arch on stage for the winner to walk through while they play the fight song. That’s a real exciting part and something real unique to The University of Alabama program. I don’t think there’s anything like that in other preliminaries.

Ward, who will also perform at the gala, is working recruit as many people as she can.

“I just talked to a girl in band about it and she was just like ‘I’m not a pageant girl,’ but neither am I,” Ward said. “It doesn’t matter what category you put yourself into. What matters is who you are. We are open to diverse backgrounds and diverse women. We like many kinds of distinguished.”

Students interested in the pageant are invited to attend an informational meeting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 in Alumni Hall. Applications will be distributed at the meeting and are due by Dec. 20. Winners will receive a full-tuition scholarship for one year while Miss UA works for the college, in addition to a few thousand dollars worth of gifts provided by the official sponsors of the Alumni Association and local businesses. Camper-Chandler, the first non-greek winner of the award, used that scholarship to get through her senior year on a tight budget.

“I wasn’t sure I would be able to complete my final year at UA, so it was kind of a blessing,” Camper-Chandler said. “It was a whirlwind year with lots of appearances and lots of chances to meet new people through the alumni association, and to serve my platform on campus, which was breast cancer awareness.”

For more information, visit the Miss UA website at missuapageant.weebly.com.