Miss and Mr. FAMU 2011-2012, NaKena Cromartie and Frederick Johnson, have laid out a platform to assist in recruiting the best and brightest students, while shaping current students into young professionals with superb etiquettes.The Miss and Mr. FAMU coronation was held on Sunday, October 2 in Lee Hall Auditorium followed by the coronation ball in the Grand Ballroom.
Cromartie, 22, said that she had to look within herself to see if she possesses the qualities Miss FAMU should emulate: a woman of character, a well-rounded person, self assured and able to advocate on behalf of the university.
Cromartie plans to start the “Keen Machine” which is a vocabulary enhancer project that will assist students to expand their vocabulary.
Her goal is to help students when they are out on job interviews or meetings to not only look the part. As part of the initiative, she plans to donate a book scholarship to a student who correctly spells and defines the words. In addition, she plans to spearhead several community service projects.
“Community service is really important to me,” said Cromartie, a first-year MBA student from St. Petersburg, Fla. “I want students to join me in “Cromartie on your Corner,” go into the community and participate in giving back by visiting soup kitchens, nursing homes and shelters; whatever we need to do to help.”
Cromartie has also launched “TRULY FAMU." This initiative is intended to “acknowledge the legacy of FAMU and help preserve the history and traditions that once served as the guiding light for the State Normal College for Colored Students.”
Students will have the opportunity to make personal quilt squares which will be stitched into a larger quilt and displayed in the Black Archives.
Johnson, 21, based his platform on chivalry and targeting young men by encouraging them to appreciate women. He plans to implement a monthly event where the students will be groomed on their etiquettes of courtesy.
“I’m glad it worked out in my favor,” said Johnson, a fourth-year business administration student from Dallas, Texas. “I definitely believe the things I plan to implement will bring about a positive change to the university and I am ecstatic that the student body has put their faith in me to be a male ambassador for them.”
As part of Johnson’s campaign, he selected 20 males to demonstrate chivalry wearing his signature - the letter F representing his first name - on a cardigan while walking around campus holding doors open and handing out roses to young ladies.
One of his initiatives is to encourage the royal court to exercise continued communication with prospective students they meet during recruitment trips.