By Warren Cassell
Sharese Allen
The reigning 2013/14 Miss Teen – Sharese Allen visited St. Kitts and represented Montserrat in the 2014 Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen. Prior to leaving Miss Allen described herself in an interview on with ZJB as “ready and focused”. It was however, D’Shnay York from of St. Maarten made her nation proud in the early hours of Wednesday, December 31 when she was she was crowned the 2014 Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen in what some called “the narrowest victory in the history of this annual competition.”
The competition saw 10 contestants battling it out for the top spot. It was hosted in Nevis at the Sugar Mill.
Sharese Allen used drama and dance for her talent but it was York who captured the Best Talent and Interview segments. She had embarked on a campaign against bullying to capture the crown ahead of Miss St. Kitts Robertine Webbe by one tenth of a point.
Webbe won the Best Theatrical Appearance and the Best Evening Wear segments to accumulate 783.7 points but was edged by York who attained 783.8 points.
In her talent York performed a monologue portraying a teenager who was a victim of bullying which had started to affect her psyche. In the end the troubled teen hit back at her bullies and was punished because of complaints made by her intimidators. Her performance left the crowd in stitches and it also drew tremendous applause as she left the stage.
Also giving memorable performances in the Talent segment was Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines Lateefa Noel, who also highlighted the effects of bullying through a dance; while Miss USVI Dyese Turnbull wowed the audience with a twirling baton performance and left the crowd really amazed when she entered a black wooden box onstage on completion of her presentation. The four walls of the box then collapsed and the contestant was nowhere to be seen.
In the Interview segment, when questioned about the effects of bullying on teenagers, York gave a smart answer which ended with her making a plea to the audience to stand up against bullying.
Each of the 10 contestants had a good showing in the Evening Wear segment but it was Miss St. Kitts who earned the judges’ nod in her pink fluffy dress that almost emulated cotton candy.
Third Runner-up was Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Lateefa Noel, who had a total of 715.1 points; while Miss USVI Dyese Turnbull was adjudged Second Runner-up with 755.3 points.
The audience was then shocked when it was announced that there was a 0.1-point difference between the First Runner-up and the winner.
In sharing her thoughts on the trip, Sharese told TMR that “Overall it was a great experience . However, in order for the pageant to be preserved and have continuous support from the girls and their franchise holders they must ensure that the competitions are judged fairly. The interview segment was by far my favorite as it is the only segment that allows one to be spontaneous.”
