Miss MSU ‘25 queens dazzle in ‘Talent Night’, express self, social awareness through skills

by Ian Paolo Villacencio

Displaying their advocacies, biographies, and inspirations through personal skills, the stage glittered with artistry and confidence as eight stunning candidates from various colleges showcased their unique talents in this year's Miss MSU Talent Night last October 10.

From songs to socially aware performances, each contender brought a story that echoed beyond the lights of the university quadrangle.

Representing the pioneering batch of College of Nursing, Christine Lemoni Jabilles charmed the audience with her rendition of ‘Mr. Kupido,’ which was a song hit by Rachel Alejandro.

“I think it’s fun and I want to impress people, and singing is also in me because my father sings a lot,” she said.

For Jabilles, her performance emphasized identity and representation.

“We are the pioneering batch of nursing and as the first batch, it’s really pressure. But I want them to know that we are new and we exist. Even though we’re only 43, we want them to show that this is us—this is nursing.”

On the other hand, Joy Marice Castillon of College of Engineering’s performance was deeply personal. She chose her favorite heartbreak song and paired it with a spontaneous interpretative dance number.

“The interpretative dance naman actually pinulot lang talaga yun eh, like last minute kagabi lang talaga, and I was so thankful that they performed well together with me,” she added.

Castillon admitted she once feared the stage but hoped this competition would change that.

“Actually, I’m a naturally shy person, I have stage fright. But I believe it will help me conquer the stage. If the universe will align in my favor, this year, the stage will bleed orange,” the Asteeg queen emphasized.

Meanwhile, College of Agriculture’s Charmyne Bantilan played ‘Tatsulok’ by Bamboo, through piano, and used her performance to strike a chord on societal issues. Driven by passion and purpose, she saw the pageant as a platform for awareness.

“We are all aware of what’s happening right now, especially about the government. I want to use this platform to raise awareness so that we are all aware of what’s happening in our society,” Bantilan addressed.

For the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mika Hamajo reconnected with an old passion through dance.

“Actually, I’ve had experiences with dancing in the past, but it was really in the past like elementary pa…It was the first time again that I danced apart from production numbers in pageants,” the ‘Lady Vanguard’ queen stated.

Hamajo also emphasized the significance of the event, noting that ‘the talent night is 10% of the overall percentage for the top five.'

“So with that, it can really affect the scores of the final top five,” she added.

The talent night demonstrated that the competition is not just about beauty but also about voice, conviction, and courage with each performance that combined self-assurance, inventiveness, and significance.

Only one of the contenders will win the title when they take the stage again on October 11 at the MSU Gymnasium, but their passion and purpose have already won the audience over.