MOBILE, Alabama — The University of Mobile will hold the Miss UM 2012 Pageant Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. at Saraland High School Auditorium. Tickets will be $5 at the door for UMobile students with a student ID and $10 for the general public.

The theme for the pageant is “The Best in the World.” Cierra Giles, Miss UM 2011, will crown her successor at the conclusion of the pageant.

Miss UM serves as an official ambassador for the University of Mobile at a variety of events. Each Miss UM promotes a service platform of her choice in the community and competes for scholarships in June at the Miss Alabama Pageant, a preliminary to the Miss America Pageant.

The contestants of Miss UM will face five different phases of competition: interview, swimsuit, talent, evening wear and an on-stage question.

Among the contestants this year is Deeon Hyde, a junior music major from Daphne. She will perform a piano piece titled “Toccata,” and her platform is “Compassion International.”

The reigning Miss UM receives full tuition for one year, a wardrobe allowance of $1,000 and prizes valued at over $2,500.

Miss UM 2012 will compete for the title of Miss Alabama in June at Samford University’s Wright Center in Birmingham. Miss Alabama will compete for the title of Miss America in Las Vegas in January of 2013.

The University of Mobile is a Christian university located in Mobile on an 880-acre campus near Gulf Coast beaches. Approximately 1,800 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Christian Studies, School of Education, School of Nursing, Center for Performing Arts and Center for Adult Programs.

For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 800-WIN-RAMS or 251-442-2222.