By Stephanie Selvius
Originally published in the Fullerton College Torch Fall 2001
Two years ago I did something that changed my life forever. I turned in an application for the Miss Placentia Scholarship Pageant, and from there I entered into three months of vigorous preparation. I had no idea it would be so much work. Anyone who thinks pageants are based solely on women in swimsuits is either stuck in the past or has been very misinformed.
The Miss America Pageant is no longer the Atlantic City Bathing Beauty Contest of the 1920’s. It has become the largest single source of scholarships for young women, as well as a forum to advocate change in society. The Miss America Organization provides scholarship money to young women who want to advance their education. Last year alone, the organization awarded over $480,000 in scholarships to contestants. “I had never given thought to entering a pageant before I heard that the Miss America was the largest scholarship provider for women in the world. With plans to attend the University of Southern California, I entered the pageant seeking and opportunity to gain a scholarship,” said Bridget Jurgens, Miss Placentia 2000. The organization also helps transform girls into confident, poised, and knowledgeable young women. “Little did I know,” said Jurgens, “that I would walk away a year later with a new insight into myself, a bolder concept of success and many additions to my character.” The Miss America Organization is not about wearing a sparkly crown. The crown is a symbol of accomplishment and represents the greatness of the woman who wears it. “The Miss America Organization is a valid way to stretch the minds of young women, to help them think more globally in order to make a change,” said Annette Edblad, a certified Miss America judge. Winning a title opens doors to many opportunities, beginning with a year of service. “I made almost 40 appearances as Miss Placentia that year. I went to chamber of commerce breakfasts and Mixers, parades, and I even got to sing for some special events in the city,” said Giovanna Prout, Miss Placentia 1999.
The year of service also gives the winner a chance to promote her platform, a feature added to the pageant competition in 1990. A platform is an issue that has a special significance to the contestant. In the past, contestants have chosen platforms dealing with breast cancer awareness, child abuse, teen suicide, and youth oriented programs.
The competition is judged on the basis of four criteria: interview and talent along with as poise in evening gown and swimsuit.
The interview portion of the competition is worth 30 percent, and is conducted by a panel of judges. The judges ask each contestant questions relating to her platform, her talent presentation, current events, education, career goals and special interest.
The interview is important because it is the first time that the judges meet the contestants. It serves as a way for the contestant to express her views of the world and to show what makes her intelligent and unique.
“Judges are primarily looking for a contestant who has the ability to become the nest Miss America. This is someone who is genuine, out in the world promoting a cause,” said judge, Edblad.
If a contestant wins nothing in the form of a title, she can at least walk away with this real world knowledge that will help her in attaining jobs, and mastering the art of public speaking.
During my interview I was a nervous wreck. I was very uncomfortable talking to the judges; somehow I got through it, suddenly confident because I had faced fear and learned a lot in the process. The talent portion is worth 40 percent of the competition. The talent chosen by each contestant should reflect her interests, skills, and above all, her dedication.
A good talent takes years of practice, which shows the contestant’s dedication, an important asset for Miss America to possess.
Whether the talent is singing, dancing, acting, or playing an instrument, the competition allows contestants to express themselves in an artistic fashion.
For me, the talent competition was my favorite. I am more comfortable performing on a stage than interviewing with a panel of judges.
My talent was a dramatic monologue from the play “Our Town”. Performing on that stage in front of 1,000 people was one of the most rewarding and exhilarating experiences of my life. Not many people are given the opportunity to perform in front of such a large audience doing what they love to do the most.
Beauty, along with poise and grace are definite traits of femininity. To ignore them completely is to ignore what it is to be a woman. This is the attitude behind the traditional swimsuit and evening gown competitions. The swimsuit competition is worth a mere 15 percent, and trite as it may seem, the swimsuit competition is an essential part of the success of The Miss America Organization. The televised pageant is the second-highest rated event next to the Super Bowl. Pageant viewers were polled on the question, “Would you continue to watch The Miss America Pageant if the swimsuit competition was discontinued?” Sadly 60 percent of those polled said they would not. Since high television ratings raise scholarship money for the contestants, pageant officials continue the swimsuit competition. Aside from the financial necessity of the swimsuit competition, it also encourages the contestants to eat healthily and to exercise. Being healthy and physically fit is an important part of Miss America’s always-on-the-go lifestyle.
Miss America travels 20,000 miles a month, changing her location every 18-36 hours and reaching out to support charitable and community endeavors that characterize her present-day image, according to the Miss America Organization. The stereotype of most pageants is the image of a girl riding on a parade float while advocating world peace. This old idea that pageants are based solely on beauty and appearances is far from the truth. Women in pageants have redefined what it is to be beautiful in today’s society. Beauty today is charisma, perseverance, responsibility, and most of all, intelligence. Most contestants strive for college degrees from bachelor degrees to doctorates. These women are running full speed ahead with 4.0 GPAs and grocery lists of honors.
In terms of their talents, there is a wide range of musicians, vocalists, dancers and actors. These are truly extraordinary women who started out at local pageants all over the United States.
The road to Miss America begins at the local level where thousands of young women ages 18 to 24 apply to their city’s local pageant. One of the best local pageants in California is the Miss Placentia Pageant. What makes the Miss Placentia Pageant special is that there are three months of preparation before the competition takes place. This includes mock interviews, talent practices, platform workshops, personal exercise training, poise and dress rehearsals.
It is a direct result of preparation that makes Miss Placentia title holders, as well as non-winners go on to do great things. Tara Brown, Miss Placentia 1998, went on to win third runner-up at the Miss California Pageant. “Some of the most exhilarating moments of my year were spent at Miss California in June,” she said. “It was an unexpected honor to be awarded the title of third runner-up to Miss California, an honor I still cannot believe was bestowed upon me." Tara is a student at UCLA, majoring in theater.
The current Miss Placentia, Christine Metcalf, placed as a top 10 semi-finalist at Miss California this year, earning $3,500 in scholarship money. Metcalf is a Distinguished Scholar, and a member of California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Society. Current Miss California, Stephanie Baldwin, was Miss Placentia in 1996 and now lives in Fullerton. Baldwin is a graduate of Chapman University and placed in the top 20 at Miss America, earning $16,000 in scholarships. She is also a Distinguished Scholar and won the Highest Achievement Award. Alexis Thorpe competed in the 1999 Miss Placentia Pageant. She has modeled for Tilly’s, a popular clothing store. While studying at Fullerton College, Thorpe got her big break into Hollywood with a starring role as Rianna on “The Young and the Restless”.
I remember dreaming, at 5, of what it would be like to become Miss America. I wanted to wear the sparkly crown and be admired by all. Of course now the crown does not represent vanity for me. It represents strength, perseverance, and hope. I did not win the first year that I ran nor for Miss Placentia, or again the next year, when I ran for Miss Orange County. Losing was traumatic at first, but then I realized how much I had learned. My interview skills were sharpened, I was given the chance to perform a talent that I loved, and I earned $350 in scholarship money. Most of all, I have gained a new respect for myself for even attempting this dream. I look at the women who compete in the pageants and I am amazed. It is wonderful to see women being respected and rewarded for excelling in life.