Tell any contestant who competed in last week’s Miss Illinois Pageant that the competition is just a typical beauty contest, and she’ll vehemently disagree.
“The Miss America Pageant is a scholarship pageant first and foremost,” said Music junior Jenny Powers, last year’s Miss Illinois. “It distinguishes itself on the emphasis of the women’s talent. When you win, essentially it is a job. You have a year of service to fulfill. It’s more about beauty of character, leadership and commitment to social change.”
Three of this year’s 31 state finalists attend Northwestern, but none was able to break the Top 10 in Friday’s competition. To qualify for state, each had to win a district competition. Miss Illinois gets an invitation to the Miss America competition in September.
Familiar to performances, Speech senior Candace Otto sang the classical piece “Non Ti Scordar di Me” to win the non-finalist talent award, earning $500.
“If you would have asked me three years ago (if I would compete for Miss Illinois), I would have thought you were insane,” Otto said. “The girls who competed were very admirable. I really respected the girls in it. That was a really nice surprise for me. I also enjoy performing. For me it was another show.”
Medill graduate student Melissa Dawn Johnson won $500 toward a college scholarship in the non-finalist interview competition. Otto, Johnson and Heather Doyle, NU’s other representative, also earned $500 scholarships for winning their preliminary rounds.
“As far as the interview section, I expected to do well because my major in college is communications,” Johnson said. “If I can’t communicate, then maybe I’m in the wrong profession.”
NU students have won three of the last five Miss Illinois titles. Kate Shindle was crowned Miss America in 1998, and Jade Smalls was named Miss America runner-up in 1999. Last year, Powers earned $15,500 at the Miss Illinois Pageant and $13,500 for three talent awards at the Miss America contest.
The Miss America Organization is the world’s largest scholarship provider for women.
“It doesn’t surprise me that women from Northwestern do so well because Northwestern University is the strongest university in the state,” Powers said.
The competition is judged on four aspects: Forty percent is based on talent, 30 percent on a 10-minute interview, and 15 percent each on evening gown and bathing suit competitions.
Also, every contestant has to have a community service platform. Doyle volunteers 35 hours a month working with “kids with special needs,” including two hours a week writing a book with her adopted 17-year-old brother about his experiences.
Johnson, who volunteers in mentor programs, added: “(Community) Service is a lifetime thing. … The pageant offered an opportunity to me to express my concerns facing our youth and what I propose to be a positive change.”
Part of the evening was dedicated to past pageant winners. Shindle graced the audience with two songs from her Broadway show “Cabaret.”
“It would be interesting that I peaked at 20 and I had my biggest accomplishment before I was even legal,” Shindle said. “I’m ready to achieve things independently, but I know (the Miss America title) will always be something that I’ll have with me.”
During her farewell speech, Powers fought to hold back the tears in her eyes .
“We define beauty by our character, our leadership and our commitment to social change. We define beauty by our … responsibility to challenge in the face of doubt. And we define beauty by our cultivation of imagination which empowers us to dream and dream big.”
