Hair. Teeth. World peace. If someone forced me to describe pageants in three terms, it would have to be these. The tradition of beauty and scholarship pageants seem about as American as apple pie and Longhorn football. While many picture dream-chasing mothers reprimanding toddlers in full faces of make up, Southern accents, and melodramatic winning faces followed by a frantic waving away of tears, these productions are a lot more than women drowned in rhinestones mastering that ever so smooth wave.
It has come to my attention that collegiettesTM everywhere are taking part in university pageants. These events often serve as preliminaries to their state’s Miss America affiliated competition, and ultimately to the Miss America pageant.
As we all learned in the movie Miss Congeniality, Miss America is not a beauty pageant—it’s a scholarship program. The Miss America Organization serves as the world’s leading provider of scholarships for young women in the world. Therefore, university pageants like the ones at the University of Mississippi, the University of Florida, and the University of Miami allow winners entrance into their respective state pageants and give young women the opportunity to enter the pageant world.
After an extensive search for an official Miss University of Texas pageant, I was left with no results. To say the least, I was shocked; UT is the most influential institution of higher learning statewide, and it seems as though the school would jump at the chance to crown a bright eyed, big-haired beauty to represent it with the utmost grace and intelligence. There are plenty of on-campus pageants that highlight cultures represented at UT, like Miss UT Asia and Miss Black UT.
“I chose to do the pageant because I felt it was a good way to broaden my spectrum and get more involved in the community,” said Kristeen Onyirioha, a freshman candidate in the 2011 Miss Black University of Texas scholarship pageant.
In a day and age where independence and intellect is encouraged in women and girls, many wonder why young women choose pageants as their means of scholarship.
“I thought it would be a really fun experience, and I would like to effect change in my community through this pageant,” said Britini Shaw, a sophomore double major in African-American studies and journalism also competing in the 2011 Miss Black University of Texas pageant.
On May 8, seven candidates will vie for the title of Miss Black UT, a scholarship prize, and the chance to implement their respective community service platform.
While UT does not have an official “feeder” pageant to Miss America, all students are welcome to participate in the various events that showcase talent, poise and intelligence throughout campus.