This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Ohio U chapter.
When most people think of Miss America, they think of someone poised, beautiful and a representation of this country as a whole. Some think it is simply as a beauty pageant based on looks and body image with no substance behind it (It probably did not help the stereotype that the judges sent doughnuts to the eliminated contestants). Both can be true. Yes, you do have to be somewhat physically attractive to enter and have the confidence in yourself to strut across a stage nearly naked; it is not a job for everyone.
The winner for this year is Miss New York, who is originally an Alabama native. She arguably answered one of the hardest interview questions about gun control, which is a heated topic lately. She stated that she does not believe you should fight violence with violence, which was just what may have won her the crown.
Another hard topic to answer a question on was the legalization of marijuana that contestant Mariah Carey (yes, that is her real name), from Iowa had the unfortunate honor in answering. A mix up any nervous young woman could have made, she accidently responded by stating that marijuana should be used only for “recreational purposes for medical use.” Whatever she actually meant by that will be a mystery. The flub virtually cost her the crown and title.
In the end Miss America is a job that one lucky woman gets to pursue for an entire year with the plus of getting a $50,000 scholarship. Even though there are issues the public can agree or disagree on, the point of Miss America is to be a role model and help to better the country through giving back to charities and maintaining a pleasing reputation that will satisfy the organization.