 For the past two weeks, seven young women vying for the crown have
spent much of their free time preparing for the Tuesday night
competition.
And truthfully, the competition begins for them on Tuesday
afternoon.
Over the past few weeks, there have been a variety of rehearsals
and workshops for the candidates.
The first of the rehearsals was on July 21. During that rehearsal
and subsequent others, the seven ladies learned what would be
expected of them once they hit the stage on Tuesday night.
Working with the 1997 fair queen, Natalie Jeckel McGee, who
choreographed their entertainment piece for this year, the ladies
spent one entire evening learning about walking across the stage in
a synchronized fashion, and they worked on a dance routine.
In subsequent rehearsals they reviewed what they learned and went
through the entire pageant, from the grand march, which includes
current Miss Logan County Bethany Rea, to the answering of
questions, both on stage and in private.
In the workshops they talked about how to present themselves
professionally, and they also tried to anticipate and rehearse the
questions they might be asked at their individual interviews, as
well as on stage Tuesday evening.
Sunday evening after practice with the queen and Little Miss
contestants combined, the queen candidates were treated to a
relaxing break at Guzzardo's Italian Villa.
The seven candidates, current Queen Bethany Rea and Little Miss
Dani Phillips enjoyed a meal in the private dining room.
During the course of the evening, they were asked to place their
votes for Miss Congeniality. This recognition will go to the
contestant who in the opinion of her competitors was the friendliest
and most personable.
All of the contestants were given appreciation gifts, and gifts
of appreciation were also given to the Little Miss and reigning
queen.
As the candidates waited for their meals to arrive, they chatted
a bit about the upcoming contest.
As they have gone through their workshops, Kelsey Bunner said
that much of what they have learned and talked about has dealt with
how to handle oneself in public. She noted that these are the kinds
of lessons that can carry through into normal life as these women
continue preparing for their careers.
When asked what they thought the most intimidating part of the
contest would be, Dani Juilfs quickly responded, "The audience!"
She went on to say, "The stage is closer than it has been in past
years. We're going to be able to see everyone's faces."
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Tuesday afternoon, the candidates will appear one-on-one before
the judges, where they will be interviewed, more or less, for the
job they are applying for.
As a representative of Logan County, the queen is an example for
the county and a role model for younger girls who might someday
aspire to also become queen. The judges will rate them according to
their ability to represent Logan County.
Tuesday night, the ladies will appear on stage in their evening
gowns and also in one- piece swimwear.
Again they will be given an opportunity to express themselves
when they are asked a secret question.
In this process each candidate will be asked the same question.
While she is on stage, her competitors will be in a soundproof area,
where they can have no hint of what the question is or how their
counterparts may have answered.
As the evening progresses, there will be recognition of past fair
queens, with hopes of several of the former being in attendance. The
award of Miss Congeniality will be given, and at the end of the
evening a new Little Miss and Miss Logan County Fair will be
crowned.
For the winners, this may very well mean the easy part is done.
Come Wednesday morning, the Little Miss and the new queen will hit
the ground running, attending as many of the judging shows as
possible, passing out ribbons and visiting with the crowds at the
fair.
Their days will be long and full, as many of the judgings
commence early in the morning, and grandstand shows often linger
well into the night.
After the fair, they will make various appearances at local
events throughout the coming year and will represent Logan County in
the statewide fair queen contest in January.
All told, the winning candidate will have a full and hopefully
fun year of being queen and in the end will walk away next year with
a sense of satisfaction and pride in a job well done.
[By NILA SMITH]
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