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As part of the competition, Kazantsev, 23, sang Pharrell
William's song "Happy", keeping time by tapping a red plastic
cup. She said in a question-and-answer segment that sexual
assault in the U.S. military was a problem that needed to be
addressed by U.S. lawmakers.
Wearing a long-sleeved, backless white gown and clutching red
roses, the newest Miss America walked the runway with a wide
smile and waved to a cheering crowd in Atlantic City, where the
94-year-old beauty pageant returned last year after eight years
in Las Vegas.
Kazantsev's win marked New York's third consecutive Miss America
title. The crown was handed to Kazantsev by Nina Davuluri, a New
Yorker and the first Indian-American winner. Davuluri was the
successor to Mallory Hagan from New York.
The title comes with a $50,000 scholarship.
Kira's platform is focused on protecting women from domestic
violence, and the Miss America Organization said she regularly
spoke at homeless and domestic violence shelters.
Pageant judges scored contestants from the 50 U.S. states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
based on a talent competition, a personal interview, their
answers to an on-stage question, and their appearance in gowns
and swimsuits.
Atlantic City officials hope the pageant will help revive the
city in the wake of recent financial turmoil. The pageant was
held in a hall next to Trump Plaza, whose slated shutdown on
Tuesday means the gambling mecca will have lost a third of its
casinos since the start of the year.
(Reporting by Carey Gillam; Editing by Paul Tait and Stephen
Coates)
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New
Yorker Kira Kazantsev 'Happy' to be crowned Miss America
