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Show Qem 7b CLASSIFIEDS FEATURES PAUL HARVEY WEEKS TV GUIDE -- -- -- -- THURSDAY. AUG. 1976 5. How does it feel to be in a beauty pageant ? was flrrt ruieHf la Um MIm Wheat and Beet contest M the raigaiag qaeea when the first place winner decided to get married. CANDACE HOLMGREN, who - year, , , Rejection can be a traumatic experience in any 'form. So why would 18 young ladiea deliberately put themselves in a situation where someone they might not even know has the power to tell hundreds of spectators that they just weren't the most talented, best talking, most poised and best dressed of the lot. Why? Well, one reason is atthe titude that they just might end up a winner. BEAUTY PAGEANTS--som- e concerned only with beauty some concerned with as comtalent as well-a- re mon as mosquitos in summertime in America. And in each, whether it be the Miss Franklin County, Miss Cache Valley or Miss Garland Wheat and Beet Days pageants, there are a host of girls with a host of reasons for risking what has and always will be an emotional rejection of some degree while hoping for the exhilira-tio- n of being a queen. Eighteen young ladies will vie for the title of Miss Wheat and Beet Days tonight at 7 : 30 p.m. in the Bear River High School Auditorium in the annual scholarship pageant. - AND FOR at least a moment, in the back of many of their minds will be images of themselves striding gracefully across the stage arm in arm with Bert Parks at Atlantic City wearing the Miss America robes and crown. The local contest is a qualifying pageant for Miss Utah contest. Winning isnt all important, but Americans have always prised a winner ... and it is important. One of the girl's who will stride across the stage tonight at Garland admitted, "I wanted to do it again to win. It uplifts your ego, at least mine." f- HIT ACCORDING Swimsuit competition, for instance, counts for only about one fourth of the contestant's total score and isn't even seen by the public at the pageant. Instead its to De- nise Ashby, a talented pianist and a contestant. You should go in with the attitude to do your best and not let the ego thing about winning queen be the only thing on your mind." The contest has other advantages. she added, It's a good opportunity and experience to get closer to girls in a couple of days of practicing than in a whole year of held earlier. EVEN AT THAT, its one of the two reasons girls turn down a chance to enter the contest, Mrs. Potter said. The other is religious be- liefs." school. The Miss America qualifying contests also place accent on scholarship. In fact, the Miss America pageant is the largest school foundation for women in the world, Mrs. Potter said. Annually $100,000 is awarded in scholarships throughout the various pageants. For all the possible glory, the pageant boils down usually to just a lot of plain hard work. It gives me a chance to gain confidence in myself. Like the youngster whose father always wanted him to be a little league baseball hero, there are inevitably a few girls who carry the hopes of their Mother's vicariously to the pageant. SAID ONE contestant, I felt a lot of outside pres- sures" adding that it "wasnt entirely" her own 'idea. ALICE MATIIIS, another contestant, did all her own sewing for the contest which took a good month. Besides working on her talent, shes spent the last week The pressure from Mother, however, doesn't appear to be a major factor in the decision of many of the girl's according to Mrs. Garry Potter, of Garland, one of the thinking about what she plans to say in a organizers of the pageant for the sponsors, the Civic and Home Arts Club.. Mrs. Potter said when she calls a girl to ask her to compete the mothers invariably turn the phone over to their personal interview with the judges. Ive been practicing for I don't know how long," said Kayla Christensen, almost two hours each day." It took her a week to make her own evening gown. daughters saying Talk to my daughter and see if she wants to do it." IT WOl'LD BE hard to SOME DO IT simply be- imagine cause they asked me." Said Kayla Christensen, another contestant: the hard-cor- e women's liber's looking on the local county pageants as cxplotation with their emphasis on talent, lack of swim suit competition in public and emphasis on scholarship. But the libbers may have had some effect on the pageant. The girls "don't The girls are there because they were asked to and not because they think they are beautiful. It's really a privilege to get asked." It's not just a beauty pageant, said Mrs. Potter. The judges want to pick a girl "who also has a beautiful mind, is well rounded with a lot of emphasis on the girl s personality and talent. have quarter turns" anymore so "womens liberation is showing through." Potter said. Mrs. say it goes against human nature, but strangely enough most--i- f not all-t- he contestants appear to be genuinely happy for their friends who win. A cynic might ANY GIRL who thinks enough of herself feels good after even after shes lost, Mrs. Potter acknowledged. Just being in the pageant is enough to make them win- ners. "All 18 are She adds winners because you have to be brave to do this. The Miss Wheat and Beet Days pageant is held in conjunction with Garlands Wheat and Beet celebration. The queen and her court will be named tonight, August 5, at a pageant scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Bear River High School auditorium. THE WINNERS will be officially presented to the community at a special presentation of royalty at the Garland City' Park following the local parade Saturday. The street stretching between Bear River High School and the Garland City Park will be lined with spectators awaiting the annual parade scheduled to get underway Saturday at 6 p.m. Not only will Garland get their own private beauty queen out of the celebration but will enjoy two fun filled days of activities. Friday, August 6, boasts a full schedule of events featuring a pet show, kids parade, horse shoe pitching tournament, family fun night, baseball games and fireworks. On Saturday, August 7, the list of activities grows to include a chuckwagon breakfast, Golden Spike horse show, water fight, annual parade, presentation of royally, ball games and a western dance. - ; I |