MISS OKLAHOMA WINS THE 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT

PRESS CONTACTS:
Sharon Pearce
Miss America Organization
609-345-7571, ext. 17
sharon@missamerica.org

MISS OKLAHOMA WINS THE 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT

Las Vegas, NV – January 29, 2007 – Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson from Lawton, Oklahoma was crowned Miss America 2007 tonight at the Aladdin, soon to be Planet Hollywood, Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The Miss America 2007 final night of competition was broadcast live from Las Vegas, on CMT.

Nelson’s walk across the stage marked her first steps on a journey that will take her from spotlight to spotlight, coast to coast, traveling approximately 20,000 miles each month during her upcoming year of service. This year the Miss America Organization has chosen the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) as its National Platform. Miss America 2007 will be the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network as she raises funds and awareness for CMN and the Miss America Organization.

Nelson, age 20, is a student at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her personal platform issue is Be NetSmart – Protecting Kids Online. Her scholastic ambition is to obtain a Master’s Degree in Musical Theatre and her career ambition is to become a Broadway performer. With the title, Nelson won a $50,000 scholarship to continue her education. She was crowned Miss America during the final night of competition, which aired live from Las Vegas on CMT. Nelson sang “You’ll Be in My Heart” as her talent selection for the evening.

The first runner-up was Miss Texas Shilah Phillips, of Plano, Texas who earned a $25,000 scholarship after singing, “I Believe in You and Me,” as her talent. Phillips hopes to become a professional recording artist and her personal platform was Never Give Up.

Second runner-up honors and a $15,000 award went to Miss Georgia Amanda Kozak of Warner Robins, Georgia, who performed a Tap Dance to “Baby I’m A Star.”

The Miss Congeniality Award was handed out, going to Miss Alabama Melinda Toole. The Miss Congeniality Award is given to the contestant who is most liked and respected by her peers. In September, while in Los Angeles filming the CMT special Pageant School: Becoming Miss America, the 52 contestants voted for Miss Congeniality. On January 26, the top three contestants were announced during the premiere of Pageant School and America got to vote for the winner, who was announced live at the 2007 Miss America Pageant. Toole will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization, and its state and local organizations, last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance.

The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.

Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org.

For up-to-the-minute competition news and information as well as downloadable high-resolution images, visit the 24-hour access online pressroom at http://www.MissAmericaPressRoom.com.

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2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT RE-AIRS ON CMT

TUNE IN ALERT!
2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT RE-AIRS ON CMT
(all times listed are ET/PT)

Tuesday, January 30 at 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 30 at 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 1 at 10:00 p.m.
Friday, February 2 at 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 3 at 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m.

Watch the excitement as Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson
from Lawton, Oklahoma was crowned Miss America 2007

As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women
and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization
last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance.

The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to
further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community
service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.

Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org.

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MISS AMERICA PAGEANT REACHES 7.2 MILLION VIEWERS*

THE "2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT" ON CMT SOARS
WITH YOUNGER AUDIENCE

MISS AMERICA PAGEANT REACHES 7.2 MILLION VIEWERS*
IN PREMIERE AND ENCORE TELECAST

"PAGEANT SCHOOL" SPECIAL WAS SAMPLED BY OVER 16 MILLION VIEWERS** ACROSS TEN PLAYS ON CMT, VH1 AND MTV

NASHVILLE - January 31, 2007 - The 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT, which premiered live on CMT Monday, January 29 from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT, drew a significantly younger audience, increasing its P18-24 audience by 257 percent. During that time period, CMT placed second in all of cable in the P18-24 demo. The median age for the 8 p.m. telecast was 43 years old, down 8 years from the 2006 Pageant.

The 8 p.m. premiere of the Pageant averaged 2.4 million viewers, making it CMT's most-watched telecast since last year's airing. Cumulatively, the 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT reached 7.2 million total viewers in its two airings on Monday night.

The two-hour contestant special, PAGEANT SCHOOL: BECOMING MISS AMERICA, was seen by over 16 million viewers across ten total plays on CMT, VH1 and MTV. The special was part of an original programming blitz consisting of over nine hours of pageant-related programming designed to drive overall viewership and awareness of the 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT.

In a joint statement, Sarah Brock, CMT executive producer and vice president, production, music and events; and Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization, said: "Introducing the Pageant to a younger audience was one of our primary goals, and we're thrilled to have delivered such a significantly younger audience in the span of just one year. The strategic play of supportive programming across CMT, MTV and VH1, combined with an updated pageant format, stellar marketing effort and the appeal of a host like Mario Lopez, all played roles in appealing to a younger demo. Total viewership will continue to climb as CMT encores the Pageant several times over the next week."

This year's Pageant included viewer voting for Miss Congeniality and Fan Favorites after the Swimsuit, Evening Wear and Talent Competitions. The judges also played a more interactive role than in year's past, contributing feedback and reactions before and after each category. In addition, segments from the never-before-seen judges interviews were also shown offering insight into the judging process and contestant's personalities.

Judges for the 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT included: Debbie Allen (actress, director, producer, choreographer, singer, dancer and multiple Emmy Award-winner), Nigel Barker ("America's Next Top Model"), Michael Feinstein (singer, composer, producer), Chris Matthews (MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and "The Chris Matthews Show") and Susan Powell (Miss America 1981, Discovery Channel's "Home Matters").

The 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT on CMT will encore on Thursday, February 1 at 10:00 p.m.; Friday, February 2 at 4:00 p.m.; Saturday, February 3 at 2:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m.

Hosted by Mario Lopez, the 2007 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT was produced by Don Mischer Productions and held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Lauren Nelson, of Oklahoma, won the title of Miss America, marking the second consecutive win for the state of Oklahoma.
Miss America 2006 was Jennifer Berry.

CMT.com features photos, videos and bios of the 2007 Miss America contestants, as well as exclusive footage from the preliminary talent competitions on the site's broadband channel, CMT Loaded.

CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 83 million households in the United States. Go to country music's biggest web site at www.cmt.com.

The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. For more information, go to www.missamerica.org.

Visit CMT's press-only web site www.cmtpress.com for more information and downloadable photos on all of CMT's programming.


*Nielsen Media Research (cume P 2+ / 1 minute qualifier)
**Nielsen Media Research (cume P 2+ / 1 minute qualifier); includes 10 airings across CMT, VH1 and MTV.

# # #

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A busy week of first appearances for Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson

TUNE IN ALERT! A busy week of first appearances for Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson will begin her tenure on the airwaves with live appearances on television: Good Morning America (Wednesday morning at approximately 7:30 a.m. ET on ABC), LIVE! With Regis & Kelly (directly following, 9:00 a.m. ET on ABC) and Larry King Live (cancelled due to scheduling conflict). Lauren will also tape an interview with Willie Geist for MSNBC Scarborough Country (Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET). The media blitz will continue on Thursday with live appearances on FOX & Friends (Thursday morning at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET), and then on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET, also on Fox). On Friday, Miss America will make a national television appearance on The CW Morning News (Friday at 7:40 AM ET) and is scheduled to do a radio tour with different media outlets. The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs. Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org.

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MAO Prelims

I'm putting in photos of our MAO prelim winners. Here we go:

Night One:
Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson
Miss Texas Shilah Phillips

Night Two:
Miss Nebraska Molly McGrath
Miss Hawaii Pilialoha Gaison

Night Three:
Miss Pennsylvania Emily Wills

Miss California Jacquelynne Fontaine

All of these photos and more, can be found at http://www.missamerica.org/compete2007/

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Pageant life makes Miss America fans out of men, too

ALEX VEIGA

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS - Behind every girl making her way through the gantlet of pageant life in hopes of being crowned Miss America there's a father, husband, brother, boyfriend or some other man who's probably along for the ride.

They may not know - or ever really want to know - what "ballet en pointe" is, or hold an appreciation for tap dancing, opera, or renditions of half-century old standards.

Yet, they come every year to watch the Miss America succession unfold, even if it's a little painful at times.

"If I had a choice to watch the Patriots and Indianapolis, I'd watch the Patriots and Indianapolis versus the show," said Mike Hamilton, of Auburn, Wash., an engineer by trade who volunteers helping coach local contestants how to tackle the thorny interview portion of the pageants.

For Hamilton, the pageant's appeal now rests in being able to glean pointers for the girls he coaches. But the show itself is not his thing.

"I'm not into it for the pageantry or the program," he said.

Like many of the men gathered this weekend at the Aladdin Resort & Casino to see the crowning of a new Miss America on Monday, Hamilton first became involved in the pageant through his daughter, who won local contests and the state title in 1995.

"It's like kids in sports, you go to all your kids' games," Hamilton said.

Men easily made up a third of the crowd at one of the gatherings of relatives, friends and supporters of the 52 contestants vying for the title this year.

Some seem out of place, perhaps the allure of gambling tugging at their focus.

Not so with Patrick Coffey, whose 22-year-old daughter, Meghan, is Miss Wisconsin.

Praise for the pageant life comes easy for the 63-year-old university administrator who lives in a suburb of Milwaukee.

He's watched his daughter compete as a baton twirler since she was very young, and says the pageant is an extension of that.

Along the way, Coffey says, he's come to appreciate the pageant's offerings.

"I'm not going to say I was dragged kicking and screaming to this, that was not the case," said Coffey, a photo of his daughter pinned onto his lapel.

Ben Beran is a more recent Miss America enthusiast.

"I've honestly never been to a pageant thing in my life," said Beran, 22, a pre-med student at Marquette University who is dating Coffey's daughter.

"I'm obviously here because I'm dating her, but I really enjoyed myself tonight," Beran said after watching performances on the second night of preliminary competition. "Just seeing the girls tonight, they're a lot better than I thought."

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Miss America Pageant distances itself from 'other' pageants

Las Vegas, Jan. 28 (AP): While Miss USA winners were frantically trying to cling to their crowns last month in the wake of scandals, a collective groan could be heard rising from Miss America fans who felt the guilt by association.

"Nobody knows the difference,'' said Miss Michigan Angela Corsi, who worries that such out of bounds behaviour feeds into stereotypes about pageants. ``I think people already have the wrong idea.''

But the pageant world, some of which is gathered in Las Vegas for the 2007 Miss America Pageant on Monday, knows the difference.

Miss America is the older, more mature, more substantial of the two, its fans say. There is a talent contest that counts for more than the swimsuit competition. Scholarships are on the line.

Miss USA is judged on an interview and her poise in a swimsuit and evening gown. She is hip, sexy and co-owned by Donald Trump.

In the words of a pageant adage: Miss America is the girl who lives next door, Miss USA is the girl you wish lived next door.

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Miss Georgia hopes to bring title back to midstate

By Jenny Gordon

TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER

WARNER ROBINS - It all started as a way to pay for college.

Now more than four years later, Amanda Kozak is competing in one of the largest scholarship pageants in the world - the 2007 Miss America Pageant. To date, she has earned more than $30,000 competing in pageants, which has enabled her to graduate from college debt-free.

The reigning Miss Georgia has more than a few fans in her home state, many in Middle Georgia. Kozak, 22, graduated from Warner Robins High School in 2002 and earned a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education from Valdosta State University in 2006.

Kozak will be competing for a title that only one other Miss Georgia has won.

Neva Jane Langley Fickling, a 1955 magna cum laude music graduate of Wesleyan College in Macon, is the only Miss Georgia to win Miss America. She won the title in 1953.

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Miss Louisiana Podcast new episodes!

The Miss Louisiana Podcast has some new episodes live from the Miss America competitions in Las Vegas. Congratulations to this program for their innovation in providing these updates!

You can check out the podcast at Miss Louisiana Podcast.

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Miss America 2007 Airing Monday

Saturday, January 27th, 2007

Watch The Miss America Pageant live from The Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Monday, January 29 at 8/7c on CMT (Photos Courtesy CMT)

Television star Mario Lopez of Dancing With the Stars and formally of Saved by the Bell will be hosting the 2007 Miss America Pageant. The Miss America pageant (different from the Miss USA pageant) is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the fifty states plus two territories of the United States of America. The first-prize winner of the national pageant is awarded the title of "Miss America" for one year.

Lopez recently was the runner-up on the hit ABC program Dancing With the Stars and has since signed a talent deal with the CW network and, under this deal, Lopez will continue to be a recurring host of Weekend Extra. Miss America 2006 Tulsa, Oklahoma native, Jennifer Berry, will be handing over her crown.

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Who will be the next Miss America?

Kassie Korich/Staff Photo Kristen Eddings performs her rendition of Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life" during the talent portion of the Miss America pageant Saturday night in Las Vegas. By Kassie Korich Jan 28 2007 LAS VEGAS - With only one day left until the new Miss America is crowned, Miss Washington Kristen Eddings is ready for the big night. “I’ve had a lot of fun, I’ve been calm,” she said with a smile. Three nights of preliminary competitions concluded Saturday at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino (the soon-to-be Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino). It was an important night for Eddings who performed her talent, worth 35 percent of her total score. The Silverdale native made it her own, belting out her jazzed up rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life.” “She rocked it,” exclaimed Janelle Stevens, who attended Seattle Pacific University with Eddings. “It was phenomenal.” After Saturday night’s preliminary, Eddings had a chance to meet for a short time with her large fan base of family and friends. Tears welled in her eyes as she greeted and hugged her friends and loved ones. With the preliminary competitions complete, Eddings will join 51 other hopefuls tomorrow night on the Miss America stage where the winner will be crowned. The pageant airs at 8 p.m. on CMT. Judging the competition are Debbie Allen, an actress, director, producer, choreographer, singer, dancer and Emmy winner; Nigel Barker, who made his debut as a celebrity photographer and judge on “America’s Next Top Model;” Delta Burke, an accomplished actress, author and producer; Michael Feinstein, who is nationally recognized as one of the premiere interpreters of American popular song; Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and “The Chris Matthews Show;” and former Miss America 1981 Susan Powell, the host of her Discovery Channel show, “Home Matters.” In the preliminary competition scoring is based on five categories: Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, 15 percent; Evening Wear, 20 percent; Talent, 35 percent; Private Interview, 25 percent; and On-Stage Question, 5 percent. In the final round of competition tomorrow night, contestants will be judged on Composite Score, 30 percent (Top 10); Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, 20 percent (Top 10); Evening Wear, 20 percent (Top 10); Talent, 30 percent (Top 5); On-Stage Question, (Top 3). On the final ballot each judge ranks the top three contestants in order of how he/she believes they should finish. The pageant’s outcome is based on the point totals from the final ballot. The new Miss America will receive a $50,000 scholarship. Source

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Miss America loses judge

Sunday, January 28, 2007
BY LOIS ELAINE SMITH-ZOLL

Actress Delta Burke was dropped as a judge for this year's Miss America Pageant after she became ill during Wednesday's preliminary competition.

The six judges had interviewed 28 of the 52 contestants when Burke, best known as beauty queen Suzanne Sugarbaker on the television series "Designing Women," was unable to continue.

Pageant officials announced Thursday her scores would be voided and the preliminary winners will be based on the five scores from the remaining judges.

The judges are actress and choreographer Debbie Allen, celebrity photographer Nigel Barker, broadcast journalist Chris Matthews, former Miss America Susan Powell and music producer Michael Feinstein.

The breakdown for scoring is 30 percent for composite preliminary score, 30 percent talent, 20 percent evening gown and 20 percent swimsuit.

Harman promotes new CD

Katie Harman, former Miss Oregon and 2002 Miss America, was in Las Vegas promoting her latest CD, "Soul of Love." Harman is a motivational speaker and an accomplished operatic soloist.

Her new CD offers a collection of love songs based on Italian, French and English poetry.

Portland's Michael Allen Harrison served as pianist and composer for the CD.

A CD release party and signing was held Saturday in connection with the pageant.

And the winner could be ...

It's tough predicting which contestants will make Monday's finals, but here are my picks for 15 who have a good chance to wear the title:

Miss Alabama Melinda Toole, Miss Arkansas Amber Bennett, Miss California Jacquelynne Fontaine, Miss Delaware Jamie Ginn, Miss Georgia Amanda Kozak, Miss Indiana Betsy Uschkrat, Miss Kentucky Rachelle Phillips, Miss Michigan Angela Corsi, Miss Missouri Sarah French, Miss New York Bethlene Pancoast, Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson, Miss Rhode Island Allison Rogers, Miss Texas Shilah Phillips, Miss Virginia Adranna Sgarlata and Miss Washington Kristen Eddings.

Lois Elaine Smith-Zoll is attending her 40th Miss America Pageant. She lives in Vancouver and Mesa, Ariz.

Source

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Former Miss Brazil Missing Since Sept

Brazilian Police said on Saturday they weren't discarding the possibility that human trafficking played a role in the disappearance of a former Miss Brazil who hasn't contacted her family since September. Taiza Thomsen, 24, represented Brazil at the 2003 Miss Universe pageant in Panama. The last time she spoke to her parents, she said she was in London. "At this moment we can't rule out anything, not even the possibility she was a victim of human trafficking," police investigator Marcos David Salem told Brazilian TV. Police began investigating the case on Friday, after Thomsen's family reported her missing the previous day. Police said they had no leads. Thomsen's family has said that in some of their conversations before she went missing, she left them with the feeling that she was being threatened. The family did not elaborate. According to some of her friends, Thomsen had worked briefly in Belgium and there was a possibility she was still there, media reported. More at the Source

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Miss America confronts not-so-pretty TV reality

Twists try to revitalize pageant's makeup.

By Amy S. Rosenberg

Inquirer Staff Writer

AP Photo

Miss Pennsylvania, Emily Wills, left, rides in a gondola along with Miss New Mexico, Christina Hall, second from right, and Miss West Virginia, Tiffany Lawrence, right, at the Venetian hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

Miss America was not the underage beauty queen who tearfully apologized for drinking too much, not to mention making out with Miss Teen USA, and was sent to rehab after a weepy appearance with Donald Trump.

If only.

No, in the 2007 edition of Making Miss America Matter Again, what passes for crisis Miss A style (the other was Miss USA) is the 52 contestants' being ordered to - omigosh! - remove their (not what you're thinking) makeup in front of the cameras.

This is during Pageant School, a tepid two-hour Apprentice-like reality-kinda pageant psych-up show taped in Los Angeles, which will be shown seven times on CMT and its sister stations between today and tomorrow, when the pageant itself is telecast live from Las Vegas.

"It took me a long time to let my family and friends see me without makeup," a panicked Miss Arkansas says. "And now all of America is going to."

Hey, tune in for yourself if you want to know how it turns out. No spoilers here.

Returning to Vegas after last year's debut outside her ancestral Atlantic City home on cable country-music network CMT, the Miss America pageant is still fiddling around for just the right mix, the perfect fix, the next big idea that will reestablish it as a player on the televised-pageant scene, not to mention the American pop-culture landscape.

Part CMT cowgirls, part Vegas bathing beauties. Part desperately seeking sex appeal, part can't seem to shake that wholesome thing. Mostly hoping channel surfers mistake them for the gorgeously bosomy briefcase girls on Deal or No Deal who line up just like Miss America contestants but get better ratings. That television juggernaut will also air tomorrow at 8 p.m.

(Naturally, Miss USA already snagged that special gig to have its contestants be Deal or No Deal briefcase beauties. Foiled again!)

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Miss USA Tara Conner: 'I'm an Alcoholic'

By Brenda Davis Jan 28, 2007

The reigning beauty queen of the Miss USA pageant has admitted that she is an alcoholic, according to a report online by People Magazine. Miss USA Tara Conner was allowed to keep her crown when she agreed to enter rehab.

Now she's put and seeking to rebuild her bruised image as a pure and wholesome beauty queen. The blonde bombshell tells the weekly entertainment magazine that she is "a completely different person" since going through rehab.

Miss USA Tara Conner: 'I'm an Alcoholic'

"My life has completely changed," she said Friday. "I'm a completely different person out of rehab. Before I entered rehab I hardly knew who I was. I felt like I was floating and I just needed someone to pull me down."

It sounds as if her 31-day stint in rehab may have provided some enlightenment. "I didn't think I had any kind of issue going into rehab. I even said, 'I'll get some free therapy,' or something like that – and that was so ridiculous," says Conner. "But I've realized I do have an issue. I suffer from the disease of alcoholism and addiction. And if there's anything that I want people to know it's the severity of this disease and what it can do to people."

***

TMZ.Com notes that the reformed party girl admits she started boozing at the age of 14, but now she's come to terms with the fact that she has "an issue." Despite the mess she made for herself, she says, "I would not change my past, because it gave me my future."

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Beauty Pageants: Not What They Used To Be!

Long-time readers know that I try to keep abreast of developments in the world of beauty pageants. I've generally focused on Miss World and Miss Universe, but I thought this year I should check out the new format for the Miss America contest, the finals of which are tomorrow night.

So I went to Yahoo News Photos to see how the pageant has been going. This is what I found on the first page of Yahoo's Miss America slide show; click to enlarge:

I certainly wouldn't want to malign the guys at Yahoo News, but doesn't it make you wonder whether they are quite in the Miss America spirit?

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Kidnap fear after former Miss Brazil goes missing

Brazilian police fear that a former Miss World contestant may have been kidnapped after going missing in London more than three months ago. Taiza Thomsen, who was Miss Brazil in 2002, was last heard of in September and she has stopped withdrawing money her father paid into her bank account. Brazilian police have now alerted Interpol and are contacting British authorities to try to confirm whether Ms Thomsen, 24, was living in England. “We can’t rule out anything, not even the possibility she was a victim of human trafficking,” Marcos David Salem, the officer leading the investigation, said. Yesterday Ms Thomsen’s parents appealed for information about their daughter’s whereabouts. “We can’t take it any more,” said Antonio Thomsen. “It is too sad.” More at the Source

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MISS RHODE ISLAND WINS 2007 MISS AMERICA “QUALITY OF LIFE” AWARD

PRESS CONTACT:
Sharon Pearce
Miss America Organization
609-345-7571 x33
sharon@missamerica.org

MISS RHODE ISLAND WINS 2007 MISS AMERICA “QUALITY OF LIFE” AWARD

Miss Arizona and Miss Alabama earn runner-up honors

Las Vegas, NV – January 27, 2007 – Allison Rogers, Miss Rhode Island; Hilary Griffith, Miss Arizona; and Melinda Toole, Miss Alabama were recognized today for their community service as recipients of the 2007 Quality of Life Award from the Miss America Organization. The honors were announced today at a press conference held at the Aladdin, soon to be Planet Hollywood, Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2007 Miss America Pageant which will be broadcast live on CMT on Monday, January 29 at 8:00p.m. EST.

Rogers received top honors and a $3,000 scholarship for her work on her platform, Go Green! Global Warming Awareness. Griffith, the first runner-up, earned a $2,000 scholarship for work on her platform, Strength Over Silence: Rape Awareness and Recovery. Toole won second runner-up honors and a $1,000 scholarship for her platform, Character Education.

Miss Rhode Island Allison Rogers, has her M.Ed. degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Special Focus on Environmental Education, and graduated Harvard University with an undergrad degree in Comparative Study of Religion. Her scholastic honors include being a Cum Laude Graduate, a John Harvard Scholar, and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Rogers’ scholastic ambition is to obtain a Mater’s Degree in Business Administration.

Miss Arizona Hilary Griffith, is attending Arizona State University and pursuing a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Her scholastic honors include receiving the ASU President’s Scholarship and the KNXV-TV Scripps-Howard Scholarship, and making the ASU Dean’s Honor List. Griffith’s scholastic ambition is to obtain a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Miss Alabama Melinda Toole, has a degree from Samford University in Early Childhood/ Special Education/Elementary Education & Collaborative. Her scholastic honors include being a Cum Laude Graduate, and on the National Dean’s List, and a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Educational Honor Society. Toole’s scholastic ambition is to obtain a Masters of Arts Degree in Elementary Education.

The Quality of Life Awards program was introduced in 1988 as the first community service-related scholarships presented to Miss America contestants. They have since been amended with numerous other community service awards sponsored by the Miss America Organization, to contestants at all levels of competition and to high school students.

As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance.

The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.

Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org.

For up-to-the-minute competition news and information as well as downloadable high-resolution images of Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry and the 2007 Contestants visit the 24-hour access online pressroom at http://www.MissAmericaPressRoom.com.

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MISS CALIFORNIA JACQUELYNNE FONTAINE AND MISS PENNSYLVANIA EMILY WILLS, WIN PRELIMINARY AWARDS AT 2007 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION

PRESS CONTACTS: Sharon Pearce Miss America Organization 609-345-7571, ext. 17 sharon@missamerica.org MISS CALIFORNIA JACQUELYNNE FONTAINE AND MISS PENNSYLVANIA EMILY WILLS, WIN PRELIMINARY AWARDS AT 2007 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION Las Vegas, NV - January 27, 2007 - Miss California Jacquelynne Fontaine was named Saturday night's preliminary Talent winner for her Operatic Vocal performance to “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca during the third night of competition in the 2007 Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Jacquelynne will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Also in the spotlight was Miss Pennsylvania Emily Wills, who was the preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit winner in a black and white striped Venus swimsuit with red piping. Emily will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The Miss America 2007 final night of competition will be broadcast nationally, live from Las Vegas, on CMT on Monday night, Jan. 29 from 8-10 p.m. EST. As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance. The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs. Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org. For up-to-the-minute competition news and information as well as downloadable high-resolution images of Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry and the 2007 Contestants visit the 24-hour access online pressroom at http://www.MissAmericaPressRoom.com. To download photos of tonight’s preliminary winners, go to http://www.missamerica.org.

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Briana Lipor

Briana Lipor
Originally uploaded by pageantcast.

Briana Lipor, Miss Festival of Trees 2007 (a prelim to Miss Wisconsin MAO), visits our sister program on the radio, Stimmung Stunde on WJYI in Milwaukee. Photos are up on the gallery and we will have her on the PageantCast soon.

MISS HAWAII PILIALOHA GAISON AND MISS NEBRASKA MOLLY McGRATH, WIN PRELIMINARY AWARDS AT 2007 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION

PRESS CONTACTS:
Sharon Pearce
Miss America Organization
609-345-7571, ext. 17
sharon@missamerica.org

MISS HAWAII PILIALOHA GAISON AND MISS NEBRASKA MOLLY McGRATH, WIN PRELIMINARY AWARDS AT 2007 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION

Las Vegas, NV - January 26, 2007 - Miss Hawaii Pilialoha Gaison was named Friday night's preliminary Talent winner for her Tahitian Dance to “Te Vaka” during the second night of competition in the 2007 Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Pilialoha will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Also in the spotlight was Miss Nebraska Molly McGrath, who was the preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit winner in a magenta Venus swimsuit. Molly will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Miss America 2007 final night of competition will be broadcast nationally, live from Las Vegas, on CMT on Monday night, Jan. 29 from 8-10 p.m. EST.

As the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation's leading achievement programs, The Miss America Organization last year made available more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance.

The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.

Additional information about the Miss America Organization can be found at http://www.MissAmerica.org.

For up-to-the-minute competition news and information as well as downloadable high-resolution images of Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry and the 2007 Contestants visit the 24-hour access online pressroom at http://www.MissAmericaPressRoom.com.

To download photos of tonight’s preliminary winners, go to http://www.missamerica.org.

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Jonesing for a contest? Root for Miss Washington

CATHY SORBO

Oh, that game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. So much tension and so much elation when that clock finally ran out. Then, the formidable Chicago Bears. No one thought this game would go as far as it did. We made it into overtime. Could we go all the way? Sports fans around the city were hoping for a repeat of a Seahawk Super Bowl, fantasizing about the bean dip and cold-cut platters that would grace super parties across the Puget Sound region.

However, our hard-working Seattle Seahawks lost to the Bears, leaving us in the celebratory lurch. What to do? Sure, we can pick a favorite team to support for the Feb. 4 game, but why wait? I suggest we release our whoop during the upcoming Miss America pageant, to be aired Monday night on CMT (Country Music Television).

Normally I might avoid a televised pageant, but this year, our Miss Washington (Kristen Eddings) looks like she will obliterate the competition, smashing them into the ground like insects (but with poise and grace).

Eddings won the title of Miss Washington as Miss Kitsap, and her hometown paper, The Kitsap Sun, will be following her to the magical pageant-land of Las Vegas to report from the sidelines. A large group of supporters has traveled from Washington to Las Vegas as well and, according to the blog Fun Bus Chatter, the state of Washington represents the largest number of out-of-state supporters after Oklahoma. If you need a place to party on Monday night, Kitsap County is the place to be.

If you are thinking there is too much disconnect between the Miss America pageant and football, set your wayback machine to 1971. A young lady from Denton, Texas by the name of Phyllis George was crowned Miss America and went on to become the first female sportscaster in America as co-anchor of the hugely popular "NFL Today Show." She co-hosted three Super Bowl broadcasts as well, so there.

You may be wondering what you need to ensure a successful Miss America party. Obviously, you will need beer. You need to treat this party just as you would a rollicking sports-related event. And be sure to create a betting pool similar to those you find at any sport party. Do your research by perusing the pageant's Web site to scope out choices for runners-up.

Certainly there are drinking games that can be fashioned around a pageant. If a contestant trips, take a drink. Every time God is mentioned, take a drink. Whenever you hear the word America take two drinks. And speaking of drinks, did you see the photos of the way-too-inebriated Katie Rees, ex-Miss Nevada USA? I was hungover just looking at them. She was de-throned after photographs of her enjoying a night out on the town surfaced publicly. It would appear that she let a bit too much of her native Florida charm out that night. The photos are very rude and extremely tacky, worlds away from the photos of ex-Miss America Vanessa Williams that ended up in Penthouse, and are responsible for getting her drop-kicked from her title.

Along with the drinking games, there is lots of old-fashioned immature merriment to be had by gently making fun of the other contestants, and here's one we can start with immediately: Miss Tennessee, Blaire Ashley Pancake. Yes, Pancake. Miss Wisconsin's "Novelty Baton Dance" surely will be an easy target as well.

The young women in this pageant will compete with platform issues ranging from asthma awareness to identity theft, with scholastic ambitions that include doctorates in neuropsychology as well as minors in event coordination. Kristen Eddings, our Miss Washington, will be facing a tough team of adversaries, and I am looking forward to seeing her wipe the floor with their fresh little faces, with an eloquence worthy of Miss America.

Source

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Miss America 2006 Reflects on a Year of Service

Editor's note: The 2007 Miss America Pageant airs live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Monday (Jan. 29) at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.

As Jennifer Berry has learned during the past 12 months, being Miss America is a huge honor, but it's also a full-time job. These days, Miss America travels approximately 20,000 miles a month and is in a different city or town every 24 to 48 hours.

As Miss America 2006, Berry has embraced and somehow endured that schedule during what she will always remember as one of the busiest years of her life. With somewhat mixed emotions, the Tulsa, Okla., native will relinquish her crown when Miss America 2007 is decided on Monday (Jan. 29) in Las Vegas.

In a recent interview with CMT Insider's Lisa Lee, Berry talked about her whirlwind year and what she's looking forward to in the months ahead.

The day is drawing near. How do you feel at this moment -- knowing that your reign is almost over?

It's very bittersweet. Part of me is excited to get back to a little bit of normalcy and to be able to hand this opportunity to another young woman. I'm excited about that. But at the same time for me, it's not the end of one year. It's really the end of six years. I started competing five years ago. That whole phase of my life will be over, but I'm excited to move onto the next thing.

Do you remember normal after such a crazy year?

No. There are times I go home and I just want to go to Walgreen's and I'm excited to drive. My mom never drives. She goes, "I know you want to drive because we're driven everywhere." ... You go home and you miss the little things, like driving your own car, so I remember it, and I'm excited to go back to it.

You've done just about everything and have probably met a million people. What has been the best part of being Miss America?

Working on my platform -- which has been incredibly rewarding for me -- and being the only Miss America with the platform of building intolerance to drunk driving and underage drinking and the only Miss America to be a national spokesperson for MADD. I've hopefully touched a lot of lives and saved a lot of lives this year and made an impact on the country.

But the other thing that is really memorable to me are my visits with the military and my work with the USO. Miss America has a long-standing relationship with the USO, and I was privileged to have those opportunities this year to visit soldiers and their families at the Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals and really actually be in the midst of war and be able to see what happens when these soldiers are sent home from Iraq. Most Americans don't have that opportunity to walk up and shake a soldier's hand and talk with their family and actually see it firsthand. For me, that is something that I will always remember.

And I know a lot of people were excited to meet you this year, but who were you excited to meet?

I'm from Oklahoma, so it's pretty obvious that I'm a country music fan, so I was just so excited when I won Miss America because I knew we had such a great relationship with CMT and I was going to have so many wonderful opportunities. So going to the CMT Music Awards, going to the CMA Awards, I remember just being in the midst of such incredible talent and people I've admired my whole life. At the Charlotte's Web premiere, I got to meet Reba. ... Just to have those opportunities to meet people I probably never would have met, especially the country music artists. I get star-struck just like everybody else.

After experiencing so much in such a short time period, what will you miss the most about being Miss America?

I think just the variety of opportunity. Everybody asks, "What's a typical day like?" And I say, "There is no typical day." I think that's what keeps you going. I think that's what's exciting about it. It's not mundane at all. One day you're on this side of the country, and 24 hours, later you're on the other [side] doing something totally different. And I think I'm going to miss that [and] the response of walking into a room and hearing the crowd be so excited to see Miss America. And I still don't think I even comprehend that I'm Miss America. I'll be passing the crown on and never really have got it in my head. I think I'm just going to miss the excitement and the variety.

What will you not miss?

I will not miss the plane rides. I will not miss living out of two suitcases. You know, it's ironic. One day you know we'll be at the Ritz-Carlton and the next day we'll be in the Holiday Inn -- and I'm still washing all my clothes in the sink wherever I am. We may be at this five-star hotel, and we're down on our hands and knees washing our clothes. The glamour, yeah. The glamour that's not really there. I won't miss that, and I definitely won't miss being away from my family and my friends and just being in one place. I always say room service is great, but I miss going to the refrigerator and making a turkey sandwich.

Everyone thinks of Miss America as being so glamorous. Part of that glamour is the crown. Is it comfortable?

It is. It's very comfortable, actually. It's very light. Now, the funny thing is: The box that it comes in is very heavy and very hard to carry around. The crown itself is really the staple and the vision and the tradition that everyone knows. Another exciting thing that I've loved this year is being able to crown little girls who come up and meet me and just see how excited they are and the looks on their faces when they're wearing the crown. Because I can easily remember just like it was yesterday being that little girl that looked up to Miss America, and that's something I tried to hold onto this year.

Can Miss America ever have a bad hair day?

I have, and they haven't taken the crown away yet. ... I always say, "I've got to go transform into Miss America." I'm the girl who likes to wear stretchy, comfy pants, a baseball cap and no makeup. So I do try to maintain the look of Miss America, but you definitely have bad hair days. You have days where your schedule is so busy that you may not have time to wash your hair. You just have to roll with it.

What's next for you? You have aspirations to go on to graduate school, right?

I do. I've been blessed to make a lot of good relationships that will carry over this year. ... I'll get to do a lot of appearances and continue. ... In the fall, I plan to finish my degree. I have $50,000 left to finish my education, so the door is wide open, and I'm just thrilled to take all of the opportunities that are out there. It's interesting. When you end your year as Miss America, it's kind of like you're standing under a cloud of a bunch of different directions you can go in, and you kind of just have to wait and see where you are led to. I'm excited about that to see what comes next.

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