I
found myself talking with my good friend about competing in an upcoming
pageant; she asked me what exactly she needed to do to get ready. The
conversation went a little like this:
"Well, girl.. I HOPE you
have been watching the news AND reading the newspaper... and do you
have an opinion on the what the President should do about the economy
and the war? You'll probably have to answer those questions. Think
about what you want the judges to know before you walk into the
interview room; write it down and go over it before you walk in. Oh,
and by the way... What is your platform going to be? It has to be
something meaningful to you; please don't pick anything random. And you
need to think about how you're going to PROMOTE that platform as well.
You can't just pick something and be done. It's all about community
service! And girl, have you been working out? You have to get to the
gym! if you can't make it to the gym, at least try to run a few times a
week... It's really important because you don't want random things
showing on stage! What's your talent by the way? Can you sing? Dance?
Play piano?... Okay, you should probably pick a complicated piece to
get more points, but it can't be too long, because you only have a
minute and a half. You don't wanna go over because then you could be
penalized. So you're basically gonna need an interview suit or dress,
swimsuit, talent dress, and evening gown... Oh, and an opening number
dress. Make sure it's cute... you're not judged technically, but you're
always being watched! Oh, and you need to get pictures taken, and they
have to be really nice. But make sure they don't look too overdone,
because you want to look natural. Do you know how to do hair and
makeup? You should probably work on that because you probably won't be
allowed to have hair and makeup artists backstage...
But anyway girl, that's about it. Any questions???????"
The
funny thing is I'm sure that I've left a lot out of that description.
HAHA! Over the years I have learned that once you know what to do,
you're good to go. But those first couple of pageants... Let's just
call them a "learning experience"!
I'm very thankful for all of
those that have helped me to understand the world of pageants, and hope
I can make them proud this year as I compete again in the journey to
become Miss Virginia, and maybe even Miss America.
It's a demanding job, but somebody's gotta do it!
-Ash:-)
So.....
ODU
is known for many things, including student activities, academics, and
sports (SO EXCITED ABOUT FOOTBALL STARTING IN THE FALL!!!) But
anyway... One little known beautiful fact about ODU is its position
overlooking the majestic Elizabeth River. Why do I say it's little
known?... Because I'm a junior and I'm just finding out about it! HAHA!
The
position is in the WAY back of campus, and unless you get out that way
you won't know about it. However, in one of my classes we had a
"scavenger hunt" where each student wrote down clues about different
sites on campus. I ended up finding the Elizabeth River Boardwalk. I
didn't think I would be too fascinated by what I saw, but I was.
It
was probably about 40 degrees outside, and I had class in about 15 minutes so I wasn't really interested in taking in the atmosphere.
However, when I got there, I just could not help myself. The
environment was so serene... I felt peaceful and happy immediately. I
got closer to the water and took in the beautiful sounds of the waves.
It was absolutely amazing.
After having something like
an inner-body revolution there for a sec, I snapped back into it and realized that I needed to get to class. So I did! But I won't forget the
Elizabeth River boardwalk is there. ODU can get stressful, not including
work and extracurricular activities. It would be nice to get back to
the water when I have a little time to uh, relax.... Whatever THAT is!
-Ash:-)
