“Participating in this pageant is important to me because I want to gain a better sense of self confidence and hope my involvement in it will encourage others to do so as well,” said senior Payton Frisinger.
Frisinger is one of the 13 girls who will be competing Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. for the Miss HBHS pageant. The contestants in this category all attend Har-Ber High School and have been recommended by one of the faculty members. This year differs from the past pageants, because the girls must chose a platform for an issue they feel strongly about.
“I am focusing on being educated on current events and my platform. My platform is based on encouraging girls to be leaders, so i want to make sure that i know statistics and the current status of girls and how they feel about being leaders,” said junior Peyton Stewman.
Stewman is a part of the EAST program, which is in charge of the entire pageant. She knew that they have continued this event for several years and has decided this year that she wanted to participate.
“EAST wants a girl that will represent Har-Ber and present herself and her chosen platform in a positive way. I want to be that girl who keeps the title intact,” said Stewman.
Admission into the event for Adults is five dollars while the price for a Student is three dollars. Half way through the night, during intermission, the audience is invited to vote for their favorite contestant.
“It’s really an opportunity to learn more about yourself and others, build self confidence, and develop your communication skills which has helped me a lot in my daily life already,” said Frisinger.
The EAST club administers this event every year since the first one in 2009. All the profits from the ticket sales go toward the fundraising for the year and years to come.
“We didn’t want it to just be a fundraiser, but an opportunity for girls to grow in their experiences with being on stage and interviews,” said EAST leader Debbie Lamb.
Lamb was the director of one of the preliminaries for pageants and she would help them compete and go on to compete for Miss Arkansas. One of her contestants even competed in Miss America. Lamb knows the positive things that can come out of a pageant and thinks its a great experience for the girls who enter.
“No matter what, I want them to gain interview skills and maintain their platform that they build for the rest of their lives.” said Lamb.
At 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, the high school contestants start will start their interviews. The girls will be on a stage in front of the five judges and will be questioned by each judge. The judges will tally their scores individually without conversing with the other judges, and then the overall total will count for 50% of the contestant’s overall score. After completing this part of the process, the contestants are sent home.
The doors for the pageant open at 6:30 that same night and the girls begin to walk at 7. They compete in business wear first, which is when they share their platform and explain their reasoning behind it. The next division is an optional talent section where competitors will not be judged but can enter if they want to experience. The last part is worth 25% of the girls overall score, being the evening gown division. After the girls walk in their extravagant dresses, a question will be randomly drawn out of a bowl and then given to them to answer.
“I do it for fun. I mean i don’t do anything with the intention to lose but I’m just going into it for the experience and self-development,” said Frisinger.
The winner of Miss HBHS is awarded with many gifts. They are given a really pretty crown, sash, and a bouquet of flowers. Multiple businesses have donated cash awards, or previously paid for membership cards to that company’s business.
“Whoever wins, we encourage them to be in the Christmas parade and speak wherever they can. We look for them to promote their platform and give back to the cause that they feel strongly in,” said Lamb.