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Aggielife
Page 3 • Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Crowning glory
A&M women capture Miss San Antonio, Miss Aggieland titles, head to state pageant
B
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By Lauren Smith
THE BATTALION
eauty pageants are not all about Texas-size hair, layers of
makeup or swimsuit competitions. Although ‘butt glue’ or
hair spray is often used to keep the girls’ swimsuits from
riding up and there aren’t really any cat fights in the dressing room,
there is more to the pageant world than the superficial stereotype.
Two Aggies know what it takes. The Miss San Antonio crown was
passed from one Aggie to another on March 20, 2004.
Former Miss San Antonio and communication major Elizabeth
Jones and reigning Miss San Antonio and senior journalism major
Gassy Meyer have known each other since third grade, making the
passing of the crown a memorable event for both women.
“To be able to crown Gassy was not only fun, but sentimental as
well,” Jones said. “She will do a phenomenal job this year.”
Meyer competed in her first pageant in 2001 as Miss Brazos
Valley, but her fascination with pageants began long before that.
“Beginning in kindergarten, watching pageants was a family event
in my house as I would announce to the entire house that it was pag
eant night,” Meyer said. “My dad would be sweet about it and join in.
lean remember watching and hoping 1 would compete someday.”
Jones became involved with pageants when she was not chosen
as an officer of the Churchill High School dance team. Her dad sug
gested that she turn her energy elsewhere, and pageants were a per
fect match.
“I first did it for fun and for the experience, but now I have two
other reasons: to educate women about breast cancer because I lost
my mother to the disease when I was 7,” Jones said. “My second
reason for doing it is 1 want to spread the message of 1 Peter 3:4, as
I believe that all things beautiful come from the Lord. I want these
ladies to know that in the end, our physical beauty does not matter,
only our hearts and relationships with the Lord.”
Platforms are an essential part of pageants, and many of the con
testants are passionate about their particular platform because of
personal experience. Meyer is a speaker for Mothers Against Drunk
Driving and will speak at schools in San Antonio throughout the
next year while she is attending Incarnate Word College on a
$15,000 scholarship.
“My father was hit by a drunk driver, and I share my story about
how he was hit and how it affected my family’s life,” Meyer said. “He
only has 30 percent of his heart now and is very limited in what he can
do. Traveling is difficult for him, but he did make it to the Miss San
Antonio pageant and will hopefully be at my May graduation.”
Working as a “servant to the city” over the past year, Jones said
she had an amazing year as Miss San Antonio, a role she calls “the
most fun and rewarding job in the world.”
“Your duties range from get
ting down on one knee to talk to a
4-year-old little girl who wants to
touch your crown to raising
money for charities, like the
American Diabetes Association,”
Jones said. “As Miss San Antonio
USA, you are the people’s queen,
you are there to interact with
them, to bring joy to their lives.”
Last year’s pageant came
down to Meyer and Jones, and
Meyer received the first runner-
up award. The USA system does
not have a talent portion like the
America system. Women often
return and compete at pageants
several times.
“Being the first runner-up the
year before, people say to you,
‘work hard,’ but don’t expect any
thing for next year,”’ Meyer said.
“Winning the next year usually
doesn’t happen because you
psych yourself out, thinking you
have to win. There were so many
talented, beautiful girls, so I was
shocked when I won.”
Meyer and Jones will compete ^ ass V Meyer (far left) was crowned
in the Miss Texas USA pageant in Elizabeth Jones will both compete in
June for eight days in Laredo.
Jones is competing in the pageant for her fourth year with a new
title, Miss Aggieland USA. Meyer will be preparing for the compe
tition by working out with a personal trainer at a gym in San
Antonio, a service she received as part of her Miss San Antonio title,
eating healthy and getting her wardrobe together. She will also be
working on her resume tape to help advance her dreams of being the
next Diane Sawyer.
“Winning a title is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and chances
are it will never happen again, so 1 want to enjoy every moment,”
Meyer said. “Pageants are very neat, and they do open doors for
women. They are a chance to celebrate yourself and have doors open.”
Jones also has nothing but positive things to say about pageants.
“Pageants allow a woman to have a voice on any given issue, and
they allow a woman to find confidence in herself by stretching her
physically, mentally and emotionally,” Jones said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF • CASSY MEYER
Miss San Antonio this year. Meyer and senior communication major
the Miss Texas Pageant in June. Jones is the reigning Miss Aggieland.
Both women plan to stay involved in pageants in some way in
the future.
Meyer is currently the president of A&M’s Student Pageant
Association, and she hopes to start a SPA at Incarnate Word, as the
organization is going national.
Staci McCallister, senior sports management major, will be com
peting in the Miss Texas USA pageant as Miss Big Bend USA. She
participated in and won the “Miss S.P.A Texas A&M University
Mock Pageant" this past November.
“Every time I do a pageant I learn something about myself,”
McCallister said.
Meyer said pageants are a different kind of challenge than most
are used to but a valid one nonetheless.
“High heels with a swimsuit is definitely not the norm, but it is
all jus^.a rest of confidence,” Meyer-said.
:.t: j
Career Opportunities in Biotechnology
Join us for
Career Conversations ^
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BRUCE LEANDER
President of Ambion
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Wednesday, April 14 @ 12 noon
Koldus 110
j-f^CAREER Center
http://careercenter.tamu.edu
C-2F Texas A&M University
With you every step of the way
209 Koldus 845-5139
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