The possibility of a Nicholls State University version of the Miss America Pageant is a topic of much discussion, deliberation and dispute this semester. The pageant, which has been held in the United States since 1921, is often franchised by universities and organizations in order to award scholarships to winning participants. The event was originally called a beauty contest, but in more recent years has been renamed a “scholarship pageant.”
Rushton Johnson, dean of Student Life, originally brought the idea to the University’s attention.
“My role is to always be looking for ways to enhance what we offer in the way of co-curricular activities that appeal to a variety of audiences in the student body,” Johnson said. “I vetted the idea with the Pan-Hellenic council, SGA and others. Pageants are a part of the culture of this area.”
Johnson discussed some of the costs associated with the possible holding of the pageant including a franchise cost of $440 to use the name.
“There are other costs involved- the printing of a program, giving a scholarship to the person that would win and decorations. Those would cost more than if we went very simple or nothing at all,” Johnson said.
Johnson shared some of his other reasons for suggesting the idea of the pageant, as well as some of the opposition he has come across.
“I did have a colleague who voiced objection to me in a meeting and a student mentioned there was a petition offered at the meeting,” Johnson said. “My position is that if the students of Nicholls don’t want this program, I don’t want to bring it to them. What I ultimately would like to see happen is for students to dialogue about it. I’d like to provide them with perspective and let them decide on their own. I’m perfectly content if it’s something the students aren’t interested in.”
The petition circulating that opposes the pageant has collected about 100 signatures since Feb. 19 and is still growing.
Some of the opposition for the event comes from the Nicholls organization Women Involved in Self-Empowerment. At a recent meeting, several members of the group voiced some of their concerns about the event and what it would mean for the University. WISE has not yet spoken directly with the pageant organizers but are open to discussing their opinions with those involved.
“The negatives are that the pageant is focusing mainly on the physical attributes rather than the other things that make a woman beautiful,” said business freshman, Jazzmine Brown.
“It excludes too many people who actually deserve to represent Nicholls,” said Kisha Bashkiharatee, WISE secretary.
“With the budget cuts, I would like to know where the money for this is coming from,” said Tranise Conner, nursing freshman from Houma.
Aimee Miller, WISE president, gave a general consensus on the thoughts of the organization of the pageant.
“As for the general opinion of WISE, speaking for those who have attended the last two meetings that concerned the petition, we feel that the pageant may generate publicity for the University. It is not the kind of publicity that our school should want. We put a lot of research into this and, in essence, the pageant would be based mostly on looks. We believe that a representative of this University should be chosen based on their community service and involvement on campus,” Miller said.
The decision of the pageant has not been finalized. If it is approved, it will most likely be held in the fall of 2009 and will be open to all female Nicholls students.
