Charlene Belew
Student Life Editor
On Oct. 12, The McMahon Coliseum played host to the Miss Lawton Pageant 2014.
The four students that participated in the pageant included Jasmine Brooks, Jobeth Bryan, Sweta Patel and Haley Swinford.
The competitors went through several competitions to win the crown. Contestants were required to do an interview before the pageant, answer questions on stage, compete in a physical fitness in active wear competition, perform in the talent competition and finally impress everyone with their evening wear in the final competition.
Brooks, a 22-year old Pre-Nursing student, said that competing in the Miss Lawton Pageant was something that she will cherish forever, although she felt that there were some unfair qualities behind the competition.
“The overall experience of Miss Lawton was great,” she said. “I met new lifelong friends that I will cherish. I had a lot of fun being able to compete with the talented girls that were competing for Miss Lawton Outstanding Teen and Miss Lawton. I do feel like since there are minorities that do compete that there should be a minority judge so that it is fair.”
As a 20-year-old Business Administration major and sophomore, Bryan said that the pageant was a beneficial experience for her as well as a way to build lifelong friendships.
“Normally, when I go into pageants, I go in to win,” Bryan said. “When you do a pageant, you have every expectation to win. That’s what you’re doing; that’s why you’re spending money. It was life changing for me because I didn’t have the attitude of winning, I was doing it for fun.”
Bryan placed second runner up in the pageant and received a $100 scholarship.
“I was nervous,” she said. “I was just shaking. I’m sure people could see me shaking. I was really pleased, because I didn’t expect to place so highly.”
Bryan said that she feels that pageants are important in society because they allow young women to boost their confidence while learning proper etiquette.
Swinford, a 19-year-old Radio and Television freshman, said that the pageant was a way for her to gain confidence as well as become prepared for her future.
“It’s life – changing because when I do interviews in pageants, I have to be able to compose myself and be a good speaker and that’s going to help me when I have to do job interviews,” Swinford said. “No job interview will be as hard as the questions in a pageant.”
She also said that this pageant did more for her than building confidence and preparedness. Swinford was able to compete along side her sister as well as her best friend, Bryan.
“I had my sister competing along with me as well as Jobeth,” she said. “We’re best friends. So it was just really great having my sister and my best friend competing as well. I’ll always remember that I had a lot of fun and that I got to do it with my sister.”
Bryan commented that her friendship with Swinford began through past Miss Lawton Pageants. She said that during the final moments, she was hoping that her best friend would do well.
“If Haley got crowned, I probably would’ve cried. Not because she won, but because I would be so happy for her,” Bryan said.
The winner of the Miss Lawton title was Ashley Wheeler. Not only did she take home the crown, but she was also rewarded with a $750 scholarship and the opportunity to compete in the 2014 Miss Oklahoma Pageant as Lawton’s representative.
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