The 2011 Miss OBU pageant is set to start at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 26 in Jones Performing Arts Center. With the pageant air swirling on campus, Aspen Grams of the Online Signal sat down with Miss OBU 2009, Bethany Whitfield, to get her take on the pageant and its influence on her life.
OS: What made you want to participate in the Miss OBU pageant?
BW: I love this university. I wanted to serve it in a unique way, and I thought Miss OBU was a good fit for my personality, talents, and interests. The rest is history!
OS: What was the most exciting part of the Miss OBU pageant for you?
BW: Two things: During competition, I remember the “sea of red!” From the stage, I remember seeing all the EEE’s on the right and the Rho Sig Red blazers on the left. Incredibly intimidating, yet thrilling all at the same time! I also can still distinctly remember the way I felt the moment they said my name as Miss OBU. I know that’s cheesy, but it’s now been two years, and it is still my immediate thought when the pageant is mentioned. I get excited every year just thinking about that happening for someone else.
OS: What was the most nerve-wracking part?
BW: I was nervous about all the little things. Pageants have the stereotype of being really hard. I was worried there would be some hidden “trick” to winning that I did not know about. I just wanted to do everything right.
OS: What was going through your mind when you heard them announce you as the winner?
BW: SHOCK. I still don’t know why I put my fist in the air. My friends still joke about it. I just remember seeing almost the entire audience jump to its feet–except my family. They just sat their a couple rows back in shock too!
OS: How has winning Miss OBU and going on to the Miss Arkansas pageant changed your life?
BW: I have learned so much about myself but also the world. Ouachita is an incredibly supportive community, and the Miss Arkansas Organization is very much like that too. I certainly have a new appreciation for generosity because I have been invested in by so many neat individuals who did so totally because they loved and believed in me. It’s really humbling. Also, within the “pageant world” is some competition, and that has been a challenge for me. I have learned that I cannot please everybody, and that was (and to an extent still is) a hard lesson to learn. Visiting schools, seeing kids light up when they see my crown, and hearing feedback from parents and teachers has taught me a lot about the power we all have as role models. I am more conscious of myself from this experience for sure.
OS: How was your involvement in Miss OBU able to influence the work you do for your platform, MANAGE for the Future: Personal Finance?
BW: Miss OBU served as a launching pad for MANAGE. I never dreamed this would become such a part of my life! I actually love talking to children and teens about money management, credit/debt, and financial planning. I picked up a Business Minor here at Ouachita because I found myself so engaged with this. It’s incredibly relevant, and almost everywhere I go, I get a lot of receptive listeners. This started as a hobby, became a platform and now has ultimately become a lifestyle. If I could merge this into my career, I would.
OS: What opportunities have you been given through Miss OBU that you wouldn’t have otherwise been able to have?
BW: Countless! I spoke and sang in several churches that had given to OBU. I was asked to speak, walk, read and volunteer in several local schools because of my title. I have also met so many people tied to Ouachita through this experience as well. Also, as a side, being Miss OBU was really a challenge that pushed me way out of my comfort zone, and without it I don’t think I would have the courage that I have today to at least try things regardless of the possibility of failure.
OS: There is a common misconception that pageant girls are pretty girls without much beneath the surface. What are your views on the girls that compete in Miss OBU as well as those who go on to compete in Miss Arkansas?
BW: BIG misconception. The girls I have competited with the past two summers will be business owners, entrepreneurs, politicians, PTA presidents, and overall movers and shakers in their communities, this state, and our nation. If I were a hiring agency, I would start with Miss Arkansas girls because they understand what discipline, service and generosity truly mean. It has been a tremendous motivation in being friends with girls like this. I know I have been inspired by two in particular to seek opportunities in which I can make an impact and leave a legacy.
OS: What advice can you give the girls who will compete on Saturday?
BW: Have fun. Soak it up because you only get a limited amount of chances to compete in this. Take pictures. Give yourself room to “flub up.” Nobody really likes perfect people anyways, right? Laugh. Maybe most importantly, thank your friends and family for loving you and supporting you. Know that all the “formers” (me especially!) will be cheering really loud.
