Friday, February 1, 2008
Taking the Miss America Stage
Alas! I am home, rested and reinvigorated from the 2008 Miss America Pageant! I have been swamped with emails and messages from so many of you and I thank all of you for your support and love. Thanks to all of you who voted for me, to all of you who gathered around your TVs to cheer me on, and to all of you who have sent cards and emails to support me through this exciting time. With all the support I have received, I wanted to tell you all about my once in a lifetime experience as a contestant at the Miss America pageant. My experience in Las Vegas was definitely a time of mixed emotions – there were highs, lows, and everything in between. I’m sure most of you watched the LIVE finals on Saturday, January 26th and are eager to know exactly how I feel about the format of the show and the outcome of the pageant. After taking a few days off to rest up, eat chocolate (along with pizza, Hy-Vee Chinese, and ice cream), and think through everything, I am ready to divulge everything about my week in Fabulous Viva Las Vegas.
First, I must say that the experience was much harder and more exhausting than anyone could have prepared me for. Our appearance schedule was demanding and the rehearsals each day were long. It was quite comical at times to look out in the house of the theater and see Miss contestants sprawled out all over the place trying to catch some zzzz’s. On top of VIP dinners, Venetian gondola rides, and a performance of STOMP, I was constantly trying to stay focused on doing my best for the Miss America competition. I was pretty stringent with my diet, practiced my talent as much as possible, and tried to stay focused on current events and interview preparation. Furthermore, I got about 4-5 hours a sleep a night because I woke up every morning by 5:45 am to get my cardio in for the day on the elliptical in the gym (yes, I was very proud of myself for staying so disciplined through the home stretch). Needless to say, you can see why I slept for nearly 3 days straight once I got back to Iowa.
Arriving in Las Vegas seemed surreal at first. It felt like I should be preparing for another baton contest in Vegas, not thee Miss America competition. The day we arrived we entered the theater and I must say it was breathtaking. There is something about a beautiful, grand theater that captivates me. A sense of relief also came over me after seeing the size of the stage and knowing that I would have no problem with ceiling height during my twirling routine. My living conditions for the week were also amazing. The rooms were beyond comfortable with plenty of space and my roommate and I had a fantastic view of the Bellagio Fountains. Every night before I went to bed I got to see my favorite part of the Vegas strip – I loved it! My roommate was Miss Wisconsin, Christina Thompson, and we truly got along so well all week. She is an amazing young woman and exceptional violinist; I was so happy to see her do well in the finals. Congrats Christina and thanks for being an awesome roomie!!
After spending ten days with all the girls in LA for the reality show, I felt as though I already knew so many of them when I arrived in Vegas, which made the Miss America experience so much more personal for us as contestants. We already had inside jokes, we knew each other’s likes and dislikes, and we could even catch up on relationships, jobs, and more. During a week that could have been tense and excessively competitive, we were able to support and encourage each other not as contenders, but as genuine friends. I’m grateful we had the reality show experience solely because it helped make the ten days in Vegas so much more pleasant.
The competition started for me on Monday evening. I was the last of the day to interview and went into the interview room around 5:45 pm. Overall, I think it went well. They asked me questions about baton twirling (I could talk about that all day), caucusing in Iowa, my platform character education, and even who I was most looking forward to see in the crowd. The ten minutes seemed to fly by for me and I was shocked when time was called. In fact, the judges seemed more uncomfortable than I at times and at one moment were even at a lost for what to ask me next. Although I’m sure it wasn’t a perfect interview, I felt confident that the judges knew much more about me once I left the room.
My favorite night was Tuesday night when I did my talent routine and won the preliminary talent award – I couldn’t have asked for a better night. Wednesday night was my on-stage question and although it felt like an out of body experience at the time, it went well and I was continuing to feel strong with my standing. Thursday night I competed in swimsuit and evening gown. It’s hard to tell what the judges really think about these areas of competition, but I felt great and therefore, finished the preliminary competition on a high note. At this point, everyone was sitting tight to see what would happen Saturday night.
While waiting backstage Saturday night minutes before we went live on the air, I remember thinking, “it’s actually here.” The months of anticipation and hours of preparation have all come to this. I remember thinking to myself, enjoy every minute, it will be over before you know it. Unfortunately, I was hoping the night wouldn’t have ended quite so soon for me.
I have received numerous messages from people all over the country about that moment – the moment when I was eliminated from the competition just as I was prepared to do my preliminary award winning talent routine. I must say that was a very disappointing moment for me and one that hasn’t been easy to grasp. My minimum goal going into the Miss America pageant was to place in the Top 10, so I could perform my talent for millions on national TV. To get so close and then be told by the host that you will not get that opportunity was hard to take. All of a sudden I became the Miss America talent reject, but with a disclaimer that “she brought down the house.” While there has been an overwhelming response of people who were quite upset with my elimination and my untimely departure, I must say to point the finger or take the blame out on TLC, MAO, or the judges would completely contradict why I got involved in this program.
It is in moments like this when our character is tested the most. Thousands of eyes watch to see what you will do, how you will react, if you have what it takes to carry on? I got involved in the Miss America system because I wanted to use my time and talents to promote character education and provide a positive example for our youth. I will not fail on this mission for this means more to me than winning any award or crown! Instead of dwelling on a moment of disappointment, I must look to the night that brought a crowd to their feet and chills to me on stage.
On the evening of Tuesday, January 22nd, I did something that I will never forget. During the talent competition, I nailed my performance, brought down the house, received a standing ovation, and took home a preliminary talent award. It was electrifying and the response I received was unfathomable. People who have been attending the Miss America pageant for 40 plus years told me I was the best twirler they have ever seen. One woman told me that the last time someone received a standing ovation was Heather Whitestone in 1995. Countless individuals from all over the country stopped my family and friends on the Las Vegas strip, praising Iowa for such an entertaining talent. Someone from the national organization referred to me as the best twirler in the world and the brother of another contestant told her that you just had to have been there, “it was an experience!”
As a performer, I think this performance was probably one of my greatest accomplishments to date. All too often twirlers are stereotyped and disregarded as contenders, but something tells me that after walking off the stage that night I gained the respect of thousands and set the misconception of twirlers straight. Plus, I think the judges, the audience, my family, and even the production crew couldn't help but enjoy themselves during those two minutes I performed to "You Can't Stop the Beat." Knowing that the talent I had spent years mastering and hours pouring my heart into was impacting others in such a positive way was truly moving to me. The applause, recognition and respect I received as a performer that night is the greatest thing I could have accomplished from participating in the Miss America pageant.
After twenty years of working hard and perfecting a talent that takes a lifetime to master, it is hard not to be disappointed that I didn’t get the opportunity to perform my talent for America. However, I have no regrets. I did everything I could possibly do to the best of my ability and for that I am very proud. It has been nearly 15 years since Iowa has placed in the top 10 and I am honored to have brought Iowa back to the limelight. Furthermore, I know there are thousands of girls across the country that will never have the opportunity to compete for Miss America and I had that opportunity. I’m grateful to have represented the state of Iowa at Miss America and will forever cherish the memories.
Now I will set my sights on bigger and better things and yes, I will carry on! I have four months as Miss Iowa to travel the state – and my schedule is already full for the month of February! After giving up my crown in June, I will be heading to the Big Apple to perform on Broadway! Thanks to all of you for being such great fans and supporters. I’ll keep you updated on the rest of my year and feel free to drop me a note if you get a chance.
All my best,
Diana
First, I must say that the experience was much harder and more exhausting than anyone could have prepared me for. Our appearance schedule was demanding and the rehearsals each day were long. It was quite comical at times to look out in the house of the theater and see Miss contestants sprawled out all over the place trying to catch some zzzz’s. On top of VIP dinners, Venetian gondola rides, and a performance of STOMP, I was constantly trying to stay focused on doing my best for the Miss America competition. I was pretty stringent with my diet, practiced my talent as much as possible, and tried to stay focused on current events and interview preparation. Furthermore, I got about 4-5 hours a sleep a night because I woke up every morning by 5:45 am to get my cardio in for the day on the elliptical in the gym (yes, I was very proud of myself for staying so disciplined through the home stretch). Needless to say, you can see why I slept for nearly 3 days straight once I got back to Iowa.
Arriving in Las Vegas seemed surreal at first. It felt like I should be preparing for another baton contest in Vegas, not thee Miss America competition. The day we arrived we entered the theater and I must say it was breathtaking. There is something about a beautiful, grand theater that captivates me. A sense of relief also came over me after seeing the size of the stage and knowing that I would have no problem with ceiling height during my twirling routine. My living conditions for the week were also amazing. The rooms were beyond comfortable with plenty of space and my roommate and I had a fantastic view of the Bellagio Fountains. Every night before I went to bed I got to see my favorite part of the Vegas strip – I loved it! My roommate was Miss Wisconsin, Christina Thompson, and we truly got along so well all week. She is an amazing young woman and exceptional violinist; I was so happy to see her do well in the finals. Congrats Christina and thanks for being an awesome roomie!!
After spending ten days with all the girls in LA for the reality show, I felt as though I already knew so many of them when I arrived in Vegas, which made the Miss America experience so much more personal for us as contestants. We already had inside jokes, we knew each other’s likes and dislikes, and we could even catch up on relationships, jobs, and more. During a week that could have been tense and excessively competitive, we were able to support and encourage each other not as contenders, but as genuine friends. I’m grateful we had the reality show experience solely because it helped make the ten days in Vegas so much more pleasant.
The competition started for me on Monday evening. I was the last of the day to interview and went into the interview room around 5:45 pm. Overall, I think it went well. They asked me questions about baton twirling (I could talk about that all day), caucusing in Iowa, my platform character education, and even who I was most looking forward to see in the crowd. The ten minutes seemed to fly by for me and I was shocked when time was called. In fact, the judges seemed more uncomfortable than I at times and at one moment were even at a lost for what to ask me next. Although I’m sure it wasn’t a perfect interview, I felt confident that the judges knew much more about me once I left the room.
My favorite night was Tuesday night when I did my talent routine and won the preliminary talent award – I couldn’t have asked for a better night. Wednesday night was my on-stage question and although it felt like an out of body experience at the time, it went well and I was continuing to feel strong with my standing. Thursday night I competed in swimsuit and evening gown. It’s hard to tell what the judges really think about these areas of competition, but I felt great and therefore, finished the preliminary competition on a high note. At this point, everyone was sitting tight to see what would happen Saturday night.
While waiting backstage Saturday night minutes before we went live on the air, I remember thinking, “it’s actually here.” The months of anticipation and hours of preparation have all come to this. I remember thinking to myself, enjoy every minute, it will be over before you know it. Unfortunately, I was hoping the night wouldn’t have ended quite so soon for me.
I have received numerous messages from people all over the country about that moment – the moment when I was eliminated from the competition just as I was prepared to do my preliminary award winning talent routine. I must say that was a very disappointing moment for me and one that hasn’t been easy to grasp. My minimum goal going into the Miss America pageant was to place in the Top 10, so I could perform my talent for millions on national TV. To get so close and then be told by the host that you will not get that opportunity was hard to take. All of a sudden I became the Miss America talent reject, but with a disclaimer that “she brought down the house.” While there has been an overwhelming response of people who were quite upset with my elimination and my untimely departure, I must say to point the finger or take the blame out on TLC, MAO, or the judges would completely contradict why I got involved in this program.
It is in moments like this when our character is tested the most. Thousands of eyes watch to see what you will do, how you will react, if you have what it takes to carry on? I got involved in the Miss America system because I wanted to use my time and talents to promote character education and provide a positive example for our youth. I will not fail on this mission for this means more to me than winning any award or crown! Instead of dwelling on a moment of disappointment, I must look to the night that brought a crowd to their feet and chills to me on stage.
On the evening of Tuesday, January 22nd, I did something that I will never forget. During the talent competition, I nailed my performance, brought down the house, received a standing ovation, and took home a preliminary talent award. It was electrifying and the response I received was unfathomable. People who have been attending the Miss America pageant for 40 plus years told me I was the best twirler they have ever seen. One woman told me that the last time someone received a standing ovation was Heather Whitestone in 1995. Countless individuals from all over the country stopped my family and friends on the Las Vegas strip, praising Iowa for such an entertaining talent. Someone from the national organization referred to me as the best twirler in the world and the brother of another contestant told her that you just had to have been there, “it was an experience!”
As a performer, I think this performance was probably one of my greatest accomplishments to date. All too often twirlers are stereotyped and disregarded as contenders, but something tells me that after walking off the stage that night I gained the respect of thousands and set the misconception of twirlers straight. Plus, I think the judges, the audience, my family, and even the production crew couldn't help but enjoy themselves during those two minutes I performed to "You Can't Stop the Beat." Knowing that the talent I had spent years mastering and hours pouring my heart into was impacting others in such a positive way was truly moving to me. The applause, recognition and respect I received as a performer that night is the greatest thing I could have accomplished from participating in the Miss America pageant.
After twenty years of working hard and perfecting a talent that takes a lifetime to master, it is hard not to be disappointed that I didn’t get the opportunity to perform my talent for America. However, I have no regrets. I did everything I could possibly do to the best of my ability and for that I am very proud. It has been nearly 15 years since Iowa has placed in the top 10 and I am honored to have brought Iowa back to the limelight. Furthermore, I know there are thousands of girls across the country that will never have the opportunity to compete for Miss America and I had that opportunity. I’m grateful to have represented the state of Iowa at Miss America and will forever cherish the memories.
Now I will set my sights on bigger and better things and yes, I will carry on! I have four months as Miss Iowa to travel the state – and my schedule is already full for the month of February! After giving up my crown in June, I will be heading to the Big Apple to perform on Broadway! Thanks to all of you for being such great fans and supporters. I’ll keep you updated on the rest of my year and feel free to drop me a note if you get a chance.
All my best,
Diana
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