Pageant Update

Tori Vance, Miss Arizona Teen USA 2010, has been in the news recently after facing a DUI charge.  I haven’t blogged about it because I find it’s preferable not to repeat rumour filled “news” articles, but I found this article really heartwarming.  Great to see Tori is facing this head on and using it as a teachable moment.

BSCkids recently sat down with the Miss Teen Arizona winner, Tori Vance to talk about her experience with underage drinking and her DUI charge. She talks about the consequences of underage drinking and a message about destructive decisions.

Tori is the all American hometown girl who grew up in Arizona playing sports. She first began modeling at the age of 14 when she signed with Ford Black Modeling Agency.  In high school, Tori was heavily involved in after school activities/clubs such as their dance team, theatre program, spirit squad, and black student union. That eventually took a backseat when Tori entered and won Ms. Arizona Teen USA in 2010 during her junior year of high school. In November, 2011 Tori gave up her crown and moved to Los Angeles to model and is now preparing for the Miss USA 2013 competition.  Her platform for the Miss America Pageant is now underage drinking and its destructive consequences.

BSCkids: Tori Vance

Can you tell us a little about the night that your incident occurred?

I was actually out with some work friends at an early dinner and between the pass around of new flavored drinks I didn’t even give it a second thought that I could have had alcohol in my system. While I was on my way to drop a friend off I missed the turn onto his street and flipped a u-turn to get back on track, and ended up being pulled over.

What were some of the consequences you faced because of your choice that night?

I am currently between court hearings to see what my final

punishment may be but currently my license is suspended and telling my parents was a tough time.

Why do you think underage drinking is such a huge problem?

I think it is a huge problem because teenagers aren’t properly educated on the consequences of a DUI and how quickly something this life changing can happen.

What kind of work are you doing for the organization S.A.D.D.?

Hopefully once I have settled everything in court they will work with me as spokesperson for S.A.D.D. and potentially go to high schools to share my story and create awareness.

What do you hope young adults and teens learn from your experience?

That even with the best intensions in mind, it is never a good idea to underage drink. Always better safe than sorry, and even if you are sure it will never happen to you or you will never get caught, I would say be smart and don’t test your luck!

What is your advice to any teens or young adults who may be faced in a peer pressure situation involving alcohol?

I would say that you never have to do anything you don’t wantto. Even if it may not help your popularity at the time to turn down a drink, it wont matter in a few years how popular you were but how you feel about yourself and your decisions will be with you the rest of your life.

Can you tell us about your plan for the Miss USA 2012 competition?

As of now I plan to compete in MISS California USA 2013, and hopefully bring home the crown! I still have a lot of work to do to get ready, including finding sponsors, a gown, a swimsuit, and spend time working with my charity of choice.

Tori’s profile is still up on my site, with a bio (somewhat out of date now) and photos of her year as Miss Arizona Teen USA » http://www.pageantupdate.info/missteenusa2010/delegates/arizona.htm

From Seventeen:

From gorg gowns to killer swimwear there is a lot to love about being Miss Teen USA. So what were Danielle Doty’s fave fashion moments during her yearlong reign? Check out what she had to say about her top 3 most memorable pieces!

1.)   Our Fashion Sponsor, Sherri Hill, named a dress after me. I put it on during one of my Fadil Berisha fashion photo shoots and was told by Sherri that it fit me and my personality so well, she was naming it “The Danielle”. 

2.)   During NY Fashion Week, our stylist Alisha and I were scrambling for an outfit. I ended up wearing one of Miss Universe’s Custo Barcelona dresses, a cashmere Malo cardigan, and an H&M belt. It has become one of my most memorable ensembles. 

3.)   The dress I wore on the red carpet for the 2012 Miss USA Competition by designer Dany Atrache. It was a gold, cut-out dress that was very mature. It really symbolized me growing up and ending my reign.

 

 

I love that Miss USA is as talented as she is beautiful!

Cellist Olivia Culpo of Cranston, who as Miss Rhode Island was crowned Miss USA this month, will perform with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops Orchestra as part of Providence’s Independence Day celebration at India Point Park, the mayor’s office announced Wednesday.

The Pops and Culpo “will provide entertainment during the celebration and prior to the Fourth of July fireworks display,” according to a news release. The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and the fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. The rain date is July 5.

While in the state, Culpo will also participate in Bristol’s Fourth of July parade and get a key to Cranston at a City Hall ceremony July 6.

I’ve been back in the real world for two weeks now. Looking back, the Miss USA pageant seems like a dream and has left me forever changed.

I spent close to three weeks living at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas with 50 other girls all chasing a common goal. I may not have won the crown, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. It has made me into a stronger, more confident, goal-oriented woman. To sum the past year up in one lesson I have learned: It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.

During our Miss USA media tour in New York City a few weeks before leaving for Las Vegas, President of the Miss Universe Organization Paula Shugart gave all of the contestants some valuable advice. She said that if we made the experience solely about winning then there would be 50 disappointed women, as only one wins. After digesting this statement, I thought, she’s right. If this experience isn’t about winning, then what is it truly about? From that moment on, I decided to treat the contest like I would any other life experience — as an opportunity to grow.

After all, at the end of the day, this is what it all comes down to, right? We want to expand our minds, hearts and souls in a way that fulfills us, that makes us feel like we are grasping what we can out of what life throws our way.

(Read more)

Click here for Rani’s profile, including photos & more! » http://www.pageantupdate.info/missusa2012/delegates/maine.htm

Really happy to announce that I’ve put the Miss USA 2012 competition pics up in my photo archives section! Unlike the pics in the pageant coverage section of my site these are hi-rez images that aren’t close cropped. I also have photos for every year 2000-2011, although there are some pics missing in the earlier sections.

This link takes you to the full-size Fadil photos, from there you can use the nav listings to view the other galleries, and arrows to navigate other years :) 

Miss USA 2012 competition photos archive » http://www.pageantupdate.info/photoarchives/miss/2012/fadils.htm

Index for all official Miss USA photos 2000-2012 » http://www.pageantupdate.info/photoarchives/miss/index.htm

Katherine Webb, 23, recently finished in the top 10 in the 2012 Miss USA pageant in June after winning the Miss Alabama title in January of this year. Born in Montgomery and raised in Phenix City, she attended Auburn University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Administration. Webb agreed to sit down with The Plainsman and discuss the experience of competing for the crown , her final result in the competition and her current plans for the future.

How long have you been competing in pageants?

It all started when I was 18 years old, and I competed in the Miss Georgia United States of America pageant. I placed in the top 15 and won Miss Photogenic, which was great for it being my first time ever doing something like that. So, I decided that I would wait until after I finished college and had a degree before I would compete again. During that break I signed with a modeling agency in Atlanta and Chicago, and I did that to make a little extra money on the side while I was in school at Auburn.

What kind of preparations need to be made to get ready for something as huge as the Miss USA pageant?

Well, obviously, it’s a beauty pageant, so you’ve really got to focus on your outward appearance by means of constantly going to the gym and making sure you’re eating right. You have to maintain perfection, all the way down to your hair, nails, teeth, and makeup, but you’ve also got to prepare mentally and internally by just spending some time by yourself to gather your thoughts and focus on what you’re going to do while you’re in Vegas competing. You’ve also got to prepare for your interview by meeting with your interview coach and have them teach you how to handle political or personal questions, and how to correctly answer those questions. It’s a lot of work.

Read more: The Auburn Plainsman - Miss Alabama Q A

See Katherine’s profile, with more photos, on my site: http://www.pageantupdate.info/missusa2012/delegates/alabama.htm

Cranston is holding a homecoming for the newly crowned Miss USA Olivia Culpo at which she will be presented a key to the city.

Olivia Culpo, a Cranston native who represented Rhode Island in the pageant, will also have a tree planted in her honor.

The public is invited to attend the celebration at City Hall on July 6. The marching band from Cranston East and West high schools will perform.

The 20-year-old sophomore from Boston University was named Miss USA earlier this month . Miss Pennsylvania later resigned her crown, claiming the pageant had been rigged

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has said the city is proud of Culpo for winning the title.

Culpo has also been announced as a participant in Bristol’s famous Fourth of July parade.

@realmissokusa OU junior and Miss Oklahoma USA Lauren Lundeen placed in the top 10 in the June 3 Miss USA pageant. Lundeen said studying dance at the university taught her discipline in her life.

Lundeen said she has learned a lot during her journey from Miss Oklahoma in November to the Miss USA pageant in June.

“With being a full time student and going out and doing appearances while also training for the pageant, I learned a lot about time management,” Lundeen said.

Through duties that come with being Miss Oklahoma, Lauren found there were certain things she had to let go of in order to keep her education and training as priorities.

“I couldn’t quite do the things that most of my friends were doing like date parties, OU athletic games or be involved on campus like I was last year,” Lundeen said. “Every incredible blessing and opportunity comes with a sacrifice, but I knew it would be one worth taking.”

Lundeen is a human relations and modern dance dual major. Dance played a major role in shaping her into the woman she is today, she said.

“Dance has taught me discipline in every area of my life,” Lundeen said. “(OU dance professors) Austin Hartel and Derrick Minter are valuable people in my life who not only taught me dance steps but how to be an extraordinary person both in the dance studio and outside of the studio.”

(Read more)

To view Lauren’s profile, including more photos & info, go to » http://www.pageantupdate.info/missusa2012/delegates/oklahoma.htm