The Quad

Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: Features

This year's 10th anniversary of the Miss WCU pageant on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m., showcased the best. Twenty-one of the University's most brilliant, talented and passionate female leaders put on the production of a lifetime.

Hosts for the evening included many former Miss WCU's coming back to contribute. Former titleholders included Miss WCU 1999 Michelle Filling, 2003 Rachel Brooks, 2005 April Halligan, 2006 Sierra Barnes and 2007 Andrea Helfrich.

Helfrich completed her last duty as Miss WCU 2007, when she crowned Miss WCU 2008. Through out the night she spoke about her accomplishments this past year as Miss WCU and being a proud supporter of MADD as her platform, for the fight against underage drinking and drunk driving.

She also danced twice as an introduction to her year as well as a farewell. Producer and choreographer Michael J. Hartman is the mastermind behind this production.

Started in 1999, Hartman has led the development of this pageant to the success it was become today.

"This is something I never thought the program would become," Hartman said. "It's exciting that people look forward to this event, and have so much support. Rachel Brooks, currently Miss Pennsylvania, did a wonderful job. Andrea [Helfrich] did such a great job this past year, and this year's contestants really had the most developed platforms I've seen so far."

The WCU spirit started as soon as the production began. The audience cheered loudly with excitement as the curtain opened, and all 21 contestants were dancing in white dresses to Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" for the opening number. These extraordinary women then went on to compete in casual wear (worth 15 percent), free expression/talent (25 percent), evening wear (15 percent), on stage question (5 percent), while the top five had an additional onstage question and overall impression (five percent).

Throughout the earlier part of the day on Saturday, these women participated in off-stage interviews with the five judges, counting for 40 percent of their final score.

Casual wear displayed the personalities of these women, as they expressed themselves through the fun attire and unique walks.

The free expression/talent competition showcased some of the amazing talent this university has to offer. This part of the competition was truly diverse as the women competed through various forms of dancing, color guard routines, martial arts and singing as well as a twirl routine. This part of the pageant was entertaining, and truly made the personalities of these women known.

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