File photo
Miss Southeastern 2015 Emily Randon has now had a year of crowning glory under her belt. For the last year, she has had an abundance of opportunities that would forever change her life. “I feel like my life has changed so much since the night I was crowned,” said Radon. “It was in that unexpected crowning moment that I knew I had a big year ahead of me. Not only have I grown in personal areas of my life, but I have also been given the chance to give back to my community and that’s something that means much more to me than a crown.”

The road to becoming crowned Miss America is a possibility for those already in preparation for Miss Southeastern 2016. 

To some, a preliminary to competing for Miss Louisiana could lead to competing for Miss America is winning Miss Southeastern. Though the path has only just begun, future contestants know how important it is to make sure to have all the information available. 

“I came to the information meeting mainly to get the information so I can compete and know part of the process to becoming crowned,” said junior mass communication major Brianna Young. 

Included in some of the requirements for competition is current GPA standing, full-time student status and to be enrolled at Southeastern for entire time of title. Some believe that these requirements help to show that Miss Southeastern is not just about beauty, but also in showing how important the education provided by the university is. 

“I really want to positively acknowledge the school for being a place to go and excel,” said freshman business major Rachelle Cook. “It is not a bunch of little girls coming together saying, ‘I’m pretty, I won a tiara.’ It is about all the types of gorgeous. It’s about promoting that everyone is gorgeous and everyone is beautiful in their own ways. It is acknowledging that you can be pretty and successful.”

Miss Southeastern is set up into five phases of competition; interview, physical fitness in swimsuit, talent, on stage question and evening gown. Each phase counts for a percentage of the final score and has criteria that contestants must follow. 

Though some of the phases may be intimidating, the competition helps to promote confidence in all contestants. 

“The biggest thing is promoting confidence,” said Cook, “Today, especially with what you see on social media, I think it makes it hard for girls to feel confident. I think since you can take an assortment of college girls that aren’t celebrities; see them confident, beautiful and who they are is a good thing.”

Another requirement of Miss Southeastern is promoting a platform which some contestants have already thought about.

“I plan on participating for Miss Southeastern with the hopes of getting my platform ‘Paws for a Cause’ out,” said Young. “I’m working with the Tangi Humane Society to spread awareness about animal care. Hopefully when I get my crowning moment, I’ll be able to share it with other people.”

Contestants can choose their platform and Young’s reasoning is because she wants people to know the benefit pets can provide for people. 

“I have two pet dogs and I can’t imagine my life without them,” said Young. “My aunt got diagnosed with cancer and my dog helps her with her chemo. They allow [my pet dog] to go in while she is going through the process [of treatment] and it helps cancer patients and everyone keep their spirits up.”

The winner of Miss Southeastern 2016 will have tuition paid for an entire academic year starting in Fall 2016, our expense paid trip to Monroe in June for the Miss Louisiana pageant and a $1,000 clothing allowance. Runners up will receive one semester of tuition and will become Miss Southeastern if the winner of Miss Southeastern 2016 cannot fulfill her obligations. 

With the winnings of Miss Southeastern 2016, other obligations required are attending Strawberry Jubilee, university events and Miss Louisiana among some. 

Though two informational meetings have passed, two more are still set to occur in the Student Government Association Conference Room. The first will be today at 4:00 p.m. and the second will be Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Contact Campus Activities Board for questions about Miss Southeastern.