| Subject: Durham high school students help beauty queens prep for pageant |
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Date Posted: 08:21:56 06/03/10 Thu
June 3, 2010
KRISTIN RUSHOWY
EDUCATION REPORTER
They won’t strut their stuff in strapless ball gowns — or bikinis — but 62 Miss Universe Canada contestants will prep their Q&A skills for an upcoming pageant with the help of Oshawa high school students.
During a practice run on June 10 — just days before the Miss Universe Canada pageant — the contestants will answer questions in front of about 300 senior students at G.L. Roberts high school. Some queries will be from the students themselves, who will also critique the women’s responses.
While the principal at the school touts the women as positive role models — many indeed are accomplished university students — connections to a contest where women are judged primarily on their looks isn’t sitting pretty with some.
“The girls that are involved (in the pageant) are certainly smart and they are ambitious . . . but what I find offensive is that they are required, in order to win, to parade around in a bathing suit. I don’t know that in 2010 there’s a place for that anymore,” said Oshawa Trustee Kathleen Hopper.
While she is not sure if having them visit a school is something the board agrees with — “I don’t know if it’s something I would do” — in the end, she added, “(students) are smart enough to think for themselves.”
Andrea Pidwerbecki, spokesperson for the Durham District School Board, acknowledged the event is “unusual,” but said it was sparked by a visit to G.L. Roberts earlier this year by a tiara-clad Mariana Valente, current Miss Universe Canada.
The principal had previously met the beauty queen at a Toronto event.
“This woman is an excellent role model for students, she moved to Canada (from Brazil), learned English-as-a-second-language, is a university student and has aspirations to be a teacher,” said Pidwerbecki.
“Yes, it is a unique event and while not everyone agrees with the format of a pageant, our experience with Miss Valente’s visit was that it had a positive impact on the students and the school community.”
It’s unclear if Valente will be at the event next week.
Principal Deborah Johnson said the day will begin by drawing the names of eight to 10 contestants who describe the “geography” of their hometowns.
“They’ll also talk about their personal message, and their personal messages are always really positive, they connect so beautifully to the kids” through discussions on environmental issues, career planning and “also about having the confidence to stand up and believe in yourself.”
Some of the questions are preplanned and typical pageant fare, but Johnson said she expects some teens will ask the women about body image.
The website for Miss Universe Canada, which is www.beautiesofcanada.com, says more than 10,000 students have been a part of its “inspirational speaking tour” to schools.
The big question
Pageant Q&A with Mariana Valente, crowned Miss Universe Canada 2009:
Has the recession affected you? If so, how?
“I think the recession has affected not only me but everybody in the world, but I believe that our world adjusts to every difficult time that comes.
"So I'm sure not only Canada but the whole world will be able to get through this and learn from this experience. Thank you."
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/818179--durham-high-school-students-help-beauty-queens-prep-for-pageant
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