March 5, 2012
April Wefler
[email protected]
The Miss USA pageant is over, but Ms. UCCS is just about to start. Three years ago, after the success of Mr. UCCS, Ms. UCCS was created. The competition will return to Clyde’s this week.
“Someone suggested doing a female version. It worked pretty well, so we’ve done it ever since,” said Michelle Wood, event coordinator for the Office of Student Activities (OSA).
Wood also mentioned that while Mr. UCCS is more popular because of fraternity boys entering and the sorority girls supporting them, the turnout for Ms. UCCS keeps getting bigger each year.
The competition has five categories. Contestants will be judged on talent, formal wear and spirit wear. Contestants will also have a handy-woman category and a Q-and-A session.
Wood added that OSA strives to make the competition more of a funny event than a stereotypical beauty pageant. “Women have more reservations about competing,” she noted.
As part of the handy-wear category, contestants are given a certain amount of time and a certain amount of random items – pipe cleaners and hula hoops, for example – and must create something using those items. The contestants then explain what they made and the purpose of the item.
Although the other four categories aren’t in a particular order, the Q-and-A session is slated to be last. Two questions will be chosen from the audience, and a judge will ask a third.
Most contestants won’t reach the handy-wear category or the Q-and-A session. Although all of the contestants will go through at least the first three rounds, depending on how many contestants there are, two to three people will be eliminated following those rounds.
At press time, OSA was unsure of how many contestants it will have. The last day to nominate someone was Feb. 29, and from there OSA will tally the most popular votes.
After the votes have been counted, the top 10-15 people will be chosen to compete. If anyone turns down the opportunity to compete in Ms. UCCS, the next person with the most votes will be asked to compete.
First, second and third place winners can choose whatever package they would like with an array of items, ranging from UCCS apparel to chick flicks and DVDs.