Behind The Curtain: A look into Pageant life

As Pageant season approaches, many students are preparing to enter competitions to show off their beauty, talent, and charm. To the audience, pageants are entertaining and exciting to watch, but most of us don’t know what the contestants go through behind the curtains. What obstacles did they have to go through to show the best version of themselves on stage?

The Orange and Blue pageant is one of the most anticipated pageants of the year, and many freshmen use this competition as an opportunity to put their name out there. Morgan Rafter, a sophomore elementary education major, shared her experience in participating in the Orange and Blue 2024 pageant.

Rafter had previously participated in pageants when she was little, but she wanted to try one in college, too, and Orange and Blue was the perfect start. Rafter said, “I am glad that I did it because it prepared me for other pageants, it prepared me for interviews, it gave me some friends, I got introduced to some people early on in my freshman year, and overall it was just a great experience.”

Unfortunately for Rafter, everything about her experience wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. “I almost quit the pageant,” Rafter said. “I felt like every day we were getting put down left and right, someone wasn’t doing something correctly, and we were getting cussed out. I felt like that played a big part.”

Rafter also mentioned how she felt as if the boys and the girls were being treated differently. In her opinion, the boys played around while the girls were on the stage for two hours rehearsing. “Other than that, my pageant sisters really kept me going to finish something I already started. I’m not a quitter, so I wasn’t going to give up.” 

Although it was tough, these obstacles helped shape Rafter into the person she is today. “I learned that it is okay to be resilient and have to push through, and I also learned that it is okay to make connections, even though I didn’t win the pageant; more people knew me because I participated in it,” Rafter said. Many students must be wondering, is entering the Orange and Blue pageant worth it?

Rafter explains how most of the participants were doing it for the scholarship money and didn’t consider how they would balance their extracurricular activities, school, and volunteer work if they happened to win the pageant. Even though Orange and Blue is the best pageant for freshmen, Rafter would advise others to start small. 

Rafter says, “With Orange and Blue, I would advise them to make sure this is the one they really want to do because I feel like none of us were really prepared for how much time commitment it would take.”

Ever since the Orange and Blue pageant, Rafter has been thinking about participating in more, especially now that she knows what to expect. “If I want to do a pageant, then I will go for it, but if God isn’t leading me that way, then I’m not going.”

Pageant contestants like Morgan Rafter all have different experiences and struggles. Another student, Makayla Mills, a sophomore elementary education major, participated in two pageants in her freshman year and eventually got crowned Miss 1933 at the Miss Omega Pageant.

“I wanted to join Miss Omega because I wanted to do better than I did in the last one, and so I can be more involved on campus,” Mills explains. She is glad that she joined a second pageant because she made new friends and got to show people her real personality.  

Of course, a pageant wouldn’t be a pageant without obstacles, and Mills had a few of them. “Not only was I doing a pageant, but I was also doing ambassadors, and with school work as well, it was a lot of stress,” Mills said. “Along with money, I was worried about if I was making enough or if I could make enough in time for the pageant.”

As Mills worked her way over these obstacles, she found that she learned new things about herself in the process, and the advice she would give to others. “Don’t be afraid to show your true self, like, be goofy, just be yourself. I am not a good talker, but I learned that you have to approach people differently when getting to know them.” Mills says she always encourages people to do a pageant because it will truly help you get out of your comfort zone if you are a shy person like her.

If you are looking for a way to get involved on campus, consider entering a pageant now that you know a little bit about them. The Mr. Ferocious pageant is holding an informational for those interested on September 26th and October 3rd. For additional information, visit the ferocious lion’s Instagram at lu_ferociouslions or contact Ferociouslions1@gmail.com.