Miss ISU: No woman left behind?

Saturday, Oct. 29, 16 young ladies competed in the 24th annual Miss ISU pageant.

The pageant, which was first held in 1958, has allowed ISU women to work in the community, as well as show off their attributes.

As stated in the Oct. 26 article in the Statesman, a requirement for eligible participants is they must raise at least $100 for the Children's Miracle Network. Contestants also spread awareness for causes "close to [their] hearts," Freda Luers, associate director of student activities, has said.

However, the most noticeable aspect of the pageant is what takes place during the competition itself. The women are asked to partake in a fitness and healthy lifestyle portion, where the girls are judged on their poise, physical health, confidence and charisma.

During the talent portion, the women sing, dance, play an instrument or recite poetry for 90 seconds. They then participate in the evening gown portion, where the contestants walk across the stage in formal dresses and are also judged for their confidence and stage presence.

Regardless of the stipulations or connotations tied to pageants, the contestants do collect at least $1,600 for charity—that's always a positive.

However, we can't ignore those stipulations or connotations. Even if community service is a part of the pageant, it's overshadowed by vanity. Just like any other pageant, the ladies are still critiqued on their appearances.

Out of those 16 contestants, how many of them were overweight? How many of them were awkward? Too tall? Too short? How many under privileged? How many had self-esteem issues?

And how many of them could easily be classified as intelligent?

The problem with pageants of any kind is that they are usually exclusive, focusing on a cookie-cutter image of what a woman should be (in the eyes of the judges).

What ISU should encourage though is a competition for all walks of life. The university has begun to do that with the Miss Gay ISU and Miss Black ISU pageants, but what about everyone else? What about a competition that applauds the academic efforts of ISU's women? What about a competition that praises women who have endured and overcame hardships?

ISU has an opportunity to break from the mold. It can be a university that encourages and rewards its students for what matters in the real world: brains and integrity.

Or it can continue to pay its students based on their surface value.