“Anyone can put on a crown. Anyone can put on a pretty dress, but not anyone can be a Queen,” Elyssa Benavides, 2017 Miss Texas A&M University-Kingsville said at the 2018 Miss TAMUK Scholarship Pageant. But that’s not necessarily true.
Miss TAMUK is a long-standing tradition and was preceded by the Lantana Queen Contest during the Texas A&I University formative years. This pageant allows female students to compete for the title and to become a symbol of grace, success, determination, and a chance to represent the school with respect and decorum.
During the year, Miss TAMUK will speak at or host formal events, advertise organizations, and be active in the community. But one thing’s for certain, Miss TAMUK has to have the skill and courage to express an oration, and it is uncertain if Darcy Guerrero, the new 2018 Miss TAMUK will be comfortable in that position.
The pageant consists of five different stages. The judges’ scores are based on a personal interview that takes place privately between the judges and the candidates, a casual wear competition during which the candidates are introduced, a speaking competition during which the women explain their current career ambitions, an evening gown competition based on their dresses, and a final question interview. The interviews account for 50 percent of the score, speeches and answers are 30 percent and 20 percent is general appearance; their body language, and the atmosphere the candidates radiate.
It seems interesting that 50 percent of the score is unseen by the audience, but what is more odd is that Darcy Guerrero walked off the stage during her schtick of the speaking competition. Honestly in the beginning Guerrero was doing great; involving the audience with her speech, talking about her major – Communications, Sciences and Disorders – but then she started to visibly struggle as many people would if they delivered a speech in front of a crowded audience. Various supporting fans clapped and yelled “It’s okay girl,” and “You got this, Darcy,” but unfortunately she faltered a few more times, took a deep breath, said “I’m sorry. I can’t,” and walked off the stage. This was most surprising, as many fellow candidates said Guerrero’s speech was usually flawless during rehearsal. After she left the stage most of the audience didn’t think the crown would be hers, but in the end she was triumphant. Guerrero explained during the speech that while she was growing up she used to have a problem talking in classrooms and in front of big groups of people because she feared being ridiculed and judged. Guerrero tried to face her fears during the pageant which is more than most people are willing to do. Sadly she didn’t overcome her fear that night, but it was still brave of her to compete and speak regardless of her greatest fear, and luckily the judges got a glimpse of that courage.
When the emcee announced Guerrero as the new Miss TAMUK she, along with many people in the audience, were surprised. Various other candidates said after the personal interview on Friday, April 13, Guerrero was very confident she had done an excellent job. The interview does take up 50 percent of the pageant, but it just seems odd that the judges are the only ones present during the interview. The judges, however, did not deduct a substantial amount of points when Guerrero left the stage. In addition, Guerrero actually scored higher during the speaking portion than other candidates who finished their speeches, which only casts more distrust towards the pageant. Now, understandably, most of the candidates were nervous and struggled slightly as seen when their hands shook, or they paused a little too long, but still they persevered and finished. And yet, Guerrero made the Top 5 and eventually finished 4.5 points ahead of the first runner-up Brenda Riojas.
I strongly believe that if the university is going to host an entire Miss Texas A&M University-Kingsville Scholarship Pageant, then we, the audience, should be able to see every stage of the competition. The audience should be able to see the personal interviews, or the judges should not make the interview 50 percent of the overall score. The rubric on which the judges used to base their results seems complicated and based strongly on appearances despite the fact that Erin McClure, director of student activities, said the pageant is based on more academic standards. Also, once the Top 5 contestants are chosen, their scores are wiped and they are given a clean slate. The winner is then decided based on a single final question interview, which seems to create an unfair situation. The judges were present during every stage of the competition, but the audience full of students and family members only got to see Guerrero strut in a beautiful evening gown, falter her speech, and then be crowned as the new Miss TAMUK. So to us, it doesn’t seem like Guerrero was truly the winner of the night despite the fact that she could’ve done an amazing job during the interview, and shown the judges true grandeur, charm, and great potential. But, the audience didn’t get to see that, and now we will never know. The program itinerary, which the audience witnesses, should change or the percentages should be altered. Otherwise, we will continue to see this kind of questionable outcome in other competitions. There is no doubt that Darcy Guerrero was elegant and respectable, but the pageant left me questioning – “Did the judges really make a fair decision?”