COMMENTARY
Pageant‘royals’work hard
I am writing in response to Julie
Lauderbaugh’s editorial enti
tled “Rewarding achievement
with celebrity,” (ODE, June 3). As
a University sophomore and the
Rose Festival Queen from 2000
01,1 was surprised by some of the
inaccuracies in the information
presented about the Rose Festival
Court. Being a high school ambas
sador is not only about “freezing
their grades a month and a half
prior to graduation, clothing them
with sponsors’ digs and sticking
them on a float with a crown.”
In fact, not all high schools
freeze grades and the ones that do
understand that the court sched
ule, which involves visiting retire
ment homes, meeting with at-risk
youth and volunteering in the
community makes it difficult to
attend classes.
The “sponsors’ digs” which
they wear are not to reward them
or set them apart, but rather to
provide similar and appropriate
attire for 14 girls from different
economic backgrounds. Because
of this, none of the girls will feel
singled out because of what they
wear, or what they can or can’t af
ford to buy.
Lauderbaugh also failed to men
tion the factor that persuaded me
to participate in the Rose Festival,
which is the $3,000 college schol
arship that every ambassador re
ceives upon selection. Indeed,
Guest Commentary
Amy
Seely
this scholarship made it possible
for me to attend the University,
and for that I am grateful.
Personally, I take offense to the
statement that “recognizing young
women because of their philan
thropic tendencies alone ... (is) old
fashioned,” and that Portland’s
way of honoring its young achiev
ers is “outdated.” Why not reward
young people for contributing their
time to philanthropic pursuits?
How is this different from a news
channel’s “Athlete of the Week” or
a high school’s valedictorian?
Finally, I was disappointed
with Lauderbaugh’s statement
that hopefully “Queen Leela can
dispel some of the stereotypes be
queathed to her by previous pag
eant winners.” As one of two Rose
Festival queens currently attend
ing the University and one of
many past ambassadors, I would
challenge Lauderbaugh to find a
more diverse, intellectual, in
volved, and successful group of
young women on campus.
Indeed, our five minutes of
“celebrity” fame did little to de
ter us from what we enjoy doing,
nor was it the pinnacle of, or rea
son for, our community service.
Whether it’s as a member of
Used all of your
favorite
Come up and get more.
Stop by the ODE offices (Suite 300, EMU)
L
,mSM.
.ill#
(itt all the
ODE on the world wi
Black Women of Achievement, a
volunteer for the Special
Olympics, a philanthropy chair
for a greek organization, or any
other extracurricular activity in
which we are involved, we do it
for ourselves and others; not for
a title and crown.
In closing, I am a Presidential
Scholar with a 4.07 GPA who re
cently organized a philanthropy
that raised $2,000 for the Make-A
Wish Foundation, and my creden
tials are not the most impressive
of the past “pageant winners” that
I know. If by the past “stereotype”
of Rose Festival ambassadors,
Lauderbaugh means successful
and philanthropically inclined
young women, then I would say
Queen Leela has big shoes to fill
and that she has also been doing
an excellent job.
My question to Lauderbaugh is
this: I know you may be cynical,
but at least now will you please
take us seriously?
Amy Seely is a sophomore anthropology major.
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