Sign-ups end, practice begins for upcoming 2023 Miss Aquila pageant

By Owen S.

On Sunday, February 12, twenty-four Airport High School students attended the very first rehearsal of the annual Miss Aquila pageant of 2023. The event is set to take place in the auditorium on February 15 at 6pm.

The Miss Aquila pageant is an annual contest put on by the school where girls compete to be crowned the top of their grade, or if you’re a senior, the grand title of Miss Aquila. Many look forward to the pageant each year because it’s a chance to step out of one’s comfort zone, put oneself out there, make new friends, and just have a good time. And if pageants aren’t really one’s thing, or one prefers to be a supportive friend or family member, coming to watch is just as fun. It isn’t all just for fun, however. It also serves as the main fundraiser for the school’s yearbook. The money earned from the pageant goes towards paying for the production of this year's edition. Just one person can raise lots of money, so it’s important to really spread the word and get all the participation possible.

Each year, the pageant is split into two parts centered around your attire: formal and theme wear. In the formal section, contestants introduce themselves to the judges and the audience in their best dresses in typical beauty pageant fashion, but the theme section is where things get more interesting. This is where the girls get to really showcase their personality while they flaunt their unique theme wear. The theme this year -- which is also a first for Airport -- is “Going Green!” where the contestants must make an entire outfit out of recycled material. The possibilities are almost endless with this one, and audience members wait with anticipation to see all the things the girls will come up with.

The amount of participants is the same as last year, but the distribution across the grade levels has a stark variation. Of the twenty-four contestants, eight of them are seniors and twelve are juniors, but there are only two sophomores and two freshmen. Only three freshmen participated last year, and it appears that less participation from underclassmen is becoming a trend. It’s not quite clear why engagement from the younger generation has begun to dwindle. Maybe being in a pageant isn’t one of their top priorities, or maybe it’s just too big of a responsibility to take up, but whatever it is, let’s hope that Miss Aquila won’t have to be canceled because of it.

Ellie A., a senior who’s excited to be doing Miss Aquila for the first time, said, “The wow factor that I plan to bring to the judges is personality. I don’t want to just stand there like a stick with a smile… I want the judges to know that I’m not just like everyone else.”

“I think it’s really good for the community,” remarks Ellie, considering the benefits of the pageant. “It brings us together and gives us something to talk about.”

“[Mrs. Owen] has lots of experience with pageants and has also overseen the last few Miss Aquilas, so she is stepping in to help me. She is going to point me in the right direction so when she decides to step down, I have a solid foundation to land [on],” said the new yearbook teacher and veteran English teacher, Mrs. Atkins. Mrs. Owen was once an art teacher and yearbook teacher at Airport and has experience running Miss Aquila. As the new yearbook teacher, Mrs. Atkins is responsible for spearheading the Miss Aquila Pageants, but for now, she’s focusing on learning everything there is to know about Miss Aquila and how it operates.

Whether it’s raising money for the yearbook, or it’s just a way to hang out and connect with one’s classmates, people believe that Miss Aquila is a really good thing for the school and its students.

After the first practice, the contestants' nervousness turned into excitement for what was to come in the days leading up to the main event and the big night itself, and it's safe to say that it’s not just them who are excited. Parents and friends look forward to seeing their potential Miss Aquila strut their stuff on stage.

Along with Mrs. Owen, Mrs. Atkins has also enlisted the help of Tommy Barrs, who is a general pageant director, and several people in the office who deal with multiple aspects of Miss Aquila. They are no doubt determined to make this year's pageant a success. The contestants are working hard to make themselves as great as they can too, with most of them hiring coaches to teach them the pageant ways and others seeking out experienced family members. However they choose to prepare, it is sure to go great for everybody.

If you want to know more about Miss Aquila, make sure to follow the AHS student government Instagram page, check the school’s website for updates, or talk to Mrs. Atkins in room 309 about any info you may need.