Melissa Edwards

COURTLAND

The 2019 Miss Southampton High School Fashion Pageant is an opportunity for junior and senior girls to compete for the title of Junior Miss SHS and Miss SHS 2019. This pageant is unique in that contestants are judged on personality, community service, confidence, communication skills and fashion, while trying to find the best young lady to represent Southampton High School.

The winner is required to attend events and promote education, school spirit and extracurricular activities to encourage becoming an active member of school and the community.

Contestants started preparation in December, learning their first routine as models for the winter “Deal or No Deal” game show at Southampton High School. This was their first fundraising activity, and they were very successful, selling over 400 tickets and entertaining the student body during the Christmas assembly. The contestants served the school community by taking photos during the Riverdale Daddy Daughter Dance and collecting funds for the Lead 2 Feed Southampton team.

In the three months prior to the pageant, contestants practiced the many walks/routines for the pageant along workshops for interviews, resume-building and stage presence. The pageant encourages these young ladies not only in fashion, but also in skills that will take them past high school and, hopefully, boost their confidence and poise.

The judged categories this year

• Preliminary Interview

• Plush Rush Fashion – Contestant introduction and style on stage

• Pattern Play – Street-wear Fashion and trendsetting

• Metallic Mania – High Fashion and Future Goals

• Evening Wear – Parade of Prom Perfection

• Question and Answer – School Pride and confidence

Additional areas and titles

• Audience Choice

• Community Service

• Miss Congeniality

• Most Photogenic

•••

On Feb. 16 at 6 p.m., family and friends came to support their contestants in the Southampton High School auditorium. Contestants started the show with an exciting opening number and introductions.

Throughout the show, contestants came out in choreographed numbers and presented their fashion to the judges. Also, during the event SHS staff involved their daughters and granddaughters in the Mini Miss SHS Showcase. Peyton and Chandler Taft, Austyn Kea, Caroline and Charlotte Bade and Willow Lankford were all featured during this showcase. Each Mini Miss walked the stage, received a rose, and participated in question and answer.

Southampton Middle School student and former Mini Miss SHS participant, Isabella Edwards, was the organizer and emcee for the Mini Miss Showcase this year. The Relay for Life Pageant coordinator Madelyn Cosby brought three of the 2018 Relay for Life Queens to raise awareness and do their queens walk on stage, Madison Belch, Caroline Priddy, and Haley Yeary. Cosby, an SHS sophomore, was the emcee for this portion of the pageant and was a helper with the Mini Miss.

The pageant is sponsored by the junior class and serves as a fundraiser for prom. The student emcee and host was Ellen Davis, junior at SHS, she did an excellent job keeping the audience engaged and introducing each section of the pageant. Renee Markivich and Melissa Edwards, junior class sponsors, are the directors and producers of the Miss SHS Fashion Pageant.

“It was another excellent year and I enjoyed working with each contestant, they were all winners to me,”said Markivich.

Contestants

Contestant No. 1 – Dara Keffer

Contestant No. 2 – Alexis Cannon

Contestant No. 3 – Emma McClelland

Contestant No. 4 – Tamaya Mozell

Contestant No. 5 – Tasia Smith

Contestant No. 6 – Abby Saunders

Contestant No. 7 – Jackson Fox

Contestant No. 8 – Kalli Britt

Contestant No. 9 – Allison Martin

Contestant No. 10 – Harundia Ahkey

Titles

• Most Photogenic – Alexis Cannon

• Miss Congeniality – Tamaya Mozell

• Coaches’ Choice – Harundia Ahkey

• Miss Community Service – Dara Keffer

• Miss Audience Choice – Kalli Britt

Senior Miss SHS Titles

2019 Miss SHS (Highest overall score) – Tasia Smith

• Best Interview – Tasia Smith

• Best Plush Rush – Tasia Smith

• Best Trend Setting Fashion – Emma McClelland

• Best High Fashion – Alexis Cannon

• Best Eveningwear – Emma McClelland

• Best Question and Answer – Emma McClelland

Junior Miss SHS Titles

• 2019 Junior Miss SHS (Highest overall score) – Abby Saunders

• Best Interview – Abby Saunders

• Best Plush Rush – Allison Martin

• Best Trend Setting Fashion – Jackson Fox

• Best High Fashion – Allison Martin

• Best Eveningwear – Allison Martin

• Best Question and Answer – Abby Saunders