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From Sisters to Sisters
Monday, 04 February 2013 13:35
In August 2007, Elisabeth Oliphint of Montgomery, Alabama, and Madison Hardy of Philadelphia, Mississippi, met as neighbors in their freshman dorm at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Two months later, they became pledge sisters in the largest Phi Mu (Theta) class ever recruited. Little did they know they would share a sisterhood bond besides Love, Honor, Truth just six years later.
Style, Success, Scholarship, and Service is the new bond Elisabeth and Madison share, and in June they will carry fundamentals learned through their Phi Mu journey to the Miss Tennessee stage, in Jackson.
Elisabeth was college sophomore when she won her first ticket to Miss Tennessee in 2009, as Miss Athens of the South. After three years of “retirement”, she’s back as Miss Music City 2013. During her time as a Phi Mu, Elisabeth was her chapter’s Community Service Chair and Greek Week Co-Chair, and was honored with the Phi Mu Community Service Award, Belmont Greek Goddess (Greek Week MVP) 2009-2011, Phi Delta Theta Sweetheart, Phi Mu Sisterhood Award, and Phi Mu Top New Member Award.
Her love for community service earned Elisabeth the privilege of becoming a “Big” for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and in turn she has promoted this organization as her platform: Big Brothers Big Sisters – The Importance of a Positive Influence. Elisabeth, who works at TVV Capital, a private equity firm in downtown Nashville, is also an executive member of the Nashville Symphony’s Young Professionals Board, a member of the Special Olympics of Tennessee Young Professionals Board, an Ambassador for the Nashville Jr. Chamber, a member of the Troubadour Society, and a participant in committees for many charity events around Nashville.
Madison, recently named Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival 2013 (better known as Queen Bean 2013), is making her first appearance at Miss Tennessee. She spent the past year getting in shape and losing fifty pounds, and her platform is geared toward promoting living a healthy lifestyle. Tennessee: Get Up & Go! is an initiative Madison created in 2011 to encourage Tennesseans to find ways to get active in their communities. An official Facebook page and Twitter account have been set up to help make people aware of community resources and activities, and Madison plans to spend the next year organizing events such as 5K races and family field days.
While at Belmont University, Madison was the 2011 Homecoming Queen, President of Belmont Service Corps, and a member of Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, and had eight different internships at businesses within the entertainment industry, including Sony Music Nashville. Madison, who has been working for MTV Networks in the licensing department since August 2012, sings with The Respectables, a Nashville-based wedding and corporate events band.
Elisabeth and Madison should represent Nashville and Phi Mu beautifully. They constantly motivate and cheer each other on, they hope one of them will bring home the Miss Tennessee crown and represent their state at Miss America 2013.
More about the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant
The Miss Tennessee scholarship pageant is a preliminary competition for the Miss America Organization. The Miss America Scholarship Pageant is the largest scholarship program for young women in the United States, awarding more than $45 million a year at the local, state, and national level. Each year, more than eighty thousand young ladies participate in local preliminary pageants leading to Miss America.
Edited by fourpoints. Photo: Madison Hardy and Elisabeth Oliphint after accepting their bids to Phi Mu (Theta) on Bid Day in 2007. Photo provided by Elisabeth Ivey Oliphint
MAOTeen Models Tony Bowls Collection
Thursday, 31 January 2013 15:37
Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2013 Rachel Wyatt visited South Beach in Miami, Florida, last week to model for the Tony Bowls Collection.
In 2004, Tony joined Mon Cheri to develop his groundbreaking pageant line, Tony Bowls Collection. Tony not only implements his innovative ideas in the world of pageantry, but also in prom and social occasion wear, designing the wildly successful Tony Bowls Paris, Tony Bowls Le Gala, Tony Bowls Evenings, Tony Bowls Shorts, and Tony B collections, and the exclusive Tony Bowls Limited private label. In 2011, Tony expanded his empire with the couture bridal collection Tony Bowls Bridal for Mon Cheri.
Source: MAOTeen
Volunteers Make 2013 Day of Service a Success
Monday, 28 January 2013 11:38
It's hard to believe that two weeks ago, volunteers from across the country—including former Miss America titleholders—demolished a house in record time for Habitat for Humanity!
Our seventh Day of Service dedicated to our bright, talented, dynamic Miss America contestants was a success. And our Miss America volunteers set a record: in just three hours, we provided help to a needy family. A job such as this would normally take a month to complete!
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for volunteering for the Las Vegas Habitat for Humanity. The contribution of your time and talents helped a family to break the cycle of poverty and build long-term financial security. Habitat’s affordable, nonprofit house payments free up money for food, child care, medicine, and other necessities that help stabilize families. Research has shown that decent housing improves health, increases children’s educational achievement, and strengthens community ties.
And isn't that we want for all Americans? A chance for a better life and opportunity.
A special thanks to Bobbi Hardy and her Las Vegas Habitat Team for hosting the transportation and a delicious lunch we all enjoyed! Volunteers, or "Habitat Angels," who added "sparkle" to our team included Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 1948 BeBe Shopp, Miss America 1955 Lee Meriwether, Miss America 1977 Dorothy Benham, and Miss America 1978 Susan Perkins.
Thanks also go to:
Thomas Whitfield for his support and signage, which he provides us each year. Tom's sign and your signatures grace the hall in a shadow box, in the Las Vegas Habitat for Humanity office.
Lisa Perez Miller (Kansas) and Stanley Boyes (Connecticut) for the photos and videos taken for our upcoming video. I will post the video in next few weeks. If you would like to contribute your thoughts, highlights, and feelings about the Day of Service for an upcoming piece for fourpoints magazine, please e-mail me. I would love your input for the article.
I hope to see you for our eighth Day of Service, in 2014.
Written by: Valerie Clemens
Family Reunion: Miss America Sisters Together Again After 20 Years
Thursday, 24 January 2013 12:09
After twenty years, thirty Miss America sisters met for a family reunion of sorts. Contestants from the 1992 Miss America pageant were reunited with hugs, smiles, and shrieks of joy in Las Vegas during the 2013 MAO pageant week. Coordinated by Miss New Jersey 1992 Heather Hertling Narducci, the women lunched, shared memories, and paid tribute to their late Miss Alaska Sister Keri Schroeder, who lost her battle with breast cancer last summer. In tribute, the women founded the Keri Schroeder Talent Fund to honor her name and love for this particular aspect of competition.
"About $4,000 has been raised in Keri Schroeder's name. The goal is $6,000," said Cathy Herd, Miss Iowa 1992. Click here to learn more or make donations!
Miss California 1992 Patricia Northrup Murray collected photos and biographies from many of her fellow contestants, for a slide show shown at the luncheon. In putting together the stories of the women she competed with, Patricia said much has been accomplished by her pageant sisters. "I look at the world littered with mediocrity, but this room is the antithesis of that," Patricia told attendees.
At the luncheon, the women also recognized the absence of Miss Kansas 1992 Pam McKelvy Hamner, who is healing after a double mastectomy.
Women of the class of 1992 initially got in touch through Facebook. For organizing the reunion, Hertling Narducci received the title, "Miss America 20th Reunion," and was given a (princess) crown.
"Heather is so wonderful to bring all of us together. We appreciate her effort," said Miss Maryland 1992 Tammy Wyatt Roberts. "Love and friendship to Heather and all my sisters!"
Click here to see photos from the reunion!
Written by: Erika Fifelski, fourpoints staff writer
MAO and ABC Announce Record-Setting Television Ratings
Tuesday, 22 January 2013 10:07
Television ratings soared for the 2013 Miss America Competition on Saturday, January 12, which achieved the highest ratings in nine years. Sam Haskell, chairman of the board for The Miss America Organization, announced, “The 2013 Miss America Competition achieved the best network ratings since 2004, and I would like to thank our partners at ABC for supporting our creation of the format for this year's telecast. We were positioned opposite Fox's high-rated primetime NFC Divisional Playoff Game (Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers) and an NFL overrun-fueled CBS (AFC Divisional Playoffs) on Saturday, plus the NY Net's 9 to 11 p.m. broadcast. The 2013 Miss America Competition grew its overall audience year to year and made ABC the number one nonsports network in the time period with total viewers and adults 18 to 49.”
Art McMaster, MAO president and CEO added, “We are grateful for Tall Pony Productions, Chris Harrison, Brooke Burke Charvet, our distinguished panel of judges, and, of course, our contestant class of 2013. Together, we were able to increase our overall audience (more than six percent) for the second straight year on ABC, and we delivered the program's most-watched broadcast in years.”
Miss America also set new records in the social media world and enjoyed being number one on Twitter on the night of the competition. And, as of Friday, January 18, the MAO YouTube channel has had nearly 3.7 million video views since it was launched in 2009.
As MAO proudly announces television ratings, it also would like to congratulate former Miss New York Mallory Hagan, who won the Miss America 2013 title, and a $50,000 scholarship from Amway.
Mallory has already embarked on her year of service, focusing on the importance of education while supporting The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and using her voice to create awareness on her personal platform, Stop It Now: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention.
Source and photo: MAO
Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan Begins a Monumental Weekend in Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013 10:02
Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan continued her National Tour as she appeared at the Presidential Inauguration STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Event in Washington, D.C., on Friday, January 18. While in D.C. for the weekend, Miss America took part in the festivities surrounding the inauguration of President Barack Obama while focusing on the importance of education in our country.
On Saturday morning, Miss America visited the Children’s Defense Fund Event at the D.C. General Homeless Shelter. She enjoyed breakfast with children and dedicated volunteers, and was introduced to discuss the importance of education. Miss America also promoted the importance of the Miss America Scholarships and service to the community. Following this event, she traveled to the National Service Summit on the National Mall.
Saturday evening, Miss America visited Bethesda Naval Hospital to meet with wounded warriors who have just returned from Afghanistan. She attended the Politico Inaugural Brunch on Sunday morning, then visited with the Daily Beast for their Inaugural Brunch and attended the Google/Elle Inaugural Event.
The historical weekend culminated in Miss America witnessing the fifty-seventh presidential inauguration ceremony of the United States, on Monday.
Source: MAO
Make Me a Cover Model 2013
Friday, 18 January 2013 10:50
“The Make me a Cover model experience was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I received the ultimate movie star treatment!” -Brittany Cozza, 2012 Make Me a Cover Model
Fourpoints magazine is searching for the face to be on the cover of our August 2013 issue. The winner of the Make Me A Cover Model contest will be a representative of the four points of the Miss America crown: scholarship, style, service, and success. If you think you’ve got what it takes, enter for your chance to win an opportunity of a lifetime! This includes a prize package and a professional photo shoot—and your headshot will be used on our cover! Plus, receive a one-year subscription with your registration.
Miss America on National Media Tour
Wednesday, 16 January 2013 08:38
Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan continued her National Media Tour last night, making an appearance on Extra to talk about her new role as Miss America and the journey ahead as she promotes the Miss America Organization and its scholarship program.
If you missed Mallory's appearances on GMA Live, The View, and Fox & Friends, click the links to watch them now!
Source and photo: MAO
2013 Quality of Life Award Winners Announced
Monday, 14 January 2013 12:15
The 2013 Quality of Life Award winner of a $6,000 scholarship was Miss Alabama Anna Laura Bryan. Anna Laura's personal platform is P.A.W.S. for Autism—People and Animals Working Side-by-Side. Miss Alabama has used her platform to be a champion for helping to provide people with autism the right to be accompanied by a pet. She has lobbied for this and authored the Alabama Legislature House Bill 502. The announcement was made at Planet Hollywood during Thursday's Miss America press conference during the 2013 Miss America Competition.
The first-runner up and winner of a $4,000 scholarship was Miss Maryland Joanna Guy. Joanna, whose personal platform issue is "Jo's Jars," supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Joanna is an advocate for helping to support the Miss America national partner, CMNH, and supporting the Miss America Scholarship Program. Joanna is also passionate about promoting Heart to Heart, and raising awareness for healthy hearts.
The second runner-up and winner of a $2,000 scholarship was Miss Tennessee Chandler Lawson whose personal platform is "Feed Hope: Fight Child Hunger." Chandler has become dedicated to helping fight childhood hunger and has funded her own 501C (3) nonprofit organization called "5 loaves 4 kids." It is a backpack program that feeds children that are hungry in her hometown. In the last five years, they have packed more than forty-five thousand serving more than three hundred children a week.
The Quality of Life Awards were introduced in 1988 to recognize contestants who excel in their commitment to community service. The awards are available to each of the fifty-three contestants competing for the title of Miss America. In order to be considered for the Quality of Life Award, contestants submitted an application describing their involvement with Children's Miracle Network—the national platform of the Miss America Organization—and their own personal platform issue. This year, the awards were in memory of our beloved Miss America 1945 Jean Bartel who first introduced the scholarship idea in the 1940s. Her legacy continues through this annual award for community service.
An honorable mention goes to the remaining finalists: Miss Delaware Alyssa Murray: Mela-No-More-Skin Cancer, Miss Idaho Whitney Wood: Handbags of Hope-Giving Women Confidence They Can Carry, Miss Mississippi Marie Wicks: EYES.T.A.R giving eyesight to all regions, and Miss Washington Mandy Schendel: Do Something; Enriching Youth, Cultivating Leaders. In addition to the Quality of Life Awards announcement, the fourpoints award reflects what the four points of the crown mean to contestants who submit essays. The four points of the crown are service, style, scholarship, and success. The winner of this $2,000 award was Miss Idaho Whitney Wood.
Source and photo: MAO
Miss America 2013 is Mallory Hagan
Sunday, 13 January 2013 00:28
America has a new queen and she hails from the great state of New York. Mallory Hagan was crowned Miss America 2013, the ninety-second Miss America, Saturday night and begins her year of service now.
MAO Chairman Sam Haskell said this year, more than ever, the organization will focus on education. "We're going to promote education like it's never been promoted before," he said. MAO provides more than $45 million in scholarships for more than 14,000 young women each year. And now, the organization is working to promote science, technology, engineering, and math for students across the country. "Our pledge in 2013 is to become advocates for young women and lead the way in STEM," Haskell said.
Hagan is looking forward to the opportunity to work with students on STEM education as well as her platform—Stop It Now, Child Sexual Abuse. Hagen has worked with local organizations to promote more education for students on sexual abuse and the importance of reporting it and she is looking forward to the opportunity to share it on a national and international level.
As ready as Hagen is to take on the job of Miss America 2013, she said she was surprised to hear her named called. "There was not a moment I thought I could win this. I was first runner up twice at Miss New York and I thought, they're going to get another first runner up out of me," she said. But Hagan felt a sense of calm waiting for the announcement. "I knew either way, the organization would be represented beautifully," she said. Hagan's first official appearance as Miss America will be at the Taste of NFL in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Written by: Erika Fifelski, fourpoints staff writer Photo: MAO