Contestants one step closer to crown after personal interviews
[gtxvideo vid=”aw10e2S9″ playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/aw10e2S9.jpg” vtitle=”MISS Tn Judges PKG”]
WEST JACKSON — Winning the title of Miss Tennessee takes more than just beauty — it also takes brains. It is, of course, a scholarship pageant after all. Contestants were put in the hot seat Tuesday during their personal interviews. “The judges were so nice, and they just want to know who you are and what you’re all about,” contestant Kristen Gallant said. Tuesday’s nerve-wracking interview portion of the Miss Tennessee scholarship pageant will put the contestants one step closer to the crown. “I think the most anxious part for me is greeting the judges, because there’s a little step and I don’t want to trip,” Christine Williamson said. Highlighting personality, poise and passion, personal interviews allow the judges to get to know each participant. “They’re just basically looking for someone who is well rounded, someone who knows what’s going on in the world and knows about their platform and is confident in who they are,” Gallant said. “They’re looking for someone who is eloquent,” Williamson said. “They can communicate and adapt their message to any one from 8 years old to 80 years old, because you’re speaking to a wide audience.” The questions test participants’ intelligence and inner self. “I use my top ten questions that I think I might be asked right before, but I also try to brand myself and see what makes me unique and what would make me the best candidate for Miss Tennessee,” Williamson said. Chis Chambers, the assistant executive director, said each judge has a different background, bringing a lot of variety to the table. “The criteria for that is simply that they can bring to the table their background, their experiences and most importantly their opinions,” he said. Each judge goes through extensive training to understand the regulations of the competition. “You need to have an opinion and be able to count from one to ten — other than that we pretty much teach you the rules and procedures for the judging process,” Chambers said. The first preliminary round of the competition starts at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
