MISS OHIO Pageant winner will get ready for the big contest

The winner of the state pageant revealed a few tricks contestants use.
By NICOLE HUGHES
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Atlantic City, here she comes!
Amanda Marie Beagle, 24, of Howland, won the Miss Ohio Scholarship pageant Saturday, and is preparing to compete in the nationally televised Miss America contest on Sept. 18 in Atlantic City.
She has not been in pageants for as long as most competitors.
"Three years ago, a teacher told me about the scholarship program, and it appealed to me because of the platform issue and being involved in community service," Beagle said. "The first time I competed I was in the top 10, the second time I was first runner-up for Miss North Coast, and the third time I won Miss Lake Erie [and went on to the Miss Ohio contest.]"
Parents are happy
Her parents, Gerald and Anna Marie of Bayberry Drive N.E., support her, and are happy that she won the Miss Ohio title.
"We were surprised when Amanda entered her first contest," Gerald said. "She worked very hard to get there, and is a big fan of self-improvement."
The Miss Ohio Scholarship program is part of the Miss America organization, and the winners of 21 local preliminaries compete in the pageant that concludes Miss Ohio Week. The winner receives a $15,000 scholarship.
The Miss Ohio contest is judged based on intelligence, personality, appearance and talent.
The private interview is worth 40 percent of the total score, talent is worth 30 percent, presence and poise in evening wear is worth 10 percent, lifestyle and fitness in a swimsuit is worth 10 percent, an on-stage interview is not scored and an overall composite score is worth 10 percent of the total score, according to www.missohio.com Web site.
"Pageants being demeaning to women is just a general stereotype," Beagle said. "The Miss America organization stands for community service. Only 20 percent of the competition is judged in bathing suits and evening wear."
Keeping it all in place
The competitors must be comfortable in what they are wearing, and Beagle let the secret out.
"We use a lot of glue and tape to make sure everything stays where it is supposed to be," she said.
Beagle changed her appearance shortly before the Miss Ohio contest.
"I used to have the traditional long-haired pageant style, but I cut my hair to have a more crisp, neat look that is different from everyone else," she said. "I just wanted to be me."
Now that she has become Miss Ohio, Beagle will travel around the state to speak and perform for different organizations in addition to preparing for the Miss America pageant.
"I am making appearances through the summer, and will be doing a lot of shopping and working out," Beagle said.
She graduated from town State University with a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and was accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music to work toward a master's degree in music and vocal performance.
Beagle has been singing since she was 2, and has been singing classically for six years.
"I started singing in high school in musicals, but I didn't have any personal training," she said. "I went to Youngstown State, got help with singing and became interested in opera."
Beagle lives in an apartment in Youngstown, but said she will be moving back in with her parents during this hectic time.