Throwing her hands in the air, and then covering her face, Savannah Teegarden said she was flooded with excitement at becoming Miss Ball State.
"Being Miss Ball State was a goal for me for a long time," she said. "I didn't place last year, but I competed at a lot of local pageants. I felt so much excitement. It all comes rushing to you at once."
Pageant coordinator Carol Kosisko said as Miss Ball State, Teegarden will participate in community service projects across Indiana, including Walk a Mile in My Shoes for the Muncie Mission, Relay for Life, Heart Walk, and any other events she would like to be a part of.
"I think the Miss America pageant in general promotes a strong image for women," Kosisko said. "It presents images of intelligent women with high goals.
"When I was in college, I knew I wouldn't have found the time to do something like this. Being the coordinator is my way to bring other girls out of their shells. This is a great group of girls. You can see that just in the hours the girls put into their platforms."
Kosisko wasn't the only one impressed with the contestants.
For Dannielle Shanahan, watching the Miss Ball State Scholarship Program was something different to do on a Saturday night.
But for the more than 500 people in the Emens Auditorium, the pageant was about seeing women express themselves and their talents.
Kim Jeuett, a self-employed business owner in Muncie, brought her two preteen-aged girls to the pageant to support a friend and also to teach them a lesson.
"I'm hoping they're learning to make good choices about what they're wearing, and to know you don't have to look like the next girl," she said.
Sophomores Brandon Thomas and Mike Judy said they were impressed with the way the pageant was being conducted, and with the girls' confidence on stage.
"It's cool how it's evolved since I watched my sister in a pageant [about 10 years ago]," Thomas said. "I think it empowers women."
Judy said he's impressed with the women's confidence.
"If I was a girl, I don't think I could do that," he said. "This is like Comm. 210, but like Comm. 210 times 10."
The on-stage interview accounts for 35 percent of the girls' total score. Freshman Emily Brubaker said the interview portion shed light on local issues.
"I'm not huge on pageants, but it's really a good way to bring awareness to charities that wouldn't be known about otherwise," she said.
Shanahan said she looks forward to watching the Miss America pageant on TV, and she thought it would be nice to see a pageant that would lead up to this final contest.
"I wish all colleges did this," she said. "It gives women something to do to express themselves, and it brings up topics people don't think about every day."
One example of such a topic is former Miss Ball State Lauren Petersen's platform for Make-A-Wish Foundation. During the program, Petersen explained her experience as a mentor for children in Muncie though the Make-A-Wish Program, and she invited her most recent "wish kid," May, on stage with her. May said her wish is to go to Disney World this summer.
Seventeen women competed in the Miss Ball State Scholarship Program, which has more than $10,000 in its account through the Student Foundation. Kosisko said most of the awards given Saturday night came from this fund, except for the $1,500 prize for the pageant winner, which was given by Ball State University, and attributed to Teegarden's Bursar account.
Saturday's pageant also included a section for Miss Ball State Outstanding Teen, a contest for girls from the surrounding area ages 13-17, and a section for Miss Ball State princesses, which recognizes girls in first through third grade.
Other pageant awards
Teen People's Choice Award- Claire Cowan
Miss People's Choice Award- Sarah Kays
Benificence Award- Claire Cowan
Cardinal Spirit Award- Brianne Woodward
Lifestyle and Fitness Award- Courtney Jurick
Teen Talent Award- Jenna Litz
Miss Talent Award- Courtney Jurick
Teen Interview Award- Jenna Litz
Miss Interview Award- Savannah Teegarden
Miss Ball State Outstanding Teen Runner Up- Claire Cowan
Miss Ball State Outstanding Teen- Jenna Litz
Miss Ball State- Savannah Teegarden
First Runner Up- Courtney Jurick
Second Runner Up- Erika Tishner
Third Runner Up- Kara Mitchell
Fourth Runner Up- Danielle Holland
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