I have to admit I've never been much of a fan of the Miss America pageant. Despite having more than 50 very attractive women on stage in one place, it was not something I ever really cared about.
This year, however, was different. As editor of WestIslipTribune.com, it was easy to pay attention to the national competition because of Jen Corey, a West Islip resident who in the summer of 2009 was crowned Miss D.C. As a student at American University in the nation's capital, Jen was eligible for the Miss D.C. competition.
At the competition held Sunday, January 30, at Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, Jen finished in the top-10, a wonderful accomplishment. Although I must admit that I thought given her performance in the talent competition, singing an opera piece, and the fact that is she quite attractive, a top-5 finish was in reach.
But following Jen for the past several months also proved to be an interesting experience for me. In my two decades as a journalist, working for various community newspapers, trade publications and now as owner of WestIslipTribune.com, I've been fortunate to at times attend events, go interesting places and meet some famous people.
Seeing Miss America in person at Planet Hollywood, while the event was aired live to 3.5 million viewers on TLC, was cool. It was interesting to see how well choreographed a live show can be done, the interaction between the show's producers and the live audience, and overall just how smooth the program went.
I was also fortunate to obtain a media pass for the event, which allowed me to sit closer to the stage and share a photographers row with Reuters and AP along with others. Talk about camera envy!
But with Miss America now over, I've returned to our little corner of the world to again focus on what's happening in West Islip. I'm guessing there won't be a swimwear portion at the next board of education meeting.
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