Story and photo by Sydne Sloy
For many, the weekend after Thanksgiving is dedicated to relaxing, digesting, and watching football. But for 19 women and 9 teens this year, the weekend was an ozone of hairspray and spray tans.
The 2014 Miss Oregon USA and Miss Oregon Teen USA competitions were held November 30 and December 1 at the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel. Girls ages 15 to 19 for the “Teen” division and women ages 20 to 27 for the “Miss” division from all around Oregon were on a strict schedule to compete for the crown and over $50,000 in scholarships and prizes.
This year Gabrielle Neilan, Miss Oregon USA 2013, and Summer Pilcher, Miss Oregon Teen USA 2013, passed on their crowns, congratulations, and advice to Emma Pelett, Miss Oregon USA 2014, and Alexandra Perry, Miss Oregon Teen USA 2014.
“No one knows what the pageant world is like,” said Pilcher. “It is so much more to me than just beauty; it’s about touching peoples’ lives and doing charity work and making Oregon a better state than it is.”
The Miss Oregon USA and Miss Oregon Teen USA pageants consist of one-on-one interviews with judges and two days of competition. The first day was a grueling 13 hours of preparation and a preliminary pageant. There was an 11 pm bedtime for all of the contestants with the threat of a “bed check” by one of the supervisors. The women and girls got an hour lunch break and an hour-and-a-half dinner break to which their families and friends were invited for a fee.
The pageant began once all of the judges were introduced. The crowd cheered, whispered about their favorites, and unofficially judged all of the other contestants. The competition was organized to alternate between the teen and misses’ divisions to give the competitors time to change from dress to swimsuit to evening gown.
By the second day, the judges had narrowed the selection down to the semi-finalists. The auditorium was filled to capacity. The women paraded out on stage to an upbeat Pitbull song as the audience laughed and sang along.
After the Top Five were announced, it was time for the on-stage questions from the judges. The contestants were called up one by one to pick a piece of paper with a judge’s name on it.
Miss Corvallis, Maju Bangalore, was asked what she would do if one of her friends was suffering from addiction.
“I think the best thing they need right then is the moral support and something to fill that gap once they get rid of that addiction,” she explained. “They need time and that moral support from their friends, family, and authority figures.”
Kenna Sloy, representing Gresham, was asked what a woman president would mean for her personally and for our country.
“I think it shows that women have come so much farther over the past decade and throughout all of life because women have been treated as the lesser and men as more superior, but, I don’t think so. Sorry guys,” she said, directed toward the men in the audience as the crowd laughed and the women cheered. With the crowd laughing, Kenna seemed to loosen up and finished her answer expertly. “I think it would be great to have a woman president because honestly, I think we could use a change, and I think a woman could definitely bring a change.”
Kayla Bowker from Beaverton was told that one of the fastest growing sectors in medicine today is tattoo removal and then asked what she thought this meant about young peoples’ decisions. As glances were exchanged between audience members who remembered seeing Kayla’s tattoos in the swimwear competition, she began her answer.
“I don’t think they are taking into consideration what the aftermath is going to be, whether it’s medicinal, whether it’s on their body forever, or whether, you know, it’s an abortion.” With that, brows furrowed and heads cocked all over the audience. Whispers were almost louder than the rest of Kayla’s answer.
Miss Pearl District, Emma Pelett, was asked what she is doing or thinks she should be doing now to pay for her needs after retirement. She described several jobs she has worked and her experience as a young entrepreneur.
“I’m saving for my financial future now. I mean, us ladies here know that a husband is not a financial plan,” she said, having to pause after while the audience clapped, cheered, and hollered. “Whether that’s saving money or playing the stock market, I’m building my business so that when I retire, I’ll have something to retire on.” The reaction from the audience made it clear that her answer was a crowd favorite.
As the end grew near, the 2013 winners each took the stage to thank everyone who supported them in the past year and give advice to the next delegated Miss Oregon and Miss Teen Oregon.
“Focus on yourself and be yourself,” said Neilan, who spent her year as Miss Oregon battling thyroid cancer. “That’s the best advice I can give you, is to really know yourself. Because the last year I competed I wasn’t comparing myself to others, unfortunately I was ill, but I was still focusing 110% on myself and helping myself to shine and not comparing myself.”
She concluded her time on stage by struggling to hold back sobs, bringing the audience to tears as well, while talking about the sisterhood all the pageant girls had created in just the two days of the competition this year.
Then came the moment everyone had all been waiting for: awards. The dramatic music returned as the announcer named the fourth runner up and continued to count down. When it came down to the final two, Kenna Sloy from Gresham and Alexandra Perry from Benton County, they stepped forward and clutched each other’s hands.
“Your first runner up for Miss Oregon Teen 2014…” said the announcer, drawing out every syllable, “…is contestant number eight, Kenna Sloy! Alexandra Perry is Miss Oregon Teen 2014!” The crowd hollered and cheered as Perry was crowned. She strode down the runway trying to hold back tears of joy.
Once the crowd had calmed and Miss Oregon Teen 2014 finished her lap around the stage, the contestants for Miss Oregon were brought back on stage. The announcer went through the awards again as Neilan handed out trophies and paused for pictures.
By the time the announcer named Emma Pelett as Miss Oregon USA he was barely heard. The crowd cheered far louder than the speakers in the auditorium as they watched Pelett try to control herself as she was being crowned. Pure bliss and astonishment was spread across Miss Oregon USA 2014’s face as she let tears stream down. She took to the runway waving and thanking nearly every person in the crowd.
Winners had been declared, tears had been shed, and the competition had ended. But just when the girls thought they could take off their heels, it was announced that the audience could finally take pictures—after the professional photographer had finished taking his. Proud moms and dads stampeded up to the stage and nearly wrestled to take photos.
The competition was finally over. After months of preparation and two long days of fake eyelashes, hair products, and nerves, the young ladies could finally relax. Some left kicking themselves for what they could have done better; others went home with high hopes for next year’s pageant. But for two of these ladies, Emma Pelett and Alexandra Perry, their journey is just beginning.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Carol and Bert Lukens have been the stage directors for this pageant for 13 years.