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Wednesday, 04 March 2009 |
 BETHANY WHITFIELD, left, of Bryant is crowned Miss Ouachita Baptist University 2009 by Lauren English of Hot Springs, the 2008 queen. (Photo special to the Courier)
Whitfield, 20, is a sophomore and majoring in history. She is the daughter of Donny and Tanya Whitfield of Bryant and the granddaughter of Kenneth and Beth Cole of Keo and Bill and Norma Whitfield of Toltec.
She is a member of EEE Women’s Social Club and serves as the club’s song leader. She also serves as secretary of OBU’s College Republicans and is sophomore class president on OBU’s Student Senate.
Whitfield’s critical issue platform for the pageant was “Manage for the Future: Person-al Finance.”
“Being crowned Miss OBU was certainly a moment I will never forget,” Whitfield said. “I am extremely proud of the fact that this was my first pageant, and that I worked so hard while still having the time of my life.”
Whitfield was crowned Feb. 28 in the university’s Jones Per-forming Arts Center on the Ark-adelphia campus. She also won the People’s Choice Award and the swimsuit and talent categories of the pageant.
She will represent the university at the Miss Arkansas pageant July 15-18 in Hot Springs.
“I am thrilled to go to Miss Arkansas as Miss OBU,” Whitfield said. “I love this university and everything it represents. It has impacted my life tremendously. I look at this opportunity as an honor, a privilege and a huge responsibility.”
Whitfield was crowned by former Miss OBU Lauren English, 21. Upon receiving the title of Miss OBU, Whitfield was awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the university, wardrobe allow-ances, photography and teeth whitening sessions and other prizes from donating businesses.
Ouachita alumnus Lacy Fleming Glover, former Miss Arkansas and third runnerup to Miss America 2004 served as the pageant’s emcee and also performed. Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen Sloan Roberts and Miss Arkansas 2008 Ashlen Bat-son also performed. The pageant was directed by Justin Harper and Kirt Thomas.
All 12 contestants were nominated by campus organizations and clubs. First runnerup and winner of the interview portion of the pageant was Bethany Briscoe, a junior graphic design major from Plano, Texas. Second runnerup and evening gown winner was Kristen Glover, a sophomore chemistry major from Stuttgart. Third runnerup was Melissa Elliot, a freshman from Little Rock.
Other contestants in the pageant were Christina Alb-ee, Melissa Collier, Andrea Jones, Kathryn Kellogg, Mol-ly Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Andrea Ross and Katie Steele.
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