Written by Isa Riano, Advertisement Manager
Since 1952, the Miss Universe Organization has been hosting an annual international beauty pageant known as Miss Universe. In the competition, women must answer questions about themselves and their countries while modeling various outfits, such as a swimming costume. The 71st Miss Universe was streamed live from New Orleans on Jan. 14. Continue reading to find out how Saint Leo University students feel about this competition.
When it comes to Miss Universe in general, some lions agree that this is more than a beauty competition.
“The Miss Universe organization works with many volunteer organizations and raises awareness to issues all over the world,” said Amanda Phillips, a junior majoring in elementary education. “I wish all pageants did that.”
Other students believe that the Miss Universe Organization should promote the competition even more so that more people are aware of it.
“I had no idea Miss Universe was taking place so early in 2023. I would have liked to see more advertising about it,” said Ignacia Cortínez, a freshman majoring in sports business.
Furthermore, some lions believe that newspapers and magazines should promote the impact it wishes to have on the world with the competition. It’s not just all about looks.
“Because of yellow journalism, some people never see the good side of pageantry,” said Phillips.
A fun fact about this pageant is that according to Insider, the United States leads the world in Miss Universe wins with nine, followed by Venezuela with seven.
Furthermore, this year, R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe representing the United States, while Amanda Dudamel was the first runner-up for Venezuela, and Andreina Martinez Fournier was the second runner-up for the Dominican Republic.
When approaching different students to find out what they thought about the results, the majority of them agreed that the runners-up and the winner deserved their distinction.
“I did not watch the pageant, but all three finalists seem very confident and empowering,” said Mekhi Perkins, a sophomore majoring in cybersecurity.
Other students thought the results were predictable based on the candidate’s responses and presence throughout the pageant.
“I thought Miss United States would win because her answers were well thought out and she was very poised on the runway,” said Phillips. “I have seen these characteristics in other queens.”
Moreover, most students think that apart from being a rewarding competition for the winners and runners-up, it is fun to watch.
“I’ll try to find Miss Universe clips soon so I can entertain myself watching it,” said Cortínez.
Our lions enjoyed Miss Universe 2023, which featured a new queen from the United States and two Hispanic runners-up, and are looking forward to seeing how the winner represents the Miss Universe organization internationally. Anyone interested in staying up to date on Miss Universe can follow @missuniverse on Instagram.
