MSU students shine bright at Miss Mississippi Pageant
Two Mississippi State University students and one University of Mississippi student were declared winners in the second round of 2017 Miss Mississippi Pageant preliminaries on Thursday night.
The spot for talent preliminary winner was tied for the second night in a row. Both talent preliminary winners on Thursday are MSU students.
Anne Elizabeth Buys from Vicksburg danced the ballet technique on pointe for her talent. Buys is a communication major at MSU, with an emphasis in public relations and broadcasting.
Kaci Bryant from Taylorsville was also declared Thursday’s talent preliminary winner. Bryant is a food and nutrition major at MSU and she played the piano for her talent.
Blair Wortsmith from Little Rock, a banking and finance major at the University of Mississippi, was the swimwear preliminary winner on Thursday night.
Buys is the only contestant, so far, who has been announced as a winner on both preliminary nights.
Wednesday’s preliminary winners included Buys for swimwear preliminary winner, and a tie for talent preliminary winner between Tanner Fant of Starkville and Holly Harrington of Tupelo.
Fant participated in the evening gown and question portion of the pageant on Thursday night, a category which does not have a winner in the preliminary rounds. Fant wore a white, floor-length evening gown and was asked if she believed cosmetic surgery would be an unfair advantage in competitions.
Fant said she does not believe cosmetic surgery gives an unfair advantage. Fant said if someone feels led to participate in cosmetic surgery to gain confidence and invoke confidence within her, she believes it is acceptable.
“The pageant is about being confident in who you are and empowering yourself so you can empower others,” Fant said. “If cosmetic surgery allows you to have that then there is no need to label it as an unfair advantage.”