Every year Gaffney High School holds the Miss Cherokeean pageant. The Miss Cherokeean pageant is about more than just beauty. Mrs. Mollie Vassey, one of the pageant sponsors, said “The pageant is a show of confidence, beauty, and public speaking. It teaches these girls life skills.” With a grand total 25 girls from grades 9-12 competing this year, we can expect a great show of talent, beauty, and confidence.

I attended a practice where I interviewed the girls and watched them practice hard to prepare for the three categories that they must go through in order to be crowned Miss Cherokeean 2020.  The first category is the interview with the judges, which consists of the girls being asked questions by a panel of judges. It is very hard to prepare for because none of the contestants know what the interviewers might ask. Most of the contestants said they are most scared for the interview category because they never know what to expect. These interviews are held Saturday morning before the pageant.

The next category is casual wear. During the casual wear portion of the pageant, the contestants will talk about their feelings on this year’s topic: Unforgettable. They can talk about any subject ranging from what it means to be unforgettable, to how to be unforgettable.

The last category is formal wear. Contestants will be escorted by JROTC Air Force students, and they will wear formal gowns and walk in front of the crowd. An elegant end to an elegant night.

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There are multiple awards the contestants can receive. There is a Class Beauty from each grade, and they receive a crown. An academic winner is also awarded a medallion for each grade. Along with those awards, there are a superlative awards that all of the contestants vote on. The audience also gets to cast their vote for a contestant. Finally, the contestant with the most overall points will be crowned Miss Cherokeean.

Some may wonder what motivates these young ladies to participate in the pageant. Senior Ansleigh Touchberry said that she joined the pageant to become more active in the school. Her favorite category is casual wear because it is more upbeat, and she enjoys that. She feels the hardest part of the pageant is the formal wear because she is nervous she might trip and fall.

Reagan Parker, a freshman, said she joined the pageant to build her confidence. She thinks the hardest part of the pageant is public speaking. She says she is scared of messing up in front of everyone, but we know she will do great!

The Miss Cherokeean pageant has been held for many years here at Gaffney High School. Pageant sponsors Kristie Camp and Mollie Vassey have directed the pageant for the last 12 years, and put together a spectacular show every year. This year’s show will include performances by Gaffney High students Kelsey Cooper and Alanie Blanton, while Ryan Guice will be the pianist for the evening.

Tickets for the Miss Cherokeean pageant will go on sale at the Gaffney High School auditorium on Friday, January 31st from 8:30-3:00, and on Saturday morning in the GHS library from 10:00-12:00. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door prior to the pageant. The pageant will being at 6:30. Doors will open at 5:30; ticket-holders will be admitted first.

Be sure to join us for the 2020 Miss Cherokeean pageant. It is sure to be an Unforgettable night.