Meg McGuffin, who graduated from Auburn in May with a degree in media studies, will be competing in the Miss America 2016 competition as the current titleholder of Miss Alabama.
Meg entered the preliminary competition stage Monday, Sept. 7, which will lead up to the main event Sunday, Sept. 13, in Atlantic City.
The first day of preliminary competition was the interview segment.
The contestants were questioned by the judges for 10 minutes on topics including the contestant’s platform statements, the contestant’s résumés and social and political issues.
Meg's platform is Healthy is the New Skinny. She said growing up without body positive role models was “detrimental” to her self-esteem and self-worth.
“As Miss America, I want to be that body positive role model that young girls need,” Meg said. “If I had the opportunity to be that person and to share this message, I think that young girls would benefit from that and not fall prey to the pressures of society like I did.”
Although it may sound daunting, Meg said she enjoyed the interview portion of preliminary competition.
“What you do most as Miss America and as a titleholder is communicate with other people and build relationships, and so your interview is your opportunity to show the judges that you can do that,” Meg said.
Other aspects of preliminary competition Meg competed in included artistic expression (talent), presence and poise (evening wear) and lifestyle and fitness (swimsuit).
Meg performed a contemporary dance routine en pointe for talent, which was held Tuesday, Sept.8.
The evening wear and swimsuit preliminary competitions will be held Thursday, Sept.10.
However, preliminary competition is not the only part the contestants are devoting their days to.
As the competition approaches, the contestants have been spending long days in rehearsals learning everything from opening numbers to different walks for each portion of the competition.
Despite the long days, Meg said the past three months have been the hard part. She said she worked with a personal trainer three to four times a week, practiced mock interviews, put her wardrobe together and had fittings, amongst other things.
“You work your tail off, and then when you get here you reap the awards, you are allowed to just build relationships and have a blast," Meg said.
Meg emphasized the friendships she has formed with her fellow contestants, shattering the stereotypical image of catty girls attempting to trip each other onstage.
“I’ve laughed harder than I’ve ever laughed before in my life with these girls," Meg said. "We all know exactly the amount of hard work each of us has put into this journey, so now we can laugh about it and poke fun at one another and just have the time of our lives.”
Meg showed no signs of nerves, something her mom, Lisa McGuffin, recognizes as completely normal.
“We are more nervous than she is,” Lisa said. “She never gets nervous.”
Meg’s grandparents and her mother, the three people Meg cited as her biggest supporters, will be in the audience Sunday, Sept. 13 when Meg walks across the stage.
Of course, Lisa said she would love if Meg ended the night with a crown on her head.
“It goes back to her just being 100 percent authentic," Lisa said. "She is such a genuine person, and she is so passionate about her platform."
Lacey Gossey, one of Meg’s sisters in Phi Mu at Auburn, also said Meg’s passion for her platform made her a great choice for Miss America 2016.
“She has a great platform … which she worked a lot on at Auburn and shared with our chapter a lot,” Gossey said.
Gossey also said she thinks Meg has done a great job as Miss Alabama 2015, and said she would be a great attribute to the Miss America organization.
“She pretty much embodies everything the Miss America organization is,” Gossey said.
The Miss America 2016 competition will air on ABC Sunday, Sept. 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
