For her talent, Kira Kanzantsev sang Pharrell Williams' "Happy" barefoot while sitting with her legs crossed on stage. As the contestant sang, she tapped a red plastic cup against the floor to the rhythm of her tune with a smile.
According to CBSnews.com, Kanzantsev said her performance was inspired by a scene from the film "Pitch Perfect," where the movie's protagonist, played by Anna Kendrick, auditions for an a capella group by banging a plastic cup in similar rhythmic fashion.
Kanzantsev's win marked the third consecutive year a contestant from New York took home the Miss America crown.
Since her win, Kanzantsev and the Miss America program have received criticism from thousands of viewers and fans.
"That's right, girls, wanna become Miss America?" wrote reader Marc Weissman on HuffingtonPost.com. "Forget those challenging classical piano lessons, throw out those opera CDs and blow off those modern dance classes because all you need to do is swipe a Slurpee cup from 7/11 and sing along to the latest ear-worm."
Another reader, Angela Watson, said Kanzantsev won because of her state title.
"Obviously you just have to win Miss New York to be a shoe-in," Watson said.
Jessica Dyk, junior in mechanical engineering, has competed in pageants for most of her life. Like the many naysayers online, the fellow pageant contestant also has strong feelings about this year's Miss America winner.
"Talent is a large part of your score, but it isn't everything," Dyk said. "It's about who will represent the program best. Miss New York stood out. She didn't have a talent that knocked you off your feet, but she did something different that was relatable to girls across the nation. That's just as important as the talent itself, if not more so."
Dyk has taken lessons to be a classical dancer for nearly two decades. Her talents helped her win Miss South Dakota's Outstanding Teen in 2009.
Dyk said she stands behind the judges' choice for Kazantsev winning Miss America 2015.
"A lot of people view the Miss America pageant as nothing but a superficial competition about beauty, but it's not," Dyk said. "So many mock it, and this was the program's way of re-branding what they're about -- to show the country what's most important."
Katie Willoughby, sophomore in communication disorders, is the director of the Miss Auburn University program.
Willoughby said she admires the way the New York native dared to be different.
"The talent portion of the pageant is about making it your own," Willoughby said. "Every girl is an individual and you should show that while you're on stage."
Willoughby said she thinks the plastic cup routine deserved its high marks, as well as the crown.
"There so much more to the competition that we don't get to see," Willoughby said. "What we do see is five minutes of the hours of preparation these women have done. I hope Americans know that the woman who won is an amazing person who deserved it. She's so versatile. She speaks three languages, is poised, intelligent and down-to-earth. What more could we want as a Miss America winner?"
While Willoughby said she has never judged a pageant, she said this year's outcome was a good representation of what all pageants should focus on.
"The fact that the girl who got up on stage and was herself and won is great," Willoughby said. "It was a great opportunity for the Miss America pageant to show what they want in a representative as a person, not just looks and abilities."
Alumna Emily Jordan, who was crowned Miss Auburn University in 2012, said she sees positive reinforcement behind the success of the plastic cup routine.
"It's less about what you can do, and more about how you do it," Jordan said.
While pageants such as the Miss America program receive a lot of flak for being materialistic and degrading, Jordan said the judges sent an important message with the woman they crowned this year.
"Our culture often tells us we have to be perfect in everything we do," Jordan said. "With this win, they're saying, 'You don't have to be perfect.'"
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