The Positive Directions Pageant typically requires contestants to sit in person for an interview with a panel of judges, then walk the stage alongside other competitors in formal evening wear. Winners are then crowned onstage in a group setting.
However, with COVID pandemic safety measures such as social distancing and stay at home directives in place, co-Director Paula Jansen said staff had to make the tough decision on whether to entirely cancel the event that was scheduled for March 21 in Lakeside or carry on.
According to Jansen, canceling this year’s pageant would have resulted in thousands of lost community service hours.
“This pageant really focuses on volunteerism in the community and helping young women grow their confidence through service. Last year, our title holders completed over 4,000 hours in volunteer service hours.
They all earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award,” Jansen said.
She and other pageant staff decided to let the parents of competitors lead the charge on how to proceed.
“We asked parents if they wanted us to attempt a modified pageant and they agreed it was better than canceling entirely. We ended up with many little solutions in place so most of the kids could compete without ever even being in the same room but two who have elderly family members at home were able to do everything through Facetime. It took way longer but it was really the only way to keep everyone apart” Jansen said.
She rattled off a list of workarounds she and other pageant directors established: individual chairs were lined up six feet apart, with no two contestants ever sitting in the same chair; only staff members could touch the door to let children individually enter or exit the room; judges were seated at individual tables and contestants had to maintain their distance during the interview portion of the competition.
Linda Pool described the process her daughter Apryl Phillips was asked to use as being very organized.
“One of the staff members came out to the car to get my daughter, keeping distance. I never had to leave my car. She had her phone with her so she could stay in communication. She said all the judges sat at different tables so they were able to talk to each other from afar,” Pool said.
Phillips later told her mother that it felt different to compete without an audience, and that she is used to finding someone in the crowd to connect with as she walks the stage in her formal dress, but this time she locked eyes with one of the judges as a way to calm her nerves.
Ana Jackson decided that even a modified competition might still hold risks for her family and chose to utilize Facetime so her daughter could compete through the shared online application without ever leaving home.
“With my elderly mom living with us, we didn’t want to take any chances. Paula said she could Facetime the interview. It wasn’t really the same without all the pomp and circumstance but it worked well and was effective for keeping our family safe,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she thought the process worked well. Her daughter, Julianna Jackson was named 2020 Teen Miss San Diego County without ever having to leave the house and risk bringing the COVID virus home to her family.
Pageant directors are rethinking projects so newly installed winners canmove forward with volunteerism from home said Jansen, since winners are currently not allowed to go out into the community. She has already asked the group to begin working on holiday cards at home to send to deployed American service members this December.
