“Miss Hawai’i” is more than the narcissistic title given to a vivacious girl with a charming smile and glamorous evening gown. The Miss Hawai’i pageant is the official preliminary contest to the Miss America scholarship pageant, which is the largest
“Miss Hawai’i” is more than the narcissistic title given to a vivacious girl with a charming smile and glamorous evening gown.
The Miss Hawai’i pageant is the official preliminary contest to the Miss America scholarship pageant, which is the largest scholarship program in the world for young women.
In 2000, Miss America awarded more than $40 million in cash and tuition-based scholarships at the local, state and national levels.
Neither Miss Garden Isle or Miss Kaua’i hail from this island, but they will both represent Kaua’i in the 54th Miss Hawai’i pageant, airing tonight at 7:30 on K5.
Miss Garden Isle, Lyanna Tumaneng, said she has a lot of family who lives in Puhi, but she grew up on O’ahu and the Big Island. Her college plans include transferring to Hawai’i Pacific University from Kapi’olani Community College with the one-year scholarship she won in the Miss Garden Isle competition this March.
Lyanna said that her first pageant ever was in February, when she won second runner-up in the Miss Waikiki contest.
Miss Kaua’i is the 21-year-old Darah Dung from Manoa. She said she’s scheduled to graduate from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa next semester.
Darah seems to have learned the craft of competition from her sisters — Denby (the current Miss Hawai’i) and Dana — Darah said she’s been competing in pageants since age 13.
Darah said her recent pageant wins include Miss Petite Teen Hawai’i USA 2000; Miss 2000 Hawaii Teen; and Miss American Starlet Grand National Winner 2002. Also, Dana and Denby competed against each other for Miss Hawai’i in 2001; Denby won the crown and Darah got first runner-up.
In the Miss Hawai’i pageant, each contestant prepares a “platform,” or an issue around which they shape community service activities.
Lyanna Tumaneng is speaking out about “eating disorder prevention.” She said that after suffering from an eating disorder at age 16, she wants to educate Hawai’i youth in leading healthy lifestyles.
“It’s something that’s very important to me, and I try to make a difference in young people’s lives,” Lyanna added.
She said she speaks in schools about eating disorders, self-esteem and healthy living practices, and is collecting information from non-profit organizations to distribute in schools.
“In Hawai’i we’re known as the health state, but 20 percent of our children are overweight: that’s double the national average. The problem is, children who don’t know how to lead healthy lifestyles could develop an eating disorder,” Tumaneng cited a recent health study she said she researched.
Darah Dung said she will share the importance of “the family connection:” helping to raise good citizens with strong communication within family members. “I’ve volunteered at church; worked with children; and all the contestants made an appearance for ‘Prevent Child Abuse Hawai’i’ in April,” she said.
“I just made this platform up to enter in Kaua’i; it was based upon something I was very passionate about,” Darah said.
Ironically, her sister Dana secretly entered Darah in the Miss Kaua’i pageant, telling her about it only a day or two before the pageant. Darah said she had to get ready quick.
“It’s lucky because all of my sisters and I pretty much wear the same size clothes,” Darah said, “I flew up the night before the pageant; I had to learn everything the night before.” And she won.
At first, Lyanna said she just wanted to compete for the scholarship money. “It is such a wonderful organization. I’ve grown as a person in so many ways. It really pushes people to be their best,” Lyanna said. Rose Dahle, Kaua’i pageant coordinator, said that scholarships are awarded to all contestants, not just the winners.
It is difficult to gain community support of pageants because of misconceptions, Dahle said. For example, the pageant still incorporates a “swimsuit” (lifestyle and fitness) category, which gets a lot of criticism. According to Dahle, the scoring has been changed for 2002: the “swimsuit” is worth only 10 percent of the final score. In the new system, the interview counts for 40 percent, talent is worth 30 percent and evening gown is 20 percent.
“It’s not about being totally buff; I think it’s so important that physical fitness and exercise shows that a person takes care of herself,” Darah said.
“This is a scholarship pageant, everybody is beautiful inside,” Dahle said.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@ pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
