Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ward recounts Miss America experiences

Contestants for the Miss America Pageant were in Atlantic City, N.J. on Sept. 11, when planes flew into the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

They were given a choice of going on with the pageant, or postponing it. By a vote of 34-17, the pageant was held on schedule. Miss Arkansas, Jessie Ward, was one who voted to thumb their nose at Usama bin Laden and let the show go on.

"We were in the middle of it all," Ward said, "and it was scary. Reality set in. I thought, I'm six states away from everyone I know.'"

The pageant coordinators asked the contestants what they wanted to do, giving them the choice of going on as planned, or putting it off until things calmed down.

"We voted to go on with the pageant," Ward said. "This was after we heard President (George) Bush speak. In retrospect, it was the right thing to do.

"The pageant was more than I thought it would be, though," she continued.

Upon arrival at the auditorium at 7 a.m. the day of the pageant, all contestants were forbidden to leave. They couldn't go anywhere without an escort. The contestants weren't allowed to be alone at all during pageant week, Ward said.

The auditorium was surrounded by armed guards, with helicopters flying around the exterior perimeter, with the Coast Guard patrolling the waters nearby. Armed guards were also posted outside the contestants's hotel room doors.

Ward said everyone who came to the pageant Saturday night was searched, all 25,000 of them. Though it couldn't be seen on television, a line of policemen were in front of the stage. "They took great precautions to keep everyone safe."

There were tales of tragedy from the attack at the pageant as well, she said. One of the women on the Miss America board had a relative on one fo the planes that flew into the WTC. One fo the chaperons had a relative on the 81st floor of the WTC, who wasn't able to get out.

However, along with the tragedy, there were positives, Ward said. Most notably the contestants voting to let bin Laden know the action of his terrorists couldn't break the American spirit, and going on with the pageant.

Ward also got plenty of ink from newspapers in the area, appearing on the front page of the New Jersey Press.

The day of the talent rehearsal, she said, they came in and did an interview with her. The story hit the streets the day of the pageant. Rehearsal day was the only time the media was allowed in before the pageant. "They had a huge spread on me in the paper," she said.

During the talent segment of the pageant, Ward was the only contestant to get a standing ovation. People working the concession stands came in to watch her moonwalk during her performance. "The crowd loved it," she said. "I was there to entertain them."

However, she didn't win this portion of the pageant.

"They were tough on me in the interview segment," Ward said. "But they couldn't ask any questions I wasn't able to answer." The most convoluted question was a six-parter dealing with how she could use her platform to make money. Her platform was on school violence

"I didn't get rattled, and answered the entire question."

The questions were harder for some contestants than others, she said, and was glad hers were some of the tough ones. "If they'd have asked me anything easy I couldn't have answered it."

For Ward, the scariest part of the pageant was being told they would be watched by 15 million people. "It's a little scary thinking you have to walk out in a swimsuit in front of all those people."

The delegation of fans from Prescott, she said, had a blast at the pageant. Her family was seated in a place where she was able to wave at them each time she came on stage.

This group, Ward said, got more coverage than any Arkansas delegation has ever received. They were a vocal bunch, all rooting for Miss Arkansas to win.

"I wanted to win the interview portion the most," she said. "But it went to the girl who won swimsuit."

While Ward didn't win, she was the 11th Miss Arkansas to make it to the top 10.

Ward said the contestants received a list of scholarships won and she was fifth.

She has been busy with her duties as Miss Arkansas since returning to the state. "I go places now and people tell me they saw me on Miss America. People get excited about it," she said.

"I've been busy since getting back. I've gone places in Arkansas I never knew about and have done a lot of neat things."

Currently, Ward is attending Miss Arkansas Pageant preliminary events, as she will turn her crown in next June.

She was in the University of Arkansas homecoming parade, recently, which didn't hurt her feelings as she's a big Razorback fan.

During the Miss Pine Bluff Pageant, when Arkansas and Ole Miss were playing football, Ward was the MC and kept asking people in the crowd for updates on how the game was going. It wound up going through seven overtimes with the Hogs pulling out a 58-56 win.

Ward is booked up with Miss Arkansas preliminary pageants every weekend through late December, gets a break for the holidays, and returns to the pageant circuit in 2002.

On Dec. 15, she will be at the Miss Texarkana Pageant, where her sister, Chelsie, turns in her crown as Young Miss Texarkana.

The exposure Ward has received as Miss Arkansas has led to her being selected as a spokesperson for a major cosmetic's firm for their line of long-lasting lipstick.

However, while she's been having fun being Miss Arkansas, Ward is ready to return to college and her studies.

"I'm ready to go back," she said, "I feel my brain is turning into mush and I need to be studying. I love this year, but I'm ready to go back to school."

Ward is working on a double-major, pre-med and communications, with plans on being a medical correspondent after graduation.

While her schedule has been hectic, she did manage to catch four Curley Wolf football games this season. Ward was disappointed the Wolves didn't do better, and said they're a young team and will improve.