Confessions of a County Fair Queen

Editor’s note: Kate Middleton was the 2006 Miss Monroe County Fair Queen. She is currently a reporter for the Indiana Daily Student.\nI was about to “tap out,” in all honesty. Sitting in a fitted evening gown for 2 1/2 hours is not one of the easier tasks of a queen. As 2006 Miss Monroe County, my last duty was to help crown Miss 2007. I was very happy to pass the crown and title to Alyssa Lampkins.\nWith only a few days to prepare and rehearse before the contest, I am sure the women and girls – all 33 contestants – were feeling the heat. In fact, they were experiencing what felt like the Sahara Desert. On the night of the contest, the air conditioning broke in both dressing rooms. I knew what they were feeling as I was stranded on my throne. I felt like useless stage decoration, though I knew my role during the contest was crucial. Other than handing out awards, my secret role is to make faces at the contestants so that they might release their smiles a few seconds before they have to face the crowd and judges again. During the competition, you are forced to smile your face off, and with all honesty, it begins to twitch. It’s rather painful.\nWhile on stage, I longed for the hustle and bustle of the dressing rooms. That’s where the fun is! It’s not full of mythical cat fights and super glue – just girls. They are the ones you walked with in the hallways of your high school. There’s always at least one person with an attitude, but once the stage lights are on and Master of Ceremony Kevin Osborne begins announcing, an amazing, hyper-anxious, excited and nervous mood rushes through your body. And some of the most hilarious things are said and done. It’s comedy at its finest.\nIt’s as much fun as it is serious. The most heart-wrenching part of the evening was handing out awards. All the girls had worked so hard. I could feel some of their hearts drop when their names were not called. I had been there before – I wasn’t crowned until my third year. \nMy first stage appearance was in 2004, and when I write that the heart drops at disappointment – I really mean it. By the time you are standing in line in your evening gown waiting for the awards to be given, there are only a few soul-willing thoughts going through your mind: your contestant number, keeping your poker face and just how exactly the former queen is going to work with or against your hair when she places the crown on your head because that’s how you’re going to look in tomorrow’s newspaper. When your name and contestant number are not called, those few thoughts only narrow down to one – to not show your disappointment in front of everyone. \nAlyssa will have to attend numerous events this week at the fair because she will be the new hostess. It is a great experience and opportunity. As queen, you are able to meet many people and put yourself out there. You become a leader in the community and a celebrity to all the little girls who aspire to be queen someday, too.\nBut obligations do not stop there. Alyssa will get to attend other County Queen contests before she goes up to the State Fair to compete for the Miss Indiana State Fair. The State Fair pageant is where the familiar and comic relief of old friends fades slightly and an onslaught of new faces and harder competition become more relevant.\nThere were times during my reign when it was hard for me to find enough time to fulfill all my duties, especially since I was trying to complete my sophomore year at IU. Now, when I look back, it was one of the best growing experiences of my life. But even though I was a queen, I did not let it define me as a person. I went on my first hunting trip last fall, trained and rode in the Little 500 and began writing for the Indiana Daily Student.\nI know Alyssa will make a great queen, and she has an amazing court to support her throughout the week. I hope she takes advantage of all the opportunities she is given and enjoys every moment.