Princess Q & A

The IDS spoke with a 500 Festival Princess Court member to find out what it is like to be Indiana royalty.

IDS: Have you ever been interested in race car driving?

Lauren Mummert: I once joked in an interview that I have something in common with the race car drivers because I drive a manual transmission Honda.
I have never really been into racing, but I am interested in the Indy 500 as an Indiana resident. However, I have never wanted to drive, myself.

IDS: What has been your favorite experience while participating in the 500 Festival Princess Program?

Mummert: I did an outreach volunteer program and went to an inner-city school in Indianapolis. I was told it would be a rough environment and heard stories about students not being well-behaved. But right when I walked in, someone came up to me and said, ‘It’s so nice to meet you.’ Just knowing that I helped someone feels so great.

IDS: Why do you think two-thirds of the court just so happen to be students in the IU School of Dentistry?
(Editor’s Note: Brooke Dorsett, the 2010 500 Festival Queen, recently graduated from the IU School of Dentistry, and Mummert is currently working on her doctorate in dental surgery there.)

Mummert: Anyone in the dentistry field wants to help people, and community service has a big role in the 500 Festival Princess Program. But maybe it is because we have a white smile. We are always joking about that.