Miss Michigan State winner Lynn Walker, a family community services senior, reacts with fellow contestant psychology senior Amanda Farmer, right, after being announced as the winner.
When Violet Lombard first heard about the Miss Michigan State pageant, a contest based on service to the East Lansing community, the animal science sophomore said she was excited to hear how it differed from traditional pageants.
“I thought it was really cool because I thought I’d actually have a chance,” Lombard said. “I’ve watched Miss America before, and I am just not those girls.”
Lombard and six other female MSU students competed for the title of Miss Michigan State on Friday at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road.
Five judges, including guest judge Tom Herzog, a junior center from the MSU men’s basketball team, scored the contestants based on their talent performance, a two-question interview and service to the community.
Not all areas were equally judged, as contestants could earn up to 15 points for the presentation of their community service projects and five points for their talent and interview.
Lombard, the event’s runner-up, received a check for $300, and family community services senior Lynn Walker won the grand prize of $2,000.
Walker, who worked with Sparrow Hospital and the Bottomless Toy Chest to give toys to sick children, said she could not believe she had been named Miss Michigan State.
“There were six other girls up there; anybody could have won it,” Walker said. “I almost blacked out on stage.”
Journalism senior Justin Spiro, creator of the Miss Michigan State pageant, said about 120 people attended the event — a number he wants to increase next year.
“I have one year left so I want to do this again next year,” Spiro said. “Ideally, you’d always like to grow, and that’s what we’re going for next year.”
Bloomfield Hills resident Scott Fink, who has watched pageants such as Miss America, said this event was a refreshing change of pace from other pageants.
“It was sort of a turn on the normal,” Fink said. “It’s rewarding people for doing charity or good projects around the community already rather than just promises.”
Spiro came up with the idea for the contest when he transferred to MSU from Central Michigan University two years ago.
When Spiro first arrived at MSU, he loved the campus so much that he would walk through it late at night once a week.
One night, Spiro said he witnessed something that inspired him.
“I saw a guy walking and picking up trash — not cans, but trash,” Spiro said.
“It was a college student, not an older guy, and I thought it would be kind of cool to reward that, and get students who are involved with the school and the community and doing things.”
Although Spiro wanted a competition involving men and women, he discovered it was easier to find female students who were active in the community.
“We just had a lot more feedback from women who were interested,” Spiro said.
Pageant participants received a tote bag full of everything from a free massage gift card to a box of Godiva chocolate.
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Although the cash prize is nice, Walker said it is not the reason she entered the competition.
“I really like charity events, and I had actually been wanting to work with the Bottomless Toy Chest for a long time, and this gave me the perfect opportunity,” she said.
