The month of May is a busy one for students at Cary-Grove. It consists of AP testing, prom, Mr. C-G, Miss C-G, and for seniors, graduation. The only thing we have left, besides graduation, of course, is the Miss Cary-Grove pageant.

It’s similar to Mr. C-G, but Mr. C-G is run through the school, and Miss C-G is run through the Chamber of Commerce. Also, Miss C-G contestants are sponsored by a business, whereas Mr. C-G contestants are not. Getting a company sponsor is the first step on the journey to becoming Miss C-G.

“We go to local businesses and ask if they want to sponsor us,” senior Jenny Rice said. “It’s good marketing because each contestant has to give a minute and a half speech on their sponsor and wear a sash with their company’s name on it.”

If you don’t have a company in mind, one can be given to you.

“Lisa Raupp gave me Sage Products as my sponsor because they are a huge contributor to the pageant and they have to be represented every year in the pageant” said junior Ally Ehlers.

Finding a sponsor is just the beginning for the girls. They have events to attend, speeches to write, and dances to memorize.

“The pageant does require a lot of time, but it is still manageable,” senior Rachel Rosch said. “We have meetings or events almost every week.”

Sign-up for the pageant is back in February, and it lays low for a while until ramping up during the month of May.

“I practice my speech at least three times a day and try to attend as many pageant sponsored events as possible,” Ehlers said.

“About 28 hours up until the pageant is spent working,” Rice added. Ultimately, though, the amount of work done depends on how much the contestant wants to get involved. For the pageant, they are expected to do as many community events as possible.

“We are scored on participation, and having a lot of knowledge of the town really allows you to seem intelligent and knowledgeable,” said senior Allie Renner, who won Miss C-G last year. Additionally, Miss C-G is required to attend several different events the following yea,r such as the Homecoming parade, Memorial Day parade, Cary cruise night, the Cary Main street fest, and many more.

With all of this under the girls’ belts, some may say that Miss C-G requires more work than Mr. C-G. However, it may be rightfully so.

“I think it’s a different kind of work than Mr. C-G because we go out every week and meet members in the community and learn about local businesses,” Rice said. Mr. C-G is only run through the school, and Miss C-G is run through the community, so it requires a great deal more of the contestants.

“We do community service, meetings, events with our parents, work with little kids, host a prom at Three Oaks Assisted Living,and on top of that have practices and a speech to perform,” Rosch said. “I believe we have more pressure on our side and our pageant is more focused on business than comical performances.”

The most crucial elements to being in Mr. C-G are having a decent GPA and an entertaining talent. On top of the Miss Cary-Grove pageant being more work, the rewards and publicity may be unequal as well.

“Mr. C-G tickets are sold in the front lobby of the school, and this way more people are aware of Mr. C-G. We also do not get our names voiced over the intercom,” Renner said. “Mr. C-G is more of a joke. It is expected that you are funny. Miss C-G is more of a business pageant. We are required to do a certain amount of events which is something Mr. C-G doesn’t do. But, I won $1,000 for winning and so does the Mr. C-G winner.”

Due to the different amounts of work each pageant requires, it seems as though the girls might be a little underappreciated here.

“We are scored on our bio, personal interview with the judges, evening gown, confidence, speech presentation, impromptu question, participation throughout the whole process,” Rosch said. “I agree that Mr. C-G is easier, and they do win more money. Every contestant wins money, but only the top three in Miss C-G do.”

Hard work does go a long way, but it seems frustrating that someone else can win the same thing for doing much less. Even if one is based more on comedy, is it still fair to give the same award? Especially when Miss C-G plans for months throughout the community, and Mr. C-G is only at school?  Please, go support the girls this Saturday so that they can finally get the recognition they deserve.