"How I Lost The Junior Miss Pageant" 9/8/08

PART ONE

Hi, my name is Leticia Crespo. I am 18 but will turn 19 on September 15. I was born and raised in Fitchburg Mass. I am a Freshman and my major is Criminal Justice.

I like to watch sports. I am a Boston fan, Red Soxs, Pats, Celtics, the whole gang. I am pretty disappointed with Tom Brady out for the season by the way. I will just say goodbye to the playoffs now. I like to listen to music. I love everything. Yes, I do mean everything and yes that does include Britney Spears and probably anything else you can think of.

That is pretty much me. If you want to know anything else, feel free to email at lcrespo7619@wsc.ma.edu.


PART TWO

Writing Strategies
1. One of the parts that engaged me the most was in the beginning when Bosley recalled about how she would sit in the couch and be her own judge for the Miss America Pageant. How she carefully created a chart prior to the pageant and how as she got more and more complex with it.

2. This essay has more meaning to it then just Pageants. This essay talks about the pressure that society and even parents place on people, especially young people, to look "beautiful", perform well, and just be a happy useful part of society. Also, she talks about that pressure influenced the relationship she had with her mother.

3. What I like most about your essay is how you showed society's stereotypes when you talked about why you didn't win and how you listed of girls who would never win it like "The girl hiding in her room reading and writing poetry doesn't win Miss America". The main suggestion I have about your essay is i wished to hear more about how your mother reacted after you lost the pageant.

4. Yes, she didn't tell us how she lost the Junior Miss Pageant. She lost the pageant because she didn't do or say what the judges wanted. She answered the questions like her self and not the normal "save the world" stuff. She wasn't the rich girl "I can get everything" girl, even though she tried to be one. She grew up to view every single flaw she could imagine and grew to see beauty in a cynical way. All of this in her mind made it impossible to win.

Exploring Ideas

2. Bosely's idea that she didn't win because she didn't give the judges what they wanted or said what they wanted can be put general ideas. In society, this includes media, class, traditions, if you don't do or are what is considered the norm, then you are put down. You are viewed as a maverick and became an outcast.

3. I do not drink. Most people think that because you are a young teen, that you have to drink, including most of my family members. They are all surprised when they find out that I don't. Also, when other young people hear that you don't drink they think that you don't because you don't like it. Me on the other hand have more reasons. I see what it does to people and I don't want to be that person.

Ideas for Writing

1. One thing I was disappointed in was when I was unable to go to my first choice college, University of New Haven. I got accepted but it was just too expensive for me and my family. The significance of this is that I learned that I won't always get what I want. College is college, I am in school in a great college and I will learned to move on, never be disappointed and never loom on the past.

2. One thing I have exceeded my own expectations is the fact that I have not yet at the age of 19 still not drank. Thinking about it I know I can do it. I know I can last as long as I want but the people around me have put into my head that everyone does it and that sooner or later it is going to happen. Even though that is in my mind, I know I won't fall under pressure, even though I am nervous I will. The significance is that because of what people around me think, I feel nervous, even though I know I won't fall.