Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
When Miss Kosciusko heads to Michigan City this weekend to prepare for the Miss Indiana competition, she doesn't care whether she wins ... she just wants to have fun.
"Everyone is up there wanting to win," said Erin Cassidente. "It's hard for the girls if that's what they define themselves by."
Cassidente, 23, of Warsaw, said that she hadn't planned on winning the local pageant when she participated in it last July. The new Miss Indiana will be chosen from among 16 contestants during competitions that culminate June 27. She will then represent the state in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.
Cassidente isn't the typical beauty pageant contestant and wasn't a big supporter of the ideology prior to her experience in the Miss Kosciusko program, which is part of the Miss America Pageant process. She said she went into it with skepticism, but changed her mind when she learned that the program supports scholarships and higher education for women and is the largest provider of scholarships to women in the nation. She points out that the swimsuit portion is only 15 percent of the total score, with interview skills earning a much larger percentage.
She expects the weeklong experience leading to the crowning of Miss Indiana to be a "crash course in life."
The 5-foot, 9-inch redhead has been preparing for the state pageant since winning the local one last July.
In addition to fine-tuning her talent, she has been speaking before various service groups and other organizations about not only the Miss Kosciusko/Indiana/America pageants, but also is providing information on her platform.
Each contestant is required to state a platform at the local pageant and must pursue it at the state and national levels. Cassidente has chosen mental illness advocacy, education and support. Through her efforts, the first mental health support group in Warsaw was formed last fall (The Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Warsaw Chapter is an independent consumer and family support group for mentally ill disorders and meets weekly at the First United Methodist Church), and Cassidente was able to spend the past year doing volunteer work associated with her platform, including adult foster care for the mentally ill at her home.
Cassidente admits that being Miss Kosciusko "is a lot more work than I ever imagined." Getting ready for the state competition has involved many ongoing and last minute preparations.
"This has been a very interesting year and a very growing experience for me," Cassidente said.
A graduate of McPherson College, McPherson, Kan., Cassidente holds a bachelor's degree in theater and hopes to obtain a master's degree, although her area of study is yet undecided. She remains interested in theater and said she is also interested in law.
For the talent portion of the Miss Indiana competition, Cassidente will perform an original song, "Beautiful Girl," for which she will both sing and play guitar. She performed the same song at the local pageant last year before being crowned Miss Kosciusko.
Although Cassidente didn't learn to play the guitar until she was in college, she said that she comes from a very musical family and that she has been writing songs since fifth grade. It wasn't until she learned to play guitar, however, that she was able to put the words to music.
Cassidente is also trained in dance and performed with the junior company of the Fort Wayne Ballet until age 17.
The most difficult part of the talent competition in the Miss Indiana pageant is the fact that performances are limited to two minutes each. Cassidente said that she has an advantage over some of the girls because, since she wrote the song, she was able to edit it to fit the time specifications. Other contestants may have a harder time honing down their talent time, she said.
Cassidente said she has attended several pageants throughout the state to see how the contestants handle themselves and to "size up the competition." She is the daughter of Ronald and Carolyn Cassidente.
The 1999 Miss Kosciusko Scholarship Pageant will take place July 25. Anyone interested in participating can contact Pat Farm at 658-9134. Contestants must be between the ages of 17 and 24. Cash scholarships will be awarded.
