By By Adam Prestridge
My hats off to Anna Barry and the staff that assisted her in making the Miss NHS 2009 pageant a success this past Saturday night.
The pageant continues to break records proving that the hard work of all involved has paid off the past several years. In 2007, 30 girls participated in the pageant and last year, 25 took to the catwalk. This year, a record number of girls sought the crown as 32 girls participated. Those numbers alone speak volumes.
And for those who were looking for a seat, you are quite aware of how many people packed out the Northview auditorium to witness the crowning moment. Barry said the auditorium holds around 340 audience members and with the use of some metal folding chairs, around 350 were able to witness the pageant.
Unfortunately, some people had to stand in the back or were turned away at the door because of the lack of room. Those who missed the pageant truly missed a great show.
Even though I wasn’t able to sit among the crowd due to the limited seating, I may have lucked out and had the best seat in the house. For the second year in a row, I sat on the floor in front of the stage, which isn’t too bad of a spot to shoot photos from. I hope the coverage inside today’s Advance proves that theory.
In hindsight, not being able to please everyone comes with success. If a movie theatre is showing the No. 1 movie of the year, obviously, it won’t have enough room for everyone to view it at the same time – people will have to be turned away. In this case, Northview was putting on a great show, without a doubt the best one of the weekend, and there wasn’t enough room for everyone.
As for the contestants, everyone represented their school with dignity and class and should be proud of their accomplishments. Whether you placed in the Top 7 or won an individual honor, pride is something each one of you can take home with you and cherish for the rest of your life. There were a lot of other girls who did not participate for various reasons, but you took the time and effort to support your school and entertain your family, friends and guests.
Each one of you is a winner.
Adam Prestridge is publisher of The Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123.