Fair Queen contest to be held on Wednesday
After months of anticipation, just short of a dozen feature articles from LSNews.org, and a late influx in the number of candidates, the Fair Queen contest will finally occur on Wednesday as the West Lampeter Fair opens for its 91st year.
11 clubs nominated candidates (and you can see LSNews.org profiles of each of them here), and the candidates will process from the faculty parking lot to the fairgrounds in a parade beginning at 7 PM on Wednesday.
Then, at 7:30 PM, the competition begins. Former L-S teacher Mr. Matthew Cooper will be the Master of Ceremonies, and former Fair Queen runner up and current L-S teacher Ms. Eva Strawser will sing the National Anthem. Each nominee gives a prepared speech, submits an essay, answers an impromptu question, and participates in an interview. Candidates are judged on a range of criteria, and can earn up to a total of 105 points.
The judges for 2015 are Brittany Balmer, who was the 2014 Manheim Community Fair Queen and 2015 Pennsylvania Alternate Fair Queen, Laura Brenner, who was the 2009 Lampeter Fair Queen, and Ron Ranck, who owns B&R Cattle Company and is the Vice President of New Holland Sales Stables.
"[Judges] are looking for the candidate that will best represent the ideals of the Lampeter Fair Community and best represent us at the State Fair Competition," says Mrs. Tina Shockey, a liaison between the school and the Fair who helps organize the Fair Queen contest.
Personal appearance -- specifically a candidate's dress and hair -- as well as poise, voice, the prepared introduction, and the impromptu question each account for 10 possible points, making the total of the points available the night of the contest 50. The essay is also scored on a 10-point scale.
The other 45 points come from the interview, with specific enumerations of personal appearance (again dress and hair), poise, voice, and questions accounting for 10 points apiece, and fair involvement accounting for five.
Last year, Sarah Sambrick, the Varsity Club representative, won the contest, while Hunter Bradley, the Future Nurses Club representative, was named the runner-up. A list of historical winners is available here.
Stay tuned for LSNews.org's complete coverage of the West Lampeter Fair, including the Fair Queen contest.
--Benjamin Pontz, LSNews.org Editor-In-Chief; Map image from Google Maps with markings made by Benjamin Pontz
11 clubs nominated candidates (and you can see LSNews.org profiles of each of them here), and the candidates will process from the faculty parking lot to the fairgrounds in a parade beginning at 7 PM on Wednesday.
A map of the parade, which begins in the faculty parking lot, and concludes in the show ring |
The judges for 2015 are Brittany Balmer, who was the 2014 Manheim Community Fair Queen and 2015 Pennsylvania Alternate Fair Queen, Laura Brenner, who was the 2009 Lampeter Fair Queen, and Ron Ranck, who owns B&R Cattle Company and is the Vice President of New Holland Sales Stables.
"[Judges] are looking for the candidate that will best represent the ideals of the Lampeter Fair Community and best represent us at the State Fair Competition," says Mrs. Tina Shockey, a liaison between the school and the Fair who helps organize the Fair Queen contest.
A group photo of the Fair Queen candidates |
The other 45 points come from the interview, with specific enumerations of personal appearance (again dress and hair), poise, voice, and questions accounting for 10 points apiece, and fair involvement accounting for five.
Last year, Sarah Sambrick, the Varsity Club representative, won the contest, while Hunter Bradley, the Future Nurses Club representative, was named the runner-up. A list of historical winners is available here.
Stay tuned for LSNews.org's complete coverage of the West Lampeter Fair, including the Fair Queen contest.
--Benjamin Pontz, LSNews.org Editor-In-Chief; Map image from Google Maps with markings made by Benjamin Pontz