Oxford High School held their annual  pageant on Oct. 26, 2023. This is the third year of the pageant’s new format,  the Parade of Beauties.  Alison Schmelzer is the teacher sponsor of Parade of Beauties. For the first time this school year, the pageant took place in the fall semester as opposed to the spring.

“My favorite part of being in charge of the Parade of Beauties is definitely the night of the pageant,” Schmelzer said. “It is so fun and rewarding to watch all of the hard work come together as the girls shine confidently on stage.”

This was senior Mary Thomas Tucker’s third year doing the pageant. This year’s Parade of Beauties holds a special place in her heart.

“The pageant this year is definitely sentimental with it being my last year to participate in it,” Tucker said. “I have had the best time and made great memories over the years doing it, so I am definitely sad for it to be my last one. I am so glad that I have been able to do it for the past couple of years. Doing the pageant with all of my friends has made it even more fun.”

Freshman Ruby Chavis was thrilled to compete in the pageant this year.

“I’m most excited to step out of my comfort zone and meet new people,” Chavis said. “This is also a really fun and exciting experience and I want to show that to the judges when I walk out on stage.”

Claire Hodge, a freshman at the University of Mississippi and an alumni of OHS, was elated that she gets to come back and help Schmelzer for a third year.

“I was never in the pageant in high school,” Hodge said. “I remember being in Mrs. Schmelzer’s class the first time we started doing the pageant and I have always loved going to pageants so I knew I wanted to help in some way.”

Hodge contributed greatly to helping the pageant run smoothly. She loves being able to support the girls who are competing by coming to rehearsals.

“I helped a lot with the more technological things like making the Google forms and the spreadsheets,” Hodge said. “I wrote all of the scripts that were read while the girls are walking and I also was backstage during the pageant for anyone that needs me.”

Hodge was impressed by the talent and work ethic of the girls who compete from year to year.

“It is always the best night ever getting to see all of our hard work paid off and seeing all of the girls in their pretty dresses knowing they also worked so hard for this,” Hodge said. “I’m so thankful she trusts me to keep helping to make this night the best.”

Schmelzer believes that this pageant provides students with the opportunity to grow their confidence.

“I encouraged students to get involved in this event because it is such a fun school activity to meet more people and build confidence,” Schmelzer said. “This could benefit students in the future as they are interviewing for jobs or presenting projects in college and in the workplace.”

While some may find the idea of competing daunting, the girls hoped to emphasize how positive this experience has been for them. Tucker goes into the pageant each year prioritizing fun as her number one priority.

“Don’t be nervous and have fun with it,” Tucker said. “The Parade of Beauties is something that is super fun, so go into it with a positive mindset and you will have the best time”