Campus to host beauty pageants

The Miss California USA 1995 Pageant and the Miss California Teen USA 1995 Pageant will be held simultaneously on Saturday at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach.

This is the first time that the two pageants have been combined into one pageant. The winners will compete in the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants in 1995.

Although this is the first time either pageant has taking place in Long Beach, the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were held concurrently in Long Beach in 1952, when the pageants were first initialized.

"We decided to come back to where Miss Universe originated," said Tricia Roby, press coordinator for the pageant.

Sixty-nine women will compete for the Miss California USA 1995 title and 35 will try for the Miss California Teen USA 1995 title.

The pageant is larger and better than ever, said Jim Lawson, Los Angeles County area director, because both the pageants and their resources have been combined.

Before Saturday's final competition, two preliminary competitions were scheduled. There was a preliminary swimsuit competition last night and an evening gown preliminary is set for tonight at the Sheraton Hotel in Long Beach.

In attendance Saturday night will be Miss California USA 1994, Toay Foster and Miss California Teen USA 1994, Shauna Gambill, who won the title of Miss Teen USA 1994 in August.

"Anyone can enter directly into the pageants," Lawson said, "or they can enter the local preliminaries that feed into the pageant."

The reason candidates may enter the pageants directly is because some women live in a geographical area where there are no competitions, Lawson said. However, it is more expensive to enter the pageant without first competing in a preliminary contest.

A full house is expected at the Carpenter Center, but there are a few seats still available. Call the Carpenter Center box office at (310) 985-7000 for ticket information.