FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              January 26, 2004

FIVE COEDS TO SEEK MISS NORTHWESTERN CROWN

            Five students will compete for the title of Miss Northwestern at the annual pageant of the same name on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.

            The pageant will begin at 7 p.m. in Herod Hall Auditorium. Tickets for the event are $6 if purchased in advance and $8 at the door. Northwestern students will be admitted free with a valid university ID.

            Entertainment for the evening will be provided by CH Productions. The master of ceremonies will be Robert Yocham.

            The contestants will seek the title currently held by Braxie Ashpaugh, a senior from Laverne, and the right to represent Northwestern in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant later this year.

            This year’s contestants are Lauren Casteel, a junior from McCloud; Vanessa Gregory, Alva junior; Shanna Kay Kneeland, a sophomore from Hooker; Tiffany Ann Smith, Alva junior; and Jill Brook Troutt, a freshman from Helena.

            Casteel is majoring in mass communications and is in her first year at Northwestern after transferring from Rose State College. She serves on the staffs of the Northwestern News and NWTV and has won numerous honors in the communications field. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. She is the daughter of Mary Beth White and Jerry Casteel.

            Casteel will call upon her six years of dance training for her talent performance with a self-choreographed ballet piece. Her platform is the promotion of volunteerism among youth.

            Gregory is a chemistry major and seeks a career in dentistry. She serves as president of the Cardinal Key National Honor Society and is vice president of the Student Government Association. She was the first runner-up in last year’s Miss Northwestern Pageant. Her parents are Larry Gregory and Maureen Gregory.

            Gregory’s platform will be to implement programs in public schools that teach good dental hygiene. She plans to perform a piano solo for the talent competition.

            Kneeland is an honor student majoring is speech pathology and plans to use her skills in a public school setting. While at Northwestern, she has served as secretary of the Castle Players club, competes as a member of the forensics team and is active in the Delta Zeta sorority. She is the daughter of Danney and Donna Whetstone, and Mark and Marla Kneeland.

            For her talent presentation, Kneeland plans to perform a clogging routine. Her platform is to promote communication with those who have speech or hearing impairments.

            Smith is a junior majoring in chemistry and plans to attend medical school after graduation. Her other career plans include becoming a medical missionary. As a freshman, she was a member of the President’s Leadership Class. During her three years at Northwestern she has been a member of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, and has served on several student committees. She is the daughter of Dr. Troy and Elizabeth Smith.

            Smith talent presentation will feature the piano solo “Prelude in C Sharp Minor” by Rachmaninoff. Her platform issue will be the promotion of reading to children.

            Troutt is a freshman from Helena and an honor graduate of Timberlake High School. At Northwestern, Troutt is a member of the Phi Delta Music Society and the Delta Zeta Sorority. She is the daughter of Dr. Jeffery and Kay Troutt.

            For her talent presentation, Troutt will perform a vocal solo. AIDS awareness and Students Teaching AIDS to Youth (STAY) training will be the issues of her platform.

-NW-

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