How to win the Rose Queen title in Roselle? Just be yourself
Ladies of Roselle, we'll let you in on a secret.
There's a foolproof way to win the coveted title of Rose Queen and that sparkly tiara. You must, naturally, be the epitome of grace and calm under pressure.
And you probably wouldn't want to bring up world peace in front of the judges.
But the guaranteed plan to get your manicured nails on the crown? Be yourself.
"This is their chance to shine, and our job is to do everything we possibly can to make that happen," says Amy Reuter, one of the volunteer organizers of the Rose Queen Scholarship Event.
"Pageant" was dropped from the title in recent years, a move that better reflects the spirit of a village tradition, organizers say. Four judges will name the Rose Queen Friday after a well-rounded field of contestants dazzle an audience at Lake Park High School's West Campus with their smarts, talents and passions.
It's the kind of show where even Miss Congeniality would face some stiff competition.
"Some of these young ladies are really good friends with each other," Reuter said.
Eight high school students will be rated in five categories, weighed equally by the judges. They must model formal and sport wear, display their talents and answer an onstage question.
Before they take the stage, preshow interviews with the judges and essays will be scored together.
"They are working so hard," organizer Katie Petrucci said, "and it's really showing."
This year's competition features students at Lake Park: senior Annie Xia; senior Emily Petrucci; senior Gina Marie Roberti; sophomore Grace Biernacki; sophomore Katrina Bosse; sophomore Rachel Ward; senior Samantha Clay; and senior Zula Pendowski.
They will show off some diverse interests during the event, with one teen expected to play the marimba and others writing their own monologues. And they're not allowed an entourage of makeup artists or stylists to get them ready backstage.
"You need to depend on each other," Reuter will tell the girls.
The winner receives a $2,000 scholarship, while the first runner-up and second-runner-up get $1,000 and $500, respectively. Another scholarship awards $500 to the contestant with the highest grade-point average.
All contestants get the chance to ride on a float in the village's Rose Parade in June.
But the Rose Queen has to attend to a lengthy list of appearances until she passes the crown to her successor.
"I think they're always surprised at what a big deal the rest of the community makes over this award," Reuter said.
She should know. Her daughter, now Kelly Baker, held the Rose Queen title in 2005 and finished runner-up the year before.
"It laid a nice foundation of experiences" in public speaking for her daughter, who returned to Roselle after graduating from Elmhurst College and now counsels students in an Algonquin school, her mom said. Rose Queens usually go on to represent the village at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a tea at the library and chamber of commerce events.
"It just shows they support their community," Petrucci said.
And how about that tiara?
"It's usually pretty sparkly," Petrucci said, "definitely fit for a queen."