Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Monday September 30th, 2024
Have your host James J. Mail off here and I'm welcome into the studio a great tradition of ours here at WF HR
We welcome in the contestants from Miss Wisconsin Rabbits and Miss Wisconsin Rabbits team
contestants we get to do this every year when we have this one of our favorite times the year the vibe that comes in
The energy that comes in from all of these amazing human beings is felt we love it
We'll be talking about details of how you can take in this great pageant and
Some other great things about it. I actually love the history of this too
So we'll talk on that also but first we want to introduce our contestants and they'll just go down the line here
Let you introduce yourself and we'll start and you you said on the end
That is the catch of coming in late. That's what happens. I'm so sorry for you
But you're a trooper if you want to start things off for us. I'd appreciate it. Hi, I'm Gianna Peters
I attend assumption high school and my community service initiative is feeding our future promoting
food accessibility in our communities
Thank you, Gianna. We appreciate the time. Thanks for being here
Hello, I'm Olivia Hoyer. I'm a student at mid-state and my CSI is geared towards getting the community involved and engage in our school districts
Excellent. Thanks for being here Olivia
I'm Haley Plannico and my CSI is all about asking for help and how it is completely okay to do that and spreading that towards the youth
Haley. Thank you for being here. Hello. My name is Olivia Russell
My CSI is the many ways you can save life
I'm trying to show the ways that you can become an Donator. Excellent. Thank you for being here Olivia
Hi, I'm Bianca Bowden and I attend Lincoln High School and my CSI is thinking drive stay alive
Running driver safety. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it. Nicely done all of you. Gosh
You know already starting out really good. This is good
So I want to get to know you a little bit. Tell us
You know, just a little bit of where you're from and why you decided to be a part of this page
I think we'll just kind of go down the line here
I'm from Wisconsin Rapids. I decided to be part of the pageant because I saw all of the amazing opportunities that all the amazing women got to
be involved in and it was really inspiring to see everyone and just make those amazing friendships and
be great to be like a leader for my community
So I'm also from Wisconsin Rapids. I ended up doing this. I like to say as a joke
I was forced to do it by a member of my church
She would constantly try and force me into this and so I originally just did it to get her off my back
But I'm glad I did it. I had a lot of fun last year and I'm really looking forward to doing it again this year
It's kind of how my radio career started my mother was just on me and I mean finally
I just thought I'll just try it. I'll just do it. That's awesome. That great one
I was also born and raised here in Rapids and I thought it would be a great opportunity
especially because I am going to mid-state right now for an accounting degree
and they really do support women's education
Very cool right on
So I'm actually doing this because the other Olivia had
told me about it previously last year and I was gonna possibly do it
But she kind she was more influencing me this year than anything
Very cool very cool nicely done by the way. It's a recruiter over there too. Oh yeah
I'm also from Rapids and I did this program because you can gain so many friendships and so many sisters
And it's overall just a great opportunity to help your public speaking skills
One of the things that my my mother I was raised by a hippie feminist as my mother would like to say and
One of the things that she has always brought up about this pageant and other pageants is the
camaraderie that to get that exists of it and
I remember her saying when I was a kid that she would be glad if these pageants continued even if it was just for that
Let alone the scholarships and some of the other great opportunities that are involved with this
But it should never be lost on the audience or or anybody when we talk about this the
The our opportunity for women to support women for women to make connections with other women and some of those things
So just not there we don't have enough of them in our society
So that alone is a wonderful thing to be able to offer with this along with all the other great added bonuses of an event like this
So nicely done all of you nicely done
Let's get into your talent one of your talent you one of the things that goes on with this for those that don't know
I'll actually go through the what the contestants competed
There is a a private interview and on stage question talent health and fitness and an evening gown
All of these are part of things that you compete in with this
So when it came to comes to talent
What is the talent that you will be doing
I'm for the pageant I'll start with you. I will be singing
um
I've been singing my whole life. I've been influenced by my mother who I was an amazing voice and she did a lot of musicals at school
I've won some state awards. I've won a lot of school awards too and I just love sharing the gift of music
Do you have a song in mind early? I'm singing one perfect moment from the Broadway musical bring it on
I had never really been a Broadway fan, but after I heard the music and that soundtrack
I was like this is this is my song
Right on right on and good on you for doing that right on
So I am doing a sassy tom routine
I guess if you want to put it that way to momo number five
I love the upbeatness to it and I really hope that I have a lot of fun with it
And I'm excited to use my palms a lot
That sounds like a lot of fun that that sounds like a good idea. That's a good one
I am doing a speed painting on stage to the classic song from the toy story movie. You've got a friend in me
Um painting has been something I've been super passionate about since I was super little and I think it could be a perfect fit for me
I have a lot of respect for singers. I can kind of talk sing
I can do a little bit as an actor of a singer, but I can't I nobody's off for me a record deal
I admire that quite a bit
There are a few things I admire more than people that can draw or paint
I can't make a stick figure and I think that's really impressive let alone to do it like a live like that and speed wise and everything
That's a really a fun one too you don't see that very often nice well done well done
So I'm actually going to be doing a cheer routine
I learned this when I was in high school my senior year
I decided to join cheer and I really loved hyping up the crowd and bringing that excitement and having a smile to show off
To everyone to make everyone nice and happy watching everything
There's a combination of dance involved with cheer often that I enjoy about it
And I think they should have you go first you get everything really going that you get really
All the hype all the energy of the crowd getting going there. I like that. And that's great one. Thank you. Well listen
I've been dancing since I was three years old and
I'm doing something that's a little out of my comfort zone
I'm doing a contemporary dance to scars to your beautiful
And I'm usually more of a hip-hop kind of girl, but
I really thought that the pageant made me come out of my comfort zone
So I think that dance could also do the same
wonderfully set wonderfully set and and thank you so much for teaming me up for this again
Guys, don't be too good at this. I need this job. Please
That's really you teed me up perfectly because I didn't want to get into
First off congratulations you guys have already won
You've already won you decided to do this like just doing this is something that there are hundreds of people out
They're listening right now that could never have the energy or the confidence to do this
I have been on stage over a thousand times. I have done over a hundred characters
I've been a radio for 22 years. I could never never do even one of these things let alone what you guys are doing
There is no point in my life where I was the kind of confident myself that I could see myself doing something like this
I admire what you guys are doing so much
And in part because what you're doing is not just for you guys
You do this and you hope that younger people will be encouraged to do this another women will be encouraged to do this out there and everything
And that's a big part of this so when you talk about getting out of your comfort zone
That's something that I do want to bring I want to come I wanted to come to in the in the conversation
I imagine that as as good as all of you are might be in public
All of you in some way or another are getting out of your comfort zone to a degree if not a lot
Can you tell me why you decided to do something like that again?
There are hundreds of people out there listening right now that may have never gotten out of their comfort zone
Let alone at the ages you guys are doing this where it could be
One of the hardest things in the world at your age is to look in the mirror and feel okay in your skin
And it's something we encourage you guys and other younger generations to do all the time
But we can talk endlessly and it doesn't mean it's gonna happen
To see people emboldening to embracing that is really cool
Why did you decide to do this or why decide to jump out of your comfort zone if you did and I'll just kind of go down the line here
I decided to do this for the friendships and just seeing all the amazing women
And I also did this to learn from my mistakes because I know I competed last year and I made a lot of mistakes
But what really matters is that I've learned from them that
From last year and I guess just learning and growing as a person throughout the years while competing for scholarships and meeting amazing people
So as I kind of said before I originally did it just kind of to get that person off my back like but
Part of it also was to prove to myself that I could do it
I had been struggling with on stage fright for a long time
And I'd been working on building up my confidence and it was I felt like I was in a time in my life where I could do it
So I wanted to prove to myself that I could right on right on oh good reasons
I was actually originally enticed by the scholarship that I could earn from doing this
but I became a very
Very
Very interested in my CSI
I've always been kind of a shy and reserved person my whole life and
Kind of reaching out to people and letting them know it's okay to ask for help because that builds that confidence has been something
I'm really passionate about good on you way to be
So I actually when I was younger
I was very shy and soft spoken and during my senior year of high school
I was able to finally open up a little bit and I am still working towards being able
Be more open and chat with people. So this is helping me a lot meeting the girls. They are so nice here
I feel so welcomed and I'm very glad to be able to participate in this
Ever since I was little I've always wanted to be the big girl competing in the pageant
I've done the little princess pageants
And I think that this is just a really great experience to meet new people and just overall friends
And it's a great way to improve your speaking skills and on stage
All good reasons and all good comments from all of you appreciated and so much of this too
No matter you guys are all gonna go on and do great things
Whatever you might do and and while I may not know or you may not even know what you might do next
Chances are and in fact, I feel pretty confident saying whatever you do
It's gonna involve some type of public speaking or speaking with others and some level or another and the more reps
You can get doing that the better and here just alone like I said you've already won
You're getting those reps you're getting that real-time experience that you just can't get anywhere else
But in real life and real-time being really out there so good on y'all for doing that and
I appreciate it. I want to talk a little bit about your your platform your CSI if you will
Can somebody now CSI I thought that was a TV show
I have that wrong though apparently in my notes
What is a CSI for what does that mean and and what is your CSI? I'll start in the end here
CSI means community service initiative. So it's like your platform and what you want to promote throughout the community
Mine is feeding our future promoting food accessibility
I am a regular volunteer at Ruby's pantry our local food pantry and then also the neighborhood table
And last year my initiative was actually feeding our future promoting childhood
Fighting childhood hunger. Yeah, and then as I grew
I noticed that if children are struggling with this their parents and their families are as well
So I guess just promoting the resources we already have and then creating new ones as needed to counteract hunger
Well said
So my CSI is it takes a village to raise a child
I really want to work on helping bridge the gap between our school districts community and parents and helping everyone feel more involved in the learning experience
So that the children can get the best of everywhere both with our community at home with their parents and at school to get the best knowledge that they have
It's the backbone of our society is learning and I think we all should work together to help our students learn
My CSI is it's okay to ask for help and I feel like that's something our
Everyone as a whole needs to hear more
I'm super passionate about mine because I feel like we need to reach our younger audiences because a lot of them feel nervous or feel like they're stupid for asking questions
I mean regardless if it's school or mental health and
And just doing that it can instill confidence in the younger generations and not only that but
instill a sense of community it
It apparently you've been talking to my mother because I need this is something I need to do for her all the time
That's a great one well said
So my CSI is the many ways you can save a life
I'm actually currently going to midstate for nursing and I really love helping others medically as well
So I at the moment donate plasma and I'm my license
I am an organ donor and I'm trying to promote the many ways you can do that you can become a
plasma donor a blood like blood you can donate blood
You can also become an organ donor like me
And honestly there are over 100,000 people waiting on that transplant list
It is very important to be able to look into that and maybe become a donor like that
Yeah, I always I take any opportunity to kind of mention that our our
Stevens point has a blood donation center that is almost open all 24 seven
There is a number of different opportunities in our area
We bring up on our morning shows whenever they come around because as big as super heroes are right now
You don't need a catchphrase or a cape to be a hero
You don't need a tragic backstory or to come up with a new name because all the good ones have been taken like all the good superhero names are taken
One of the ways you can be a hero donating blood any opportunity to you get that's a good one
My CSI is think and drive stay alive promoting driver's safety and about a year ago
I was involved in a serious car accident where I was the only one wearing my seatbelt
And I was completely fine and everyone else was pretty injured
So I'd like to use my CSI to reach the community to
Make sure that everyone is wearing their seat belts not texting and driving and just overall driving safely
So that our community can be safe
I from my from myself I was in about 10 different accidents before I was about even 15
I went through I actually had a phobia from driving for quite a while and then I'm conquering that and beaten that but
and and grew up
needing a lot of help from food pantries a lot and everything there's
I'm bringing this up because every single one of you brought up something that touches me in my life
And I know I'm not alone in that our listeners out there
Immediately felt a connection to each one of these things and it's and it's it's really good to always hear young people involved in a
Cause or caring about something
But what I also appreciated and I know this almost I noticed this almost every year as I'm asking each of you these things
Each one of you were listening to the other were engaged in and the others conversation and taking note of that
And and I bring that up one because I think it's cool. It's great to see that that connection and everything
But also the camaraderie and coming back to that and reminding people and and while we want to promote you guys and promote the pageant
We also use this time to remind people out there parents out there kids listening that this pageant will go on next year to go on the next year after that
And year after that we want more and more contestants
We want more people being a part of this so encouraging others to do this if
If I brought my my daughters are both older
They're they're a little out of range for this one
But if I were to bring my daughters into the room and and like ask you guys
Hey guys could you tell them what why this would be a good idea?
Why did do something like this?
What would you tell them and just kind of going on the line again?
You will not lose anything from doing this pageant
You only gain so many amazing scholarships
Friendships public speaking skills and confidence. I guess it's a win-win even if you don't get the title
You still truly won
So I especially like to bring up the fact like how I used it to help make sure that I could get out of my shell and speak with the community and feel involved
It's a really good one. There's so many workshops that we do you'll never feel unprepared and it really helps you work on
You'll never go into an interview scared because we work on interviews for a month long
We're working on those community skills of talking with others talking on stage
And so I really think it's a great word for you to within a safe space practice those lifelong skills and learn those
Mm-hmm. What's that?
I'm actually going to piggyback off who've lived a little bit here
I completely agree with what she's saying as someone who's never competed in a pageant kind of like this before
These workshops have been helping me so much especially with my confidence and you know being comfortable with all the other girls here
Very cool
I am so glad with the many workshops we have we've been able to be so prepared for the things that we are going to be going through
And I've made so many friends the ladies are so nice not only is it your competitors that are nice with you
It's going to be the people that help you are volunteers and
oh
All of our lovely people are just able to help everyone out. Yeah nicely done nicely done
Like
Gianna or Olivia said you will never feel unprepared for the workshops
There's so many amazing people that are there to help you get through it
And it's just an overall way to really help you will be competent in yourself
Well said all of you
Yeah, oh and another thing what I love about the mr sconson rapids organization is that we do have workshops
We have a pageant closet. We have a lot of volunteers and that's different
From a lot of the other pageant so I think it's great how we all do come together and help one another out
Yeah, and I mentioned before I've gotten to do this for years and I've never seen a year where the the ladies
It came in weren't laughing and enjoying their camaraderie the the time together and in supporting each other and again
Just opportunities for that alone feels like a win-win kind of situation as we're wrapping up here your final question
You're almost done everybody in great work all of you
What is your favorite part that you enjoy about the pageant?
My favorite part is interview because I love getting to know I love that the judges are able to get to know me
And I'm able to talk more about my CSI because I'm so passionate about it and I love my community
I was it that I'm really torn between both the private interview and talent
I love with the talent getting to watch all the girls shine in their individual ways
Getting to see them do what they are passionate about and love
But I also really like the interview because I'm like passionate about my CSI
So I love being able to talk more about that and really bring attention to that
As someone who is new to this my favorite part is probably the talents
Just like Olivia said just seeing what all the other girls have to offer and supporting them with their talents
My favorite thing would be the talents. I'm just loving seeing each girl is an individual and what they have to bring to offer
Like singing I love singing but I'm never gonna be as good as the others are and painting
Like you said, I could probably barely do a stick figure as well. So seeing these
Amazing talents just is mind-blowing to me
Same for me my favorite part of the competition would definitely be talent because I get to really express
Express my feelings through my dance
And I can also see the expressions from everyone else that is also performing their talents
It's just it's just great
Very good and incredibly well done you guys you knocked it out nice work nice work by all of you
Keep in mind this since 1985 the Miss Wisconsin Rabbit Scholarship organization
It's been providing scholarships to some of the most talented intelligent and driven young women in this community
Let's help them keep doing this Friday, October 25th is their open dress rehearsal with tickets available at the door for
$15 tickets for the competition on Saturday October 26 can be purchased online
Starting October 15th. So go to misswisconsinrapids.org. That's misswisconsinrapids.org
bookmark that page and get ready to be able to order these tickets as soon as they are available and support these young ladies and have yourself a great time at the event
You all enjoy yourselves have a great time leave it all on that stage and enjoy yourselves and thank you so much for being here today
Thank you
Good luck i have a break a leg good luck
Well i'm more uh midday magazine coming up for you right here at 975 FM 13 20 AM WF HR we are locally grown radio
