Pageant News Bureau - Miss USA 2002

2002 is a palindromic year. The number reads the same forward or backward. A palindromic year comes along only once in a century, and some people believe the normal laws of nature are suspended. Supposedly, anything can happen. This is said to be especially true in pageant competition. We don't know about such things, but we did ask an anonymous sage with an interest in beauty queens to give us his insights on the first big pageant of the year, Miss USA 2002. Here is how he responded:

Watch the swans

All of us know the cryptic lines written by the famous French seer Nostradamus "The second thicket's second revolution, 51 sleek swans on the vast cold lake.

The tug of war began early.

The garland adorns the one unsuspected, while others join the constellations."*

These words have puzzled scholars for five centuries. But now their meaning is becoming clear. I believe this passage is an uncanny prediction about the 2002 Miss USA Pageant.

It continued onstage at a fashion show.

The "second thicket" (bush) is undoubtedly the second President Bush, and the "second revolution" (of Earth around the sun) is the second year of his presidency -- 2002. The "vast cold lake" is Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes. On its shores, in Gary, Ind., the pageant will take place on a winter night. Surely the waters will be cold at that time.

And unless I am totally off the mark, the 51 "sleek swans" are the 51 contestants from throughout the USA.

The "garland" (crown) will adorn "the one unsuspected," Nostradamus tells us, which means that pageant experts will be surprised at who wins. "Others join the constellations," the seer says in conclusion. Here he is clearly foretelling that some other contestants will also become stars.

*Nostradamus text translated from the medieval French by Prof. D.B. Cooper. Used by permission.

Some of our staffers found these comments "interesting." Others dismissed them as pure bunk, while some called them "sick occultism." We invite your comments on whether we should publish such material in the future or stick to our traditional hardheaded reporting. We may publish some of your views.

But in any case, the Nostradamus discussion reminded us of our own mission. The Miss USA Pageant will indeed feature many women who may be future stars. And you will meet some of them in our PNB profiles. That's something we can predict with confidence.

Early photos from Gary, Ind., provided by Miss Florida USA Shannon Ford.

A change of shoes

Shannon Ford spent most of her pageant career trying to become Miss America. She was able to pay for her college education, but she didn't win the crown. "Tap dancing was my talent," recalls the Miami-born redhead, "and I didn't like it. I never felt it was where it ought to be."

She tapped and tapped until finally she was tapped out. And then someone told her "You're in the wrong system."

At "ground zero" after the attacks in New York.

That person was right. Ms. Ford's spectacular looks, quick mind and easygoing grace made her an ideal Miss USA candidate. Why worry about whether she was the world's best tapper? The Miss USA system didn't require a performance category.

So she gave it a try, and she won the Miss Florida USA title. It almost made her feel like dancing. (Almost)

Ms. Ford has a career as a human resources generalist, which is pretty important but not very easy for us to understand. In her spare time, she's a Miami Dolphins cheerleader, which is not terribly important but very easy for us to appreciate.

She made this year's cheerleading squad calendar. And in a city where voluptuous women are around every corner, that's quite an accomplishment.

Ms. Ford's most memorable moment of 2001 did not happen on a Florida pageant stage, but on a gritty New York street. "In November, I saw 'ground zero' with my mother."

INTERESTING FACT: Shannon Ford was born during the administration of President Gerald Ford.

Photos courtesy of Shannon Ford

Being crowned by Tiffany Fallon.

Out of her shell

Duluth, Georgia, may never be as well-known as Duluth, Minnesota, but this small Southern town is gaining a reputation among pageant fans. It has now produced three Miss Georgia USAs in a row.

Unlike her two predecessors, Heather Hogan was born and raised in Duluth. She had a happy, peaceful childhood, maybe a little too peaceful. "I was always the quiet girl, not adventurous," she recalls. "I got into pageants just to overcome my shyness."

She honed her competitive skills in the Miss Duluth High School Pageant, which she finally won in her senior year. During her teens, she also took courses at Duluth's Premiere School of Self-Improvement and Professional Modeling (which has a sister school in Minnesota, interestingly enough.)

By the time she began her studies at the University of Georgia, her shyness was a thing of the past. She's studying for a degree in public relations, and considering an alternate career in teaching, "because I definitely want to work with people."

With pupils at a Gwinnett County, Ga., elementary school

Ms. Hogan is also a model and aspiring actress. She appeared as a mysterious lady in a Japanese beer commercial that became legendary because it was only shown once. The ad was pulled, she admits, but she doesn't want people to jump to the conclusion that it was too naughty. "Some people just didn't get it," she says.

She made Top 10 in her first try at Miss Georgia USA, and she won the title the next year. Does she have any secret to winning pageants? "Not really. I just cross my fingers." Maybe that's the Duluth secret.

Photos by Joe Whiteko / PNB

More exclusive Miss USA contestant profiles:

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