VARIETY
The Red & Black | Thursday, July 15, 2010 | 5
Pageant celebrates itty-bitty beauty By CC NOLAN THE RED & BLACK
condition — but, Nooruddin admitted, she was anxious before the swimsuit portion of the competition because of a few small scars on her leg. “When I was up on that stage, the judges didn’t notice the small imperfection on my leg,” Nooruddin said. “They were looking into my eyes and saw that my confidence radiated on stage and they knew I believed in myself — that was the key.” The pageant was hosted by Hazely Corporation at the Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort. Each winning contestant was awarded the official USA Petite Miss sash, crown and trophy as well as numerous gift certificates. Even though the pageant is over, Nooruddin’s duties as
USA Petite Miss have just begun. She will represent petite women all over the nation and promote her platform, “Beauty without Boundaries,” to the press and different organizations. “Pageants build character and I have personally seen the difference that it has made in myself,” Nooruddin said. “You should never let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough or try to change who you are. Because, where there’s a will, there most certainly is a way!”
University student Sabrina Nooruddin represents petite women as winner of the first USA Petite Miss pageant. S
The pageant and modeling industry has always excluded women under 5-foot-9 — until now. Sabrina Nooruddin, a junior from Lawrenceville, discovered a way to get past the blonde hair, blue-eyed beauty queen stereotype. With only two pageants under her belt, Nooruddin traveled to Orlando, Fla. in June to represent the state of Georgia in the first annual USA Petite Miss pageant. She came home with the national title. The six-day long competition was specifically for women under 5-foot-5 and consisted of interview, eve-
ning gown, swimsuit and onstage question portions. Nooruddin said she has always been interested in pageants, photo shoots and modeling, but has been told over and over again that she is just too short. “Beauty is about believing in yourself and not changing for anyone else’s standards,” Nooruddin said. “I was chosen as a role model and that is exactly what I am.” Nooruddin said she never had professional coaching. However, a friend who coordinated several pageants offered to help with her evening gown walk, swimsuit walk and overall poise. After weeks of dieting and a five-day per week workout plan, her body was in tiptop
‘Uncertainty’ abounds at ATHICA exhibit By CRISSINDA PONDER THE RED & BLACK Using uncertainty as an advantage could pose a challenge, but not for artist Casey McGuire. McGuire is the featured artist in ATHICA’s newest exhibition, “ATHICA Emerges IV: Uncertainty.” The institute is holding a Walk and Talk event for the exhibition July 15 where artists and curators will give a tour and discuss the art on display. McGuire’s piece, “Diving Through Surface Into Light,” is a multi-media installation portraying the uncertainty of the ongoing housing crisis in the United States and its aftermath. “I was thinking about taking a risk just as people do when they enter the housing market,” McGuire said. “It’s about the home failures, dysfunctions and the decay of empty houses.”
DOG: Hotel has other events for canines ¢ From Page 1 weather. Hotel Indigo provides plenty of water for thirsty canines and gives away free goodies each week. Their newest treat has been blue dog collars featuring the Hotel Indigo logo, a popular item among the attendees. O’Shea Cleveland and her fiancé, who just received his doctorate in business management from the University, were in town to visit some friends when they heard about Canine Cocktail Hour. They chose to stay at Hotel Indigo because of its pet-friendly suites. “We had been traveling for about 11 hours with our dog in the car,” Cleveland said. “We read about the event and thought it would be a good way for us to involve our dog in our visit, [and] get him out of the car.” Paige Carmichael, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the School of Veterinary Medicine, said she heard about the Canine Cocktail Hour while attending her husband’s rehearsal at the hotel a few months ago. “We are huge supporters of Hotel Indigo,” Carmichael said. “When I heard about the Canine Cocktail, I thought it would be a great way for me to socialize my dog in a controlled environment.” Attendance varies throughout the year, but there is always a sizeable crowd. Boatwright said the event has attracted attention among Athens residents as well as students. “It’s a little warm in the summer,” Boatwright said. “Participation varies a little each week, but we host so many different events during the summer, as well as our weekly get together.” This past Halloween, Hotel Indigo hosted a Dog’s Night Out, where participants dressed up themselves and their companions for prizes such as Best Costume, Most Original, and Best Owner and Pet. “We had about 50 people in attendance,” Boatwright said. “We are definitely going to do it again this fall.”
“ATHICA EMERGES IV: UNCERTAINITY” When: July 15, 7-8pm Where: 160 Tracy St., Unit 4. Price: Free The installation has a tent made out of bed sheets, a river of televisions and a mountain of dressers with a diving board on top. “It’s interesting to watch these houses have life and then have that life cut short,” McGuire said. “I definitely feel that it was interesting to work with the materials I worked with because we all have a direct personal connection to them.” The four artists participating in this exhibition all have pieces with a metaphorical relationship to the uncertain times people face. “While the works in this exhibi-
tion may strike one initially as beautiful and even joyful, when investigated further they may well leave viewers with a discomforting feeling or invite them to ponder important issues,” said Katherine McQueen, curator of the exhibition. One of the participating artists, Melissa Dickenson, has a series titled “Cut-Paper II.” It appears as a composition of flowers at first glance, but also explores the hibiscus — one of Sudan’s cash crops — and the violence that surrounds it. “In Sudan, most of the farmers are women, and when they go to harvest the crop they are in danger of rape, murder and violence in general,” Dickenson said. Other artists’ work includes abstract painting and printmaking series. “The focus is to highlight the amazing work that is being created in and around Athens,” McQueen said.
Photo Courtesy Sabrina Nooruddin