Cheyanne Walles the new Miss Teen North Bay 2006 takes her ceremonial walk as First Lady in pink Melissa McKenny looks on. North Bay witnessed the coronation of a new reigning queen for the city at the Davedi Club on Airport Road Friday night.
Cheyanne Walles the new Miss Teen North Bay 2006 takes her ceremonial walk as First Lady in pink Melissa McKenny looks on.North Bay witnessed the coronation of a new reigning queen for the city at the Davedi Club on Airport Road Friday night.
Cheyanne Walles, with a little help with the tiara and sash from former Miss Teen North Bay, Kensey Butkevich and Shannin Burns, was crowned Miss Teen North Bay 2006.
The 17-year old Widdifield Secondary student said she was shocked and thrilled to win the title especially as the competition was stiff.
Thirteen girls ranging in ages from 13 to 17 dazzled the judges and the crowd with their poise, talent and confidence as they vied for the title and crown.
The evening ran much like any other pageant with the talent section, the evening gown section, random questions selected by the judges and rehearsed speeches, however, one speech stood out from the rest and rang a bell with the audience.
Melissa McKenny a 14-year-old grade nine student at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall, who now has the title of First Lady, addressed the issue of self-image and the role media plays in shaping some very unhappy teenagers.
McKenny spoke earnest about the effect T.V. and magazines are having on young women in today’s society, stating that three out of every eleven commercials are about beauty and that 65% of female actors are skinny when only 5% are, in Hollywood standards, overweight.
“Our heads are filled with so many false messages of unattainable bodies that we think it's the only way we can be accepted,” she tells the judges.
“Maybe without this false messaging we would have a lot happier teen population with less eating disorders and less self inflicting pain for not fitting in with the ‘it look.’"
Event organiser and former Miss Teen North Bay, Kensey Butkevich, identifies with the message McKenny delivered, and said the idea of pageants today are to build the girls self esteem rather than choose someone based on looks.
Walles will now go on to represent the city at the Miss Teen Canada pageant in St. Catherines in August.
Melissa McKenny’s Complete Speech
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