Miss America 2008

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Kirsten Haglund is a Miss Michigan newcomer -- of sorts.

Haglund, who won the crown on her first try Saturday, is the granddaughter of the 1944 titleholder.

Her grandmother, Iora Hunt, was in the audience and watched a shocked and humble Haglund take her winning walk before a crowd of about 1,400 in the Frauenthal Theater. Haglund, 18, advanced to the state pageant after winning Miss Oakland County. She will take a break from her studies at University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music to serve as Miss Michigan for the year and compete at the 2008 Miss America Pageant.

"I'm shocked but so excited," Haglund said, in between hugs and kisses from fellow contestants. "I can't even believe it."

Haglund, of Farmington Hills, performed the operetta "Adele's Laughing Song" as her talent and wants to pursue a career on Broadway. She is the daughter of Iora and Valdor Haglund, and will promote the platform "Raising Awareness of Eating Disorders" during her reign as Miss Michigan.

The blonde, slim Haglund said she grew up watching the Miss America Pageant and attended various local and state ones in Michigan. She made the trip to Las Vegas in January to cheer on 2006 Miss Michigan Angela Corsi. That's also where she purchased the bright orange bikini with sparkly turquoise trim that earned her Thursday's preliminary swimsuit award. She had her sparkling evening gown special-made by the owners of Kray Chic, who also provide a competition gown for the winner.

Despite dancing and singing, Haglund isn't competitive, said her mother. That's why it surprised her when her daughter said she wanted to enter the Miss Oakland County Scholarship Pageant to earn money for college.

Saturday's finals opened with the announcement of the 10 finalists, who competed in swimwear, talent and evening wear before the top five finalists were selected. In a new judging format this year, the judges finished voting before each contestant was asked an on-stage question. However, they had the opportunity to rank the Top 5 after they answered.

Haglund was asked if she would rather work for Dr. Phil's or Oprah's talk show. Of course, Haglund said Oprah.

"She's a wonderful woman who has tremendous influence," she said. "She inspires so many people. I would love to be a part of that show."

Miss USA Tara Conner

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Miss USA Tara Conner was to be crowned Miss Jet Nightclub by dethroned former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees at The Mirage but had to pull out of the event after Donald Trump's national organization viewed it as "inappropriate".

The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that Miss USA organizers were informed of the Jet event after a story appeared in the paper Friday and saw it as another example of Conner's poor judgment and pressured her to back out.

The Jet event was to include a little person impersonating Trump, who owns the Miss USA and Miss Universe franchises.

Trump gave Conner a second chance and allowed her to remain as Miss USA after reports of indiscretions that included underage drinking, drug use and kissing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair of Montana.

Trump gave Conner a second chance and allowed her to remain as Miss USA after reports of indiscretions that included underage drinking, drug use and kissing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair of Montana.On December 14, 2006, controversy erupted when TMZ.com published an article stating that Conner might be dethroned for her behavior in several New York City bars. The following day the website reported that Conner would be stripped of her crown, and that first runner-up Tamiko Nash, who completed her reign as Miss California USA October, would inherit the Miss USA title. This was neither confirmed nor denied by the Miss Universe Organization.

The 16 December 2006 edition of the New York Daily News reported Conner had tested positive for cocaine, had kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair in public, and had sneaked men into their Trump Place apartment. One New York City nightlife veteran said "She really is a small-town girl. She just went wild when she came to the city. Tara just couldn't handle herself. They were sneaking those nightclub guys in and out of the apartment." According to Fox News, citing local New York newspapers, Conner "moved out of her apartment in one of Trump's luxury buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side" sometime during the week of 11 December 2006.

On 19 December 2006, Trump held a press conference saying that Conner was not dethroned as Miss USA. "I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump said. Had Conner been dethroned, she would have been the first Miss USA to have her title removed since Mary Leona Gage in 1957. It was also announced that Conner would be entering the Caron Foundation, an alcoholism rehabilitation facility in Pennsylvania. During the press conference Conner declined to comment on allegations of illicit drug use and claimed she was not an alcoholic but acknowledged making serious mistakes.

Miss America, Lauren Nelson, is smarter than a fifth grade

“I’m Lauren Nelson. I’m Miss America, and I am not smarter than a fifth grader.”


That’s what Oklahoma's own Miss America just said on national television as she won $175,000 on the Fox game show, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” But she proved she is smarter than a group of fifth-grade opponents.

She won $175,000 by answering a math question correctly and then realizing she probably didn't know the correct answer to the next question worth $300,000.


The $175,000 question was a fourth grade math question: What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 36?

"I know this. I'm confident," Nelson said. Then, slightly tilting her tiara-adorned head and wavering just a second, she said, "I'm going to go with my gut and go with 12 and lock it in."


Her opponents, all grade-school children, answered 12, 6, 4 and 4.

"Lauren, I don't know how to tell you this," host Jeff Foxworthy said. "You just won $175,000!"

Nelson, of Lawton, earlier said her mother is a teacher who began grilling Nelson as soon as she learned the blonde was scheduled to go on the game show.

Nelson was uncertain of the answer to the next question: Who said, “Give me liberty or give me death”?

If she gave the wrong answer, her win for the Miss America Organization Scholarship Fund would have dropped to $25,000. She decided not to risk the money by answering with her best guess: Alexander Hamilton.

Foxworthy said she was smart not to make that guess and lose most of the money. He said the answer is: Patrick Henry.

Nelson laughed and walked through the curtains as the children on the show stood up and gave the official, nobody-does-it-like-this Miss America wave.

The show tests an adult’s knowledge against – you guessed it – a fifth grader’s. Contestants are asked questions ranging from first to fifth-grade level.