Dakota Derstein Visits Section 36!

Photo by Brittney Seger

Section 36 has another visitor! Dakota Derstein is passionate about wildlife, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Santa Fe Trail. I was excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Dakota Derstein visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Santa Fe Trail crown?
After winning I actually celebrated with convenience store snacks, I'm a sucker for a Dr. Pepper, and a two hour drive back home. Once I was home, I recapped my views of the competition with my family and a few days later I celebrated by having my favorite meal at a local restaurant!

What have you learned about yourself at past competitions that will help you when you compete for Miss Kansas? 
Each year of competition has taught me something different: humility, friendship, strength, fear, pride. The Miss Kansas competition teaches being humble while also being proud of your accomplishments. It's quite the balancing act, I used to struggle the most with wanting to show the judges everything about me and holding some of it back, afraid to overwhelm them. This is my final year of eligibility, so I'm simply going to be myself. 

What has been the most pleasant surprise about your time as Miss Santa Fe Trail?
The most pleasant experience thus far was the support I had

from my local directors and the state board when I was offered my internship at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. They all supported me in wanting to move out to the west coast for six months to pursue that dream!

How did you select your social impact initiative, “C.A.R.E.: Conserving And Restoring Ecosystems”?
My love for animals has always stemmed from a young age, growing up watching Steve Irwin is what filled my free time. C.A.R.E. is meant to focus on interspecies relationships, meaning between different species. I had different social impact initiatives before, the positive impact of 4-H, and students against drunk and drugged driving, platforms that are still very important to me. Judges typically ask an animal or environment related question due to my college studies but after being asked the importance of bees and how straws usage affects sea turtles, a judge gave my directors the feedback: "why isn't she always talking about animals?" The judge saw my passion for other creatures and my university classes showed me the importance behind caring about how we treat the planet.

You were able to intern at Wildlife Safari in Oregon. What was that experience like?

I wish there was one word to describe it, but there isn't. I was able to be part of a team that is ranked as the number two cheetah breeding facility on Earth and the number one breeding facility outside of Africa. I woke up everyday and drove to a safari park where I heard cheetahs purr when we arrived because they were happy to see us. I could be mere feet away from a lion pride when they all roared in the evenings. In-between feeding bears and training tigers, I got to teach guests all about the amazing animals that we cared for and continued to inspire new people. 

What is your personal fitness routine?
My fitness routine has varied over the past few years. As a Tiger Deb dancer at Fort Hays State University I went to a yoga class once a week, lifted weights once or twice a week, had three practices a week, and ran a timed mile once every month- that doesn't include the game days! While in Oregon I didn't have access to a gym and my work days were filled with manual labor, lots of heavy lifting and constantly walking.

Currently, I still practice dance 2-3 times a week and I run or bike when the weather permits- Covid-19 has made it hard to go to a gym so I focus on controlling my meal portions as well.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?
This actually may be the hardest question for me! I thought, Pocahontas because she was connected to nature and was kindhearted, or Ariel because she's adventurous and loved her home in the ocean. But I think I'd pick Jane, from Tarzan, because she was all of those things too and her father taught her a love for animals but also a respect to help them. She was always drawing animals and admiring them, and she wasn't searching for love- but she found love when she stood up for what she believed in. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Kansas City Royals game, who would you take with you? Why?
I would probably take my mom! She's a big sports fan and she's never been to a game so I'd like to share that first time experience with her!

Is there a feature or activity at a Royals game that you’d especially like to experience?
There's an inside joke in my family that I'm a dancer (not a singer) for a reason, so we say at any sports event I would probably be more likely to present the game ball rather than sing the National Anthem, but I'll take it one step further and say I'd like to throw the first pitch!

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That's always been something I'd love to do too! 

As always, I want to thank Dakota for visiting with us, and for sending along the fantastic pictures to go with the interview.

As Dakota continues her time as Miss Santa Fe Trail, I encourage you to follow her on Facebook as well as her personal and official Instagram accounts. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Kansas title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again Dakota, and good luck!

1975 Topps Page by Page: Page 47 (415-423)

I'm sure that you all remember that I finally completed my 1975 Topps set.

Now that it's done I thought it would be fun to look through the set and talk about it. Going page by page seemed like a good way to go about it. Hopefully you find it interesting to read what I have to say.

How about we continue with page 47?

Red Sox Cards on the Page  

0. This is getting old.

Cards that make the 1975 Topps set cool 

Team cards are cool. Cards of managers as players are cool. All-Star cards are cool. Teeny Tiny pictures of Hall of Famers are cool

My favorite card on the page 

I'm tempted to go with the Mets team card. The idea of having a vintage Berra is appealing. But, that's a pretty lame Berra. So, I'll go with the other manager...Larry Bowa. The picture is nothing to write home about. But, I enjoy the color combination. And, the star logo is always welcomed.

What would your answers to those last two categories be?

Jaymie Bianca Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Jaymie Bianca is passionate about providing opportunities for everyone, a talented twirler, and the current Miss Bristol. I was excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

 
So, let's see what happens when Jaymie Bianca Visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Bristol crown?

The first time I was crowned Miss Bristol was before the pandemic hit, so I was able to celebrate surrounded by my family and friends! The night I earned the title, my mom actually recalled a conversation she had with me when I was five years old, right after we watched the Miss Bristol competition. After the show was over, I said to her “I want to be Miss Bristol one day!” So the moment my crowning happened, I had tears in my eyes knowing that my childhood dream just came to fruition. 

What part of the upcoming Miss Connecticut competition are you most nervous about?

My talent is baton twirling, and while I have been twirling for 19

Photo by CS Marchand

years, I occasionally become a little nervous before twirling onstage. This is due to a variety of factors, including my desire to have a perfect, no drop performance. Additionally, my eyes are extremely sensitive to light, so I have to ensure the stage lights do not bother my eyes, but I also need them bright enough to see my batons! A lot of technicalities are involved with my talent, but once my music begins to play and I hear the crowd cheering, I forget my nerves and enjoy the sport I love dearly.

Due to COVID this is your second year as Miss Bristol. What is it like to be able to represent your hometown for an extended period of time?

Being able to represent my hometown for one year was a dream, but getting an extended reign is just icing on the cake! I am blessed to have another year as Miss Bristol because I have learned numerous lessons from my first year which have helped me implement plans and initiatives for my second year as Miss Bristol. I have another year to make an impact in my home, and while COVID has taken so much away, I am grateful that an opportunity to have an extended reign as Miss Bristol was able to come out of it.  

How did you select your social impact initiative?

My social impact initiative is called “OpportunAbility- Providing Opportunities for People of All Abilities. My SII aims to create opportunities for all individuals and break free from the stigma of ableism. My brother initially inspired by SII, since he was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two. For many years, he was nonverbal. However, it was through the opportunities he received through sports, the arts, and scholastic extracurricular activities that he was able to find his voice, and is now considered a verbal communicator. I also could not walk for the first couple years of my life, but through baton twirling and dance, I started to develop strength in my legs. I now teach adaptive baton twirling and movement classes across the state of Connecticut, and I am hoping to expand this opportunity across the United States.

As a talented twirler, what is your favorite part about performing on stage?

Photo by CS Marchand

I love the feeling when the crowd cheers after I catch a trick! It truly motivates me to perform to the best of my ability, and show the audience how much I truly love baton twirling!

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would definitely be Belle! I have loved princess Belle ever since I was little, and even dressed up as her for Halloween one year (while my brother dressed up as the Beast!) I related a lot to Belle since she is also an avid reader like myself, and she accepts people for who they are on the inside, which is one of my main tenants of life as well.

How would you finish the sentence, “I get great satisfaction when ___”?

I get great satisfaction when I am writing! Writing allows me to feel free, and it is incredibly reliving to get my thoughts onto paper. I am also an award winning poet, and one of my majors in college is Creative Writing. I am so lucky to be able to turn a hobby I’ve had since I was a little girl into something I am able to study at the collegiate level!

If you had an extra ticket to a Red Sox - Yankees game, who would you take with you? Why?

Red Sox all the way! I would definitely take my twin brother,

Brandon. He is the team manager for the football and basketball team at his school, so he loves sports very much! I know he would enjoy spending a day at Fenway watching baseball and eating!

Is there a feature or activity of a game at Fenway that you’d especially like to experience?

My family really wanted to attend the Autism Awareness game, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID. When it happens again, I would love to attend since Autism Awareness means the world to me. 

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I hope she gets to do that! 

As always, I want to thank Jaymie for visiting with us, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to go with the interview.

As Jaymie continues her time as Miss Bristol, I encourage you to follow her Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Connecticut title. It would be wonderful to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again Jaymie, and good luck!

Lily Parker Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Lily Parker is passionate about stomping out the stigma around mental illness, a talented singer, and the current Miss Queen of the West. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. I was also thrilled that she is the first visitor representing the state of Oklahoma!

So, let's see what happens when Lily Parker Visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Queen of the West crown?

My best friend and fellow title holder, Ava Cruchon, and I got all the best food at Braums in Elk City!  

What part of the upcoming Miss Oklahoma competition are you most nervous about?

There isn’t one specific area I can pinpoint. I am completely new to the entire world of Miss America and pageantry, so I have a bit of nerves being a rookie. However, having an extra year due to the pandemic has given me time to learn so much, and I am honestly super excited to compete in Miss Oklahoma!

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your remaining time as Miss Queen of the West?

I would really like to host a virtual benefit concert to raise money for mental health awareness. I am a music theater major at Oklahoma City University, which means I am surrounded by the most talented people, and I would love to have them join me in this benefit concert.

How did you select your social impact initiative “Stomping Out Stigma”?

Mental health awareness has been a big part of my life after

my older brother, Matthew, died at the age of 21. He had struggled his whole life with social anxiety and depression. When I had to opportunity to create a social impact initiative for my local title, “Stomping Out Stigma” seemed like the perfect path for me to create conversations about mental health in his honor. His mental illnesses were not something I was aware of growing up until right before he passed away, but maybe if I did know sooner and had a better understanding of mental illnesses, things could have been different. There are so many people out there just like my brother. 1 in 5 adults will have a mental illness in any given year, but only half of these people receive the help they need. This lack of care is greatly due to the stigma that surrounds mental illness and treatment. I feel this stigma myself. After the loss of my brother, I greatly struggled with my mental health and still do. I started going to therapy and while it helped me in so many ways, I was embarrassed by it. I felt as though something was wrong with me, and that it was my fault for not being able to handle everything on my own. Thankfully, I know these thoughts are false, and I have made it my mission to make treating and discussing mental health as common as we treat physical health.

What is your favorite part about performing your talent on stage?

I love the feeling of fully immersing myself in song, to the point where all the stresses and worries of life fade away for a few minutes. I feel like I can transport myself into another world and be a different person, and when the audience can be transported with me, it feels like magic.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would have to be my life long, all-time favorite princess, The Little Mermaid Ariel! As a little girl, all I dreamed of was to sing like Ariel. I was also seriously obsessed with mermaids, and who wouldn’t want to be a mermaid for a week??

How would you finish the sentence, “I get great satisfaction when ___”?

I get great satisfaction when I make a difference in someone’s life. I always grew up doing service work through my church and school, and there is nothing like the feeling of helping someone. That is part of why I love my job as Miss Queen of the West because I get to serve my communities and inspire others.

Growing up in Missouri, what did you enjoy about attending StL Cardinals games?

My favorite part has to be the ballpark foods! I love all the classics: hotdogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and Dippin’ Dots! It was also always fun to be able to see the St. Louis Arch above the baseball field!

Is there a feature or activity of a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

If I had the chance to do anything at a baseball game, it would have to be sing the National Anthem at the beginning of them game! But a close second to that would be to shoot the t-shirt canon!

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Oh, I bet those cannons are lots of fun! 

As always, I want to thank Lily for visiting with us, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to go with the interview.

As Lily continues her time as Miss Queen of the West, I encourage you to follow her Instagram account and check out her website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Oklahoma title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again Lily, and good luck!

1975 Topps Page by Page: Page 46 (406-414)

I'm sure that you all remember that I finally completed my 1975 Topps set.

Now that it's done I thought it would be fun to look through the set and talk about it. Going page by page seemed like a good way to go about it. Hopefully you find it interesting to read what I have to say.

How about we continue with page 46?

Red Sox Cards on the Page  

0. Still nothing.

Cards that make the 1975 Topps set cool 

The only "pinch runner" card ever made is absolutely cool

My favorite card on the page 

Thank goodness for the Washington. I guess the card of Mitterwald getting something out of his eye, or Wright trying to decide if he's pretending to throw or catch are fun. But, the Washington is the clear winner. The uniqueness of the card and player are top notch. Since the stands are empty, I assume it's a posed shot. So, bravo to Topps for picking a fake base running pic as opposed to any of the other poses available.

What would your answers to those last two categories be?

I Found the Vendor!

And had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

Last Wednesday I went to my local Target. I had no illusions of finding the 2021 Topps that was supposed to be released that day. For some reason, my Target never had stuff on time. I usually check every day or two, and suddenly almost a week later the shelf will be full of the new release. (Unless, I suppose, what I see is a second stocking after the first sells out in minutes? Do they do second stockings?) I had actually managed to buy a few blasters on their website earlier in the day, so I was all set in any case. But, I needed to be in Target that day anyway. Naturally, I walked by the card aisle just to see. Last time I was there, the shelf was full of Panini Contenders football and Heritage High Number Hobby boxes. I had passed on both. I'm not a football collector, and even with the auto/relic the Heritage had been more than I was willing to spend. But, I had been regretting not getting the Contenders since the price point was low enough to try just for fun. So, I figured if they had any left I'd try a box. 

No luck. Empty shelves.

I did the rest of my shopping and was walking by the cards again on my way out. There was an employee there with a cart full of what I assumed were returns. I figured I'd peek to see if she had anything that had been hidden around the store. As I approached, she looked up and said "I only have two sports, football and baseball".  I was confused. Huh? She motioned behind her, and on the conveyor belt, waiting to be stocked were several rows of the Topps Series One and Panini Playbook Football.

She was the vendor!

I didn't know what the Playbook was, so I asked for one to check the price point. At $30, it seemed a bit high...so I passed. I already had the Topps ordered, so I passed on those too. I left the store without any cards.

As I was driving away I was chuckling to myself that I finally stumble upon the vendor, and I had already ordered the cards I wanted. That's when it hit me. Was I a complete moron? Sure, I had ordered the cards. But, Target has an annoying habit of canceling online orders. I could have had them in my hands. And what's the worst that could happen? I bet I could use an extra box anyway. So I turned around and went back to the store.

The vendor was still there, and as I approached I could hear her talking to a guy next to her. I heard him say he worked at the Wal-Mart down the street and would check Target all the time on his breaks to see if their stuff was in yet. When I got there, I saw the shelf was full of Series One, the Playbook, and a full shelf of Contenders football. She hadn't shown me those before. (Apparently they do, in fact, restock) I decided to use my 3 purchase limit on one of each brand. I went to grab one of the Playbooks, and she stopped me. She said she needed to take a picture if I could wait a second. So, apparently the other guy was actually "in line" waiting for her to finish up. So, we both waited a minute while she took her pictures of the display. I let him check out the cards...he was first, after all...and then grabbed my three boxes. 

Of course, after all that, the boxes weren't amazing. I'll write about the Series One later. The best card from the two football boxes was a Contenders Justin Herbert ROY insert. Not exactly the biggest hit out there. Especially since both football boxes contained an auto/relic.

But, I had my first experience "waiting in line" for a vendor. Maybe next time I'll do it better the first time.

And maybe the cards will be better.

Julia DeSerio Visits Section 36!

Photo by Jeanna Beasley

Section 36 has another visitor! Julia DeSerio is passionate about the arts, a talented singer, and the current Miss Gastonia. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Julia DeSerio Visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Gastonia crown?

The moments after winning my first local title were a blur- I think I might have blacked out quite honestly! I know there were lots of pictures with sisters, friends and family, many hugs and congratulations…and of course, a trip to Olive Garden to eat as much pasta, salad and breadsticks as possible.

 

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Gastonia competition that will help you when you compete for Miss North Carolina?

This is an interesting question, and I think requires me to go a bit farther back than the Miss Gastonia Competition:

As a sophomore in high school my band director suggested I do my high school pageant, and I won the title of Miss Centurion. That moment was such a special feeling for me and my family as our home life was not "idealistic" in any conventional way. I took the encouragement of school teachers and the school Pageant Director to compete for my local Outstanding Teen title the following fall. I placed third runner-up out of 38 contestants and won the fitness competition. Though it was so much fun, I was a bit disheartened not to win so I really stepped back and continued my focus on music and school not really putting my heart in "pageants" again.  

 

Back in July out of the clear blue, I received a Facebook message from someone I had met during the high school pageant encouraging me to take a look at the Miss America Organization again. At first, I didn't take it very seriously, but after receiving another message in late August, my friend really pushed me to look into the organization and how it had changed since I tried it at 15; so, I did. Feeling like I had finally found my home, I knew who I was professionally and spiritually, I wanted to grow in my community, and I was secure in myself enough to know win or lose I would be fine because my life was truly happy, I decided to give it a try.  When the show was over before the awards were announced, I sent a text to a friend saying how good I felt about presenting my authentic-self and how glad I was I had done it. And, 10 minutes later, I was crowned Miss Gastonia.

 

Through this very special competition experience, I learned that the phrase “Just be yourself” is really the key to finding success, win or lose. 15-year-old Julia was trying to seek validation and worth in a title, and that is why she did not win. Her heart was not in the right place. Regardless of the outcome, I will carry that with me to the Miss North Carolina Competition this June and be at peace knowing I was true myself and offered the real Julia- not the one I hoped the judges were looking for.

 

What has been the most pleasant surprise about your time as Miss Gastonia?

When deciding to compete, one of the things I prayed for wasto find genuine friendships with the incredible women in our state organization. I would argue that our Miss North Carolina Organization titleholders know how to support, uplift, encourage, celebrate and love one another better than anyone. The sisterhood I have been able to step into and share in with my sisters, not only in North Carolina but across the country because of social media, has been the most pleasant surprise and a precious gift that I will cherish forever! 

 

How did you select your social impact, “Art: The Highest Form of Hope”?

Growing up was not the Cinderella story many would envision of a Miss America titleholder for me. Born into a situation afflicted with drug abuse and low socio-economic status, I was deemed an "at-risk" student in kindergarten as were my five siblings. My initial interested in music started when I began school, as I felt so at home in music class. In fourth grade, I decided I wanted to be a music teacher. I pursued that goal relentlessly until making it a reality through dedicated grade school studies, working a part-time job at a local restaurant to earn money, and eventually through attending and graduating cum laude from Gardner-Webb University with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree in December of 2018.

I am now a middle-grades music teacher in Shelby, NC. Coupling that role with my title in this organization, I wanted to focus on expanding arts education to "at-risk" students in my community, knowing how the arts shaped and essentially saved my life.

The goal of "Art: The Highest Form of Hope" is to expand arts education for "at-risk" students beyond the public-school classroom. My project began as a partnership with my local YMCA to facilitate a "Performing Arts Class" during their after-school program. While successful, COVID-19 cut the program short.

As quarantine began with no end in sight, I decided to move my outreach to virtual platforms, knowing that there was a need to express, create and connect during the raging pandemic- not only for students, but for people of all ages. I began a virtual talent show initiative, hosting shows in April, May, June and July of 2019 via Zoom and Facebook live. This further inspired me to continue serving virtually. In October of 2019, I facilitated my biggest outreach initiative to date: a Virtual Arts Retreat, composed of free workshops and classes for arts lovers of all ages, featuring Miss America Organization titleholders from across the county volunteering their time and talents to teach. It has been both humbling and inspiring to watch the efforts of my project take off and impact people across the country.

As a talented singer, what do you enjoy the most about performing on stage?

As a young girl, singing on stage was always an opportunity to escape my reality and become someone else, even just for a moment. Whether I am singing solo or with a choral group or on stage in an opera or musical: getting to use my gift, pouring myself into a performance, and potentially creating a moving experience for someone else has always been my favorite part. 

You currently teach middle school chorus. What do you enjoy most about that position?

Photo by
 Jeanna Beasley

Many people give me a crazy look when I talk about how much I love teaching middle school, but it is my favorite age group by far! I have always been a fun-loving and quirky spirit, and I believe middle schoolers need that kind of energy to make it through those tough years of transition and growth. People always underestimate middle schoolers, so I love challenging their minds and proving that middle schoolers are capable of so much more than we think! Their creativity, energy and passion refill my cup every day.

If you could be a Disney Character for a week, who would you choose? Why?
Ariel from the Little Mermaid has always been my favorite princess, but I guess as a singer that wouldn’t be the most enjoyable experience… I actually think I would be Rapunzel. My schedule is always so busy, and I admittedly have a really hard time relaxing and making time to be still. A week locked in a tower sounds like a dream vacation for me!
 
If you had an extra ticket to see the Red Sox play the Braves, who would you take with you? Why?
I have a friend named Michael who is an avid Braves fan- I would honestly describe him as a walking baseball encyclopedia. He would be a great choice to take! I can imagine we would have a great time and I would learn a lot more about America’s favorite pastime.

Is there a feature or activity at a Major League Baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?
Gastonia is actually finalizing the construction of a minor league baseball stadium, set to open in the Spring of 2021. I am fortunate enough to be providing special music for the opening ceremony, and I would love to one day be able to sing the National Anthem or throw the first pitch at a major league game (maybe as Miss North Carolina or Miss America one day)!

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That would be fantastic! 

As always, I want to thank Julia for visiting with us, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to go with the interview.

As Julia continues her time as Miss Gastonia, I encourage you to follow her Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss North Carolina title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!
 
Thanks again Julia, and good luck!