Karson Fair Visits Section 36!

Photo ING Studios

Section 36 had another visitor! Karson Fair is passionate about self-worth, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Portland-Metro. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Karson Fair visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Portland-Metro crown?

I celebrated the best way I know how…with a girls’ night! After the competition, some of my best friends (all of which had never attended a Miss America Organization preliminary) came over to my place. My sweet mom was also in town from North Carolina, so getting to celebrate with so many people I love was a true treat! Then, the next day my mom and I headed up to Mt. Hood Ski Resort and took to the slopes to let out the excitement and adrenaline. Snowboarding has become a huge outlet for me, and it was the best way to round out the eventful weekend. 

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

Oh man. That’s a good one! Truthfully, I’m trying to stay away from the nervous energy. Instead, I’m choosing to truly embrace this experience as a gift that I didn’t think I would have (due to the previous age restrictions). In a sense, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. BUT if we’re being honest, I can be my own worst enemy at times and my mind can play some serious tricks on itself. I’m hoping that I don’t put any unnecessary pressure on my performance so I can just bring my most authentic self to the Miss Oregon competition in June.  

After taking a break from competing with the Miss America Organization, what made you decide to give the Miss Portland-Metro crown a try?

Photo StephanieCarine

Although I’m usually a HUGE planner, I would be lying if I told you that my decision to compete in the Miss Portland-Metro competition was one that I had been mulling over for quite some time. In fact, it all came together in a matter of a few weeks and felt like an absolute whirlwind. At the end of the day, all the stars just perfectly aligned. The age limit had changed; I was (and still am) in desperate need of scholarship money as I’m pursuing a graduate degree; I met with Allison Cook (former Miss Oregon America and Miss Oregon USA) to learn more about the Miss Oregon Program and learned that the only regional competition I was eligible for was just a few weeks away, so the clock started ticking. There was a part of me that was terrified to compete again because although MAO has undoubtedly shaped my life—from being North Carolina’s Outstanding Teen in 2014, to helping pay for out-of-state tuition while attending Auburn University, and all the life skills in between—there was a time I didn’t know who Karson was outside of the program. I spent years figuring out just who I am outside of a “title”, and I was scared to fall back into old patterns while competing. However, the fear of having “what ifs” outweighed it all, and I also knew that my deep appreciation for the program + the life experience and insight I’ve gained while taking a step back would make this experience unique and worthwhile. The program has changed since I first competed as a teen in 2014, and so have I. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Know Your Worth”?

I naturally, yet strategically, selected my social impact initiative based on a few goals that I had: 1) I wanted my social impact to be an extension of something that I was already passionate about spreading and promoting in my daily life. 2) I wanted to be sure the message I was sharing would be relevant to anyone I meet regardless of age, socioeconomic background, race/ethnicity, or stage of life. 3) I wanted to meet a need that I noticed in my local community and the world around me. Starting critical conversations about unconditional self-worth and recognizing our own inherent value has always been important to me and is something I’ve noticed that we all need to be reminded of. I love being a human connector, and this message gives me the opportunity to have meaningful and intentional conversations with people in my community, profession, and daily life.  

What do you enjoy about performing your talent on stage?

Photo Lenn Long

Everything! But for me, it all starts with the song choice. I intentionally select a piece that will allow me to HAVE FUN and let go on stage! When it comes to the competition, all the practice and prep is complete, and it is my goal for the audience to have just as much fun watching my performance as I am having actually doing it.  

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

…I find a great new Gluten-Free restaurant in town. HA! Kidding. Well, not really…I love food! But beyond a physical sense, I get great satisfaction when I meaningful interactions with other people. 

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

Oof. Admittedly, I am not a huge Disney gal. However, I have always been obsessed with Belle. As a kid, it was her beautiful yellow ball gown and kindness that I loved. I mean, I did BEG my mom for a “Belle Dress” when visiting Disney as a child (sadly, we couldn’t afford one so that dream never came to fruition). But now, I think it’s her open mindedness, free spirit. appetite for adventure, compassion, and, you can’t forget, her stubbornness that draw me to her. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Hillsboro Hops baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

I’d probably bring my friend Abby. Not only is she always down for a fun, spur of the moment adventure, but she always brings a cheery attitude to anything she does. We would have the best time! Plus, it’s one of the few local sporting events that neither of us have attended (yet) so we could both cross that off our list. 

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

I have always wanted to throw the first pitch at a baseball game, and I just might be getting that opportunity in a few months with the Portland Pickles! I am SO stoked! Fun fact: I played softball for roughly 4-5 years, but it has been a hot minute since I’ve stepped foot on a mound so I should probably start practicing soon! 

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I'm sure she'll be amazing! 

As usual, I want to thank Karson for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss Oregon! It would be fantastic to have the first Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Karson during her journey as Miss Portland-Metro. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on. 

Thanks again Karson, and good luck!

2022 Topps Series One Blaster!

Found another one of these. Cards are so hit or miss at Target. One day the shelves are empty. Next day 15 boxes of this are sitting there. Next day all gone. But, online it always stocked. So strange.

Let's see how this one went!

Here's the box. This time Topps tricked us by using two photos of the same player. I'm guess there's more than just Ohtani in this box.

But, he's the only one on the packs too.

Not a Red Sox card, but not a bad pull. If it can't be a Red Sox, it would have been nice to be a more hobby popular player. But, I'm certainly not complaining.

Old friend Jose Iglesias. Nice little action shot here. I can really sense the motion.

Based on his reaction, I'm guessing Matt Barnes did something positive in this photo. I can't be sure since he's been struggling a lot lately. Been a while since I've seen a similar reaction.

Speaking of struggling, here's a future star. I suppose that could still be true if Dalbec can turn things around.

And there we have it. A little short on the Red Sox side. But, any time you find the case hit at Target you have to consider it a good box.

How did yours go?

Ava Katherine Socarras Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Ava Katherine Socarras is passionate about kidney disease awareness, a talented musician, and the current Miss Lexington's Outstanding Teen. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Ava Katherine Socarras visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Lexington’s Outstanding Teen crown?

My family and I celebrated with going to dinner a night that week, but the main celebration from my family was getting a guitar. When I decided I wanted to compete in the competition, I had wanted a guitar really bad. I already had a ukulele but to play most of the songs I had wanted to play, I needed an acoustic guitar. I asked my parents if we could celebrate me competing, and possibly wining, by getting a guitar. Little did I know I would be getting one for Christmas a few moths after the competition. Being with my family is very important to me. We are very close and I would not have it any other way.

How did you select your social impact initiative: Share a Spare - Kidney Disease Awareness?

As a child, I was surrounded by the word "kidney". My younger brother Jacob was born with an underdeveloped kidney, and my great grandfather was on dialysis for almost 10 years. The issues involving kidneys in my family are what made me select Share A Spare- bringing attention to Kidney Disease Awareness. When choosing the name for my Social Impact Initiative, I ran into many thoughts. I ended with Share A Spare because of the motto I made, "Share information on kidney disease and possibly spare a kidney to one in need." I have always felt a strong connection to kidney disease awareness, since I was a young girl. So, it just made sense to start a my Social Impact on something I was already so passionate about.

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Lexington’s Outstanding Teen?

The goal I have as Miss Lexington's Outstanding Teen is to be remembered in the Lexington community. As the very first Miss Lexington's Outstanding Teen, it's so important for me to make an impact on this amazing town. I want to share the importance of my Social Impact Initiative with them, but also encourage them to start spreading awareness on things THEY find important. I hope that Lexington will be able to remember my name and that I can be a role model for those there.

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

"I get great satisfaction when being around, music." The first thought entering my brain when completing that sentence is music. I have been singing since I was almost 4 years old, which is 10 years of me singing. I play the Ukulele, Guitar, and I hope to play the piano. Whenever my day is going "not so great" I know I can put in my earbuds and listen to my favorite songs and I will be satisfied. Music definitely keeps me happy and almost always makes me want to burst out into a dance. 

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

If I could be any Disney character I would be Ariel from The Little  Mermaid. As a kid I loved mermaids so much, and I still think they are pretty cool. Not only that, but the first song I performed on a stage was "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid, so it has some importance to me. I have also always really loved the ocean. My favorite animal is a dolphin, and a mermaid cannot get much closer to that. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

If I had extra tickets to a Greensboro Grasshoppers game I would take my younger brother Jacob. He is only 11 and wants to play baseball. He played for a bit but during Covid he had to stop. Now he is very passionate about it and wants to start playing again. I think bringing him to the game can boost his inspiration even more. Not only that but I know I could have good laugh if he were there. 

 

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

Actually, I just went to Washington D.C. with my 8th grade class, and had the opportunity to watch my first Major League Baseball game. It was a lot of fun. I think an experience that would be really cool would be getting a ball from one of the players. The part where it comes flying at my face may be a little scary, but I think it's worth getting the ball from someone on the field. Also, I could at it to my collection of random things on my shelf and showing the ball off to my friends would be awesome! 

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I'd like to get a ball myself!

As usual, I want to thank Ava for visiting with us, and for sending along the picture to go with the interview.

I also want to wish Ava luck when she competes for Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Ava during her journey as Miss Lexington's Outstanding Teen. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on.

Thanks again Ava, and good luck!

2021 Topps Stadium Club Blaster!

It's time for another blaster! Another 2021 Stadium Club one. It's been quite a while since I opened one of these on here. I wonder if there are different cards in this one. Only one way to find out, right?

Let's see how this one went!

Here's the box. I'm trying to decide how I like the recent trend of focusing on a single player on the box. On the one hand, it's clean and artistic. On the other hand...there are cards other than Christian Yelich in the box...right?

I mean even the packs have the same one player. Starting to wonder if this is a player set.

OK, we're safe. There's another player in this box! Great shot too. The ball is in the air. All of Chris Sale makes it in the shot. And the graphics aren't blocking any of the player. Near perfect.

Wow. This shot is near perfect as well. What a magnificent use of the horizontal orientation. On thing better would be if the name graphic were on the other side so it wasn't covering JD's thigh.

A third amazing shot. I guess this is a Stadium Club set after all. A wonderfully cropped show showing Xander's beaming smile. In this case, I don't mind Xander's missing legs. This shot does it all.

So, a better box than last time. But, that's not saying much. Three Red Sox cards with incredible photographs. Nothing too extraordinary though. Still always a fun box to open.

How did your box go?

Peyton Troth Visits Section 36!

Catherine Fiehn Photography

Section 36 had another visitor! Peyton Troth is passionate about education, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Peyton Troth visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen crown?

I have had lots of celebration dinners but right after the competition my close family and friends came over and we had pizza and cake. It was so fun and relaxing just being able to hang out with my family and friends after a long week of competition. 

How did you select your social impact initiative: Peyton’s Promise Education Initiative?

Well Peyton’s Promise actually started in my classroom. My classmates and I were taking a test and out of the 15 of us 10 people needed a pencil. I remember thinking to myself that this can’t just be in my classroom, it could be in the classroom next door, across the hall, and even classrooms across the country. My education is very important to me and so I created Peyton’s Promise to pave the way for tomorrow’s leaders. Our mission at Peyton’s Promise is to make sure that kids get the tools they need to obtain the education that they deserve. 

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen?

I would love to grow the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Organization by creating the “10 more project” where I am not only increasing contestant numbers but volunteer and sponsor numbers as well. I know that in today’s world some colleges and even high schools require community service hours in order to graduate. I would love to do community service projects with my peers through my organization Peyton’s Promise, and hopefully by doing these projects and showing my peers what opportunity the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Organization brings. Hopefully by doing these projects it will entice them to sign up as a candidate. I’ve seen where this organization has been and I know where it can go, so my specific goal throughout my year is to grow the organization in numbers. 

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

I love being able to tell a story by only using my body. Tap is my favorite style of dance and whenever I put on my tap shoes I feel like I’m putting instruments on my feet. Making music with my feet feels so unreal sometimes and tap will always have a special place in my heart. 

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

I am a huge Marvel fan so I would love to be Black Widow for a week. Black Widow was the first girl superhero within the Marvel movies and ever since I saw her on the big screen I fell in love with the character. She is one of a few Marvel characters that don’t have superpower and Black Widow has specifically taught me that just because you are a girl that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything boys can do. She is strong and powerful and I would love to live a day in her life as an Avenger. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Hartford Yard Goats baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would have to bring my Dad if I had an extra ticket to a Yard Goats game. My Dad and I love watching sports together and we always have a great time. We are big Yankees fans and going to Yankee games is one of our favorite things to do together so if there is any chance to watch a live baseball game no matter the team, I know I will bring my Dad with me. 

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

I would love to be the first pitch at a baseball game. My older brother Tyler played baseball in high school and he was one of the main pitchers for his team. Growing up I loved watching him play/pitch and he has tried to teach me multiple times. I am definitely not the best but believe me I have been practicing for my moment to pitch on the field.

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That sounds like it would be a lot of fun!

As usual, I want to thank Peyton for visiting with us, and for sending along the picture to go with the interview.

I also want to wish Peyton luck when she competes for Miss America's Outstanding Teen! It would be fantastic to have the first Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Peyton during her journey as Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account, Facebook page, and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on. You should also check out the website for her SII Peyton's Promise for great information on that cause.

Thanks again Peyton, and good luck!