DYW program March 16 to feature five local candidates

There are five candidates for this year’s Ritzville Distinguished Young Women program that takes place on Mar. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Gilson Gymnasium.

The junior class women participating in this event are Emily Buriak, Amalia Perez, Brooke Pichette, Jordan Schultz and Taylor White.

The Distinguished Young Women of Ritzville program, formally the Ritzville Junior Miss program, is in its second year in Ritzville. Last year, the first Ritzville woman to receive the official title of Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville is Dezarae West.

The theme for the program this year is “Don’t Stop Believing” based around the popular Journey song. Janet Manke and Kristin Kramer chair the program, and Tana (Kimble) Atkinson again serves as the master of ceremonies for the event.

Escorts for the evening are juniors Jacob Anderson and Satchel Henneman. The Sophomore Sisters for the candidates are Sydney Nelson, Gabriela Perez, Alessa Neilan, Soraida Chavez and Elizabeth Schofstoll. Henneman is also playing guitar as part of the entertainment portion of the event.

The 2011 Ritzville Distinguished Young Women representatives, this year’s five candidates, sophomore sisters and escorts begin the program with the opening number choreographed by Kramer.

After the opening number has concluded, the 2011 Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville, West, welcomes family, friends, visiting royalty and guests in attendance at the evening event. West choreographed the fitness portion of the program that begins after the welcome. The routine is slightly modified from the past years’ programs.

The talent portion of the program follows the fitness performance where the five candidates perform the talents of playing the fiddle, singing, speaking in a rhythmic way to portray the problems in the world, a humorous monologue and a flute solo.

Following the talent performance, the judges are introduced and the self-expression portion of the night begins, which is choreographed by Kramer.

Kim Schofstoll is the dressing room coordinator while Stacey Schoessler and Lisa Cox are working to secure judges for the program and help facilitate the candidates’ interviews. Dave and Carla Braun host the judges’ interview.

Coordinating technical production of the evening is Aundrea Besel while Kris Harder serves as tabulator.

Friday afternoon serves as a time of seclusion from cell phones, family and outside distractions for the candidates.

About half of the judging is completed before the program begins on Friday night. Candidates are transported to and from the interviews and the chairpersons ensure candidates who have been interviewed are separate from the others until every candidate has been interviewed.

Candidates are judged in five distinct divisions: interviews are worth 25 percent, the talent portion is also worth 25 percent, scholastics serve as 20 percent, fitness is worth 15 percent of the score and self-expression is also worth 15 percent. Interviews and scholastics are completed before the program begins.