Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 16, 1990 TAG: 9007160021
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
DePuy, a 19-year-old junior at Liberty University, has all the necessary characteristics: all-American good looks, talent, intelligence and an appealing, unaffected modesty that's evident when she speaks.
With all those winning qualities, it's a little surprising to discover that DePuy - who represented Amherst County in the pageant - didn't expect to be among the 10 finalists for the Miss Virginia crown, let alone the winner. "I was really nervous last night, just about making the top 10," she said during an interview Sunday afternoon.
During Saturday night's Miss Virginia pageant, the top 10 finalists participated in talent, swimsuit and evening gown competitions and answered questions on subjects of concern to them, such as the family, abortion and the environment. Finally, the moment of truth was at hand.
"When Sheri Huffman, who was Miss Lynchburg, was called first runner-up, I thought this could be it. That was really the first time I thought I could be Miss Virginia," DePuy said. "I know it sounds cliched, but it was like a dream."
DePuy, who stayed up until 4 a.m. Sunday and started her first day as Miss Virginia at 7:30 a.m., still feels as if she's still dreaming. "I think I'm still in shock. Last night I kept saying `Pinch me, pinch me.' "
Even DePuy's biggest fans - her family - were surprised by her victory, she said. When her mother, Marie Norris, phoned DePuy's 93-year-old grandmother with the news, "My grandma said `What?,' " DePuy recalled with a smile. "I think everyone had high expectations, but I really didn't think it could happen until it did."
Though she got little more than a catnap Sunday morning after a hectic week of events leading up to the pageant, DePuy was poised as she posed for snapshots, signed autographs and answered questions Sunday afternoon.
The rhinestone crown had been carefully placed upon her coiffed blonde locks, her makeup was impeccable and she was dressed in a royal blue and white suit adorned with a Miss Virginia banner and gold pin in the shape of a crown.
But DePuy, a Florida native, is more than just another pretty face. She is on the dean's list at Liberty, where she studies business management and political science, and said she has a strong interest in both fields. "I'd like to be able to combine the two. My father has worked on political campaigns as a manager, and I'd like to do that - maybe even work within the government on the state or national level," she said.
DePuy will voice her political concerns often during her reign as Miss Virginia. "My platform for the year is political awareness. Our country has such a low voting rate compared to other countries," she said. Countries which have recently instituted democratic governments, such as Poland and Romania, have voting rates as high as 100 percent, she added. "I think a lot of people take our democracy for granted in the United States."
The importance of education is something else DePuy will stress as she travels throughout the state. "If I could communicate to any youth how important education is . . . it's easy to get discouraged, but I think it's hard to be successful in the 1990s without a good education," she said.
She also looks forward to educating Virginia's citizens about the Miss Virginia pageant itself. `'I think a lot of people have misconceptions [about] the pageant, and meeting them one-on-one I'll have an opportunity to inform them."
DePuy said those who criticize the state pageants and the Miss America pageant usually don't realize the emphasis on qualities other than physical appearance. "With interview [sessions] at 30 percent" of each contestant's total score, "and talent [competition] at 40 percent, evening gown and swimsuit are only 15 percent [each]," she said. As Miss Virginia, she will represent the state in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, N.J. in September.
Miss Virginia receives a $5,000 scholarship and gifts, including the use of a new car. Miss America wins a $35,000 scholarship.
DePuy, who's been playing the piano for 14 of her 19 years, performed Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude," Op. 10, No. 12 in the pageant's talent competition. During a television commercial break immediately preceding her performance, supporters in the audience yelled, "Go for it, Shannon!" DePuy didn't responded to their shouts of encouragement. She focused on the piano instead, collecting her thoughts and concentrating on her piece, she said.
"I was praying, actually," she said. "I do a lot of that when I have to play the piano."
DePuy said her faith in God was essential in helping her get through the performance successfully. "I just know that when it comes to competition, I get really nervous. Just having faith in God, knowing he'll take care of me - that's the only way I got out there last night so calm and collected."
But DePuy's preparation for the pageant also might have had some bearing on her success. Since the end of March, when she was crowned Miss Amherst County, she's worked out daily, done "lots" of piano practicing and almost as much shopping, she said. "I never thought we'd get tired of shopping, but I think we did toward the end."
Now that her quest for the Miss Virginia crown is over, "I want to eat," DePuy said emphatically. "I think I need a large, greasy pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. That would be very good," she said with a laugh.
However, DePuy realizes there won't be very many pepperoni pizzas in her immediate future. By next week, she will have embarked on a busy schedule of appearances and will be preparing for the Miss America pageant.
Being a part of that pageant will be the fulfillment of another dream for DePuy. "Ever since I was a little girl watching [the pageant] on TV, I've always dreamed of going. It's hard to believe it's true."
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