A pageant, a crown, and a backdrop for war

And then, of course, there's the swimsuit competition. To Frank Sinatra's crooning "Love is the tender trap," the 14 contestants spin and strut in swimsuits and heels. "

The first year I thought it would be horrible," says three-year pageant veteran Tiffany Jonasen. But "you just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other."

And compared with ABC's "Are You Hot?" it seems relatively tame. In fact it's the comparatively wholesome nature of beauty pageants that may be sparking their revival in these parts.

"We notice more and more that moms are bringing their daughters," says pageant chairman Gert Schultz. "It's a good, clean entertainment program."

Even Madison, Wis., home to the state's flagship university campus and a robust liberal ethic, recently held its first Miss Madison pageant in four years. And Oshkosh locals tell of the reinvigoration of the annual Miss Wisconsin parade, held here each June.

This year's Miss Oshkosh contestants share $10,000 in scholarship money - a record amount. The winner gets showered with prizes, from a free McDonald's meal every day for a year to complimentary car washes at the Jet Stream Car Wash to a fur coat - and $3,000 in scholarship funds.

As the young women are quick to point out, pageants aren't just about beauty anymore. Each contestant has a "platform" she promotes - topics from breast-cancer awareness to helping disadvantaged girls get prom dresses.

And consider Marjorie Trew's answer during the interview portion of the competition, which comes just before the winner is announced. Standing in her amethyst-colored floor-length gown, Ms. Trew is asked whether she would rather be smart, rich, or beautiful.

After a half-second pause, she says, beaming, "I'd rather be smart, because then you're beautiful inside - and you've got the brains to become rich!" The crowd bursts into applause.

Indeed, 10 of this year's 14 contestants attend the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. They're studying everything from cellular biology to business. And the mood on their campus tilts toward supporting a war. "If we don't take care of Saddam Hussein now, he'll take care of us later," says Ms. Jonasen, describing the prevailing sentiment. "The mentality is, 'Eat or be eaten,' " she says.

Yet despite the sharp-edged realism that prevails, there is plenty of hope - as seen in contestant Danielle Parker's well-received lyrics: "Someday, somewhere, we'll find a new way of living."

Finally, as the new Miss Oshkosh, Christina Huffman, is crowned - her moment replete with tears, roses, and a victory walk across the stage - the pageant's costume designer beams as she talks of the hope incarnate in the strong young women onstage.

Patti Karlgaard muses about her approach to the pageant - and to war. For these girls, as for the country, she says, "You prepare for the worst - and hope for the best."

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