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Arts Sep 16, 2015
- Photo by Terry Miller
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– Photo by Terry Miller
Royal Court Hopefuls Descend on Tournament House in Search of Adventure
By Terry Miller
Without trying to being too cliché, it really is time to stop and smell the roses in Pasadena … particularly at Tournament House, Pasadena’s answer to Buckingham Palace, where officials have been very drought-conscious yet managed to maintain the spectacular rose garden in time for the 2016 Rose Court tryouts.
Hundreds of young women (plus a couple of brave young men) started the long, nail-biting process Saturday after which several hundred ‘selfies’ were the big order of the day. And, where better? The Rose Garden, of course.
The fun continued Tuesday as hundreds more compete for a position on the seven-member court of Pasadena’s Royalty.
– Photo by Terry Miller
While hundreds of Pasadena-area young women interviewed for the prospect to be part of the 2016 Tournament of Roses Royal Court Saturday, participants from Pasadena and surrounding communities also vie to represent their communities, schools and the Tournament of Roses as ambassadors of the time-honored tradition.
Young women from Arcadia, Pasadena, Flintridge and surrounding cities gather together each year and form a unique bond with one another, unlike anything else they will do in their lives.
Making as many as 100 appearances leading up to New Year’s Day, only seven young women will be named to the 2016 Royal Court on Oct. 5, 2015.
This year’s theme is ‘Find Your Adventure’- a theme that has grown out of a unique partnership between the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the U.S. National Park Service. The 2016 Rose Parade will help shine light on the centennial celebration of our nation’s national parks.
– Photo by Terry Miller
Both the Tournament of Roses and the National Park Service aim to preserve history, connect people through real-life experiences and engage the public in new adventures. “As proponents of the American spirit, we encourage you to find beauty in the landscape that builds the backdrop of your lives. From coast-to-coast, we will add your stories of adventure to our collection while protecting our unique heritage and looking to the future,” their publicity says.
The Rose Queen and court tryouts are not a beauty pageant, officials contend.
The eligibility requirements are fairly strict. Entrants must:
-Be an unmarried, female resident of the Pasadena Area Community College District and able to provide verification of residence.
-Be a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student (minimum 12 units) in any accredited school or college in the Pasadena Area Community College District (see list below).
-Possess at least a 2.0 grade point average in both the current and previous years’ course work and able to provide verification of same.
-Be at least 17 years of age by Dec. 31, 2015, and not more than 21 years of age before Jan. 5, 2016, with no children.
-Be available to participate in all scheduled interview sessions.
-Complete the official application and participate in one of the initial interview sessions.
The tradition dates back to 1905. Of the seven, one will be named and crowned the 98th Rose Queen® on Oct. 22.
The 2016 Rose Queen and Royal Court will reign over the 127th Rose Parade® and attend the 102nd Rose Bowl Game be seen by millions of people around the world. The Tournament of Roses assigns each participant a number to prevent bias and maintain anonymity.
– Photo by Terry Miller
