A beautiful promotion?
A beauty contest scholarship
will raise AAU's profile, but
some think it's the wrong one
By Andrew Knight
Staff Writer
Anglo American University's sponsorship of a scholarship in the Osmany Laffita Face 2004 beauty contest has generated mixed opinions about appropriate ways to promote the school.
A three-year education was the prize given by AAU and a fourth year was offered by one of AAU's partner institutions, the University of Hawaii at Hilo. In return for its sponsorship AAU will receive a media package including television coverage, newspaper ads and billboards displaying the college's logo throughout the Czech Republic.
In response to President Joseph Drew's e-mailed announcement to the AAU community about the beauty contest scholarship, a former member of the AAU Board of Trustees, Stephan Muller, questioned the whole idea. "While it is important to raise the awareness of the public about the school," he said to the same AAU community, "giving away scholarships at beauty contests will hardly convince anybody that the particular school has high academic standards."
AAU required that all the contestants speak English and that the winner must meet entry standards before starting her education.
Asked to comment on Muller's e-mail, Drew said, "This is a free country and a higher education institution. All views are welcome and encouraged." He said he was "thrilled" about AAU's participation in the event, and said the exposure for AAU would definitely be positive. Helena Markusova, AAU's recruitment and promotion officer, mentioned that Osmany Laffita was proud to have AAU's sponsorship because it added a unique intellectual component to the event.
Drew was asked by Prima Television to collaborate with Taiza Fashion House, one of the sponsors of the event. The project responsibility was then handed over to Markusova, who negotiated the terms of AAU's involvement in the beauty contest.
The event took place on Sept. 30 at the Prague Congress Center. Twenty Czech and Slovak models ranging in age from 18 to 25 went through stages modeled fashions and answered questions. Celebrities participating included Ivana Trump and Osmany Laffita, both members of the judging panel. President Drew awarded the winner with an enlarged check representing the AAU scholarship.
The contest will be aired on television throughout Europe but the date is unknown.
--Andrew Knight can be reached at aknight66@hotmail.com.
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Last issue date: Dec. 12, 2003
