Here She Comes

Miss America 2002 is Miss Oregon, Katie Harman. Harman, who aspires to a career in bioethics, was crowned Saturday evening. The 21-year-old outshone 50 other women in a patriotic pageant held in spite of lingering sorrow over the terrorist attacks on America. The three-hour competition was two parts beauty pageant and one part telethon.

It raised money for the September Eleventh Fund, a charity set up in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Harman, who plans to promote the supporting of terminal breast cancer patients during her one-year reign as Miss America, is a speech communications major at Portland State University. She lives in Gresham, Ore.

In Atlantic City, she impressed the judges throughout the competition, winning preliminary competitions in swimsuit and evening wear. On Saturday, she answered six of eight questions right during an onstage "pop quiz" that was a new element of the competition. Among the questions: Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States as a gift? Who was the first African-American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court? Also new: The 41 women who did not make the Top 10 were allowed to serve as an "eighth judge," voting on who they thought should win the crown. It wasn't revealed who they voted for, however.

Harman, who delivered a passionate rendition of "O Mio Babbino Caro," a Puccini aria, for her talent offering, gasped when her name was announced as the winner before leaning down to receive the crown from outgoing Miss America Angela Perez Baraquio. Then she was handed a bundle of red roses and headed down the runway for the traditional victory walk.

Security at the 81st annual pageant was intense. Police cars lined the Boardwalk outside Boardwalk Hall, a police helicopter hovered overhead and security guards used hand-held metal detectors to examine every person who entered the building. In addition, bottles – even plastic ones sold at concessions in the building – were banned from inside the arena.

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Author: AP