Three words: On- Stage Question

Watch this video. Study this Video. Now FORGET IT. This is how not to answer a pageant onstage question. 

While the shortest phase of the competition, these twenty seconds ultimately decide a contestant’s fate. A source of many…interesting…answers in past years, it is important to always prepare and educate yourself on world events and issues because anything can be asked on the stage. In the Miss America system, on-stage question used to be worth 5%, now its worth a whopping 20% of your total score. The 20 seconds are worth more than evening gown and swimsuit!

While many girls take to studying the news incessantly: reading papers, browsing news websites, reading blog and keeping an eye on twitter. Yet despite all this dedication, there is only so much you can know. You can walk on stage, pull your question from the fishbowl and hand it to the emcee only to find out it is that one issue you didn't study, that one fact you knew nothing about.
There are no do-overs, no phone-a-friends. Just you, a mic, and a crowd of people anticipating your answer.
DO NOT PANIC!
That is the worst thing you can do in this phase of competition. You need to keep your mind clear and composed, you can do this!
Admitting you do not know the answer may sound like the worst option. You may be scared it could hurt your score if you acknowledge there is an issue you did not study. After all, you do not want to seem unprepared to the judges. However, this is actually not true. You are only human! You cannot expect yourself to know every single thing about every event and issue in the world. It takes a lot of courage to admit you do not know the answer to a question. Use the same tone, inflection and grace when you talk as if you do know the answer. Admitting you do not know with confidence, instead of rambling, will leave a positive impression on the judges and should not affect your overall score. Especially if you have done well in all other areas of the competition.

However, while this answer may work for a local pageant, it won't cut it on the Miss Florida stage.  If you are competing at that high of level, you really have to at least attempt to answer the question. Staying positive and possibly adding some humor shows that your personable. It also shows that you can think on your feet. Mostly importantly, being comfortable with who you are enough to poke fun at yourself will radiate confidence on stage.

1.  Avoid Rambling Never, never, never, I will say it again, never ramble. There are tons of examples in recent years of why this is a horrible idea. Rambling never ends well. Take a minute, well more like 5 seconds, and compose yourself and your answer. Its better to keep the answer short and concise, rather than drone on and on about a topic you know very little about.
2. Answer with what you know. I recently received an on-stage question about dredging in Port Everglades. I can tell you one thing, I am no dredging expert. I was asked to compare the economic advantages with the environmental harm. I used what I knew to answer the question with confidence. I talked how how vital the everglades are to the Florida and world ecosystem and spoke about how it is our job to protect this vital resource. While I did not offer incite into the economic and environmental impact of the process, I offered my own incite into the importance of protecting that resource. I went on to win that pageant and received many compliments for my answer, people had no idea I didn't know what it was! They thought I was a dredging expert.
3. The most important thing to remain composed and answer with confidence and grace! As long as you keep a smile on your face and choose your words wisely, you will do just fine!

Regardless of how you choose to handle the question, remember that the key to winning any pageant is confidence. As long as you are sure in what you say and how you say it, you will do well.