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lifestyle TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017 FEATURES Miss District of Columbia crowned as he District of Columbia has won back- will become equal one day.” The beauty to-back Miss USA titles. Kara pageant this year included five women TMcCullough, a 25-year-old scientist who immigrated to the US at a young age working for the US Nuclear Regulatory and now as citizens hoped to represent the Commission, was crowned Sunday at the nation on a global stage. Verg and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the women representing Florida, North Dakota, Las Vegas Strip. She will go on to compete Hawaii, Connecticut and New Jersey told on the Miss Universe contest. “I’m extreme- The Associated Press this week they have ly thankful for this opportunity,” she said faced challenges and opportunities as after the event. “I just want to encourage immigrants. so many women nationwide to find their Verg told The Associated Press days passion in any subject possible and under- ahead of the competition that she and her stand that nothing is difficult if you really, parents immigrated from India to the US truly put the work in for it.” with only $500 in their pockets when she was 4 years old. Her first winter she did not have a winter coat and the family struggled to adjust. “I want to show Americans that the definition of what it means to be American is changing,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s not just one face. There are many dif- ferent people who are Americans, and I feel like Asian-Americans often times are left out of the conversation.” Miss District of Columbia USA 2016 Kara McCullough (center) is surrounded by fellow contestants after she was crowned Miss USA 2017. Miss District of Columbia USA Kara McCullough reacts after she was crowned the new Miss USA during the Miss USA contest in Las Vegas. — AP photos Fifty-one women representing each state and the nation’s capital participated in the decades-old competition. The run- ner-up of the night was Miss New Jersey Chhavi Verg, a marketing and Spanish stu- dent at Rutgers University, while the sec- ond runner-up was Miss Minnesota Meridith Gould, who is studying apparel retail merchandising at the University of Minnesota. McCullough was born in Naples, Italy, and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She said she wants to inspire chil- dren to pursue careers in the fields of sci- ence, technology, engineering and mathe- Miss District of Columbia USA 2016 Kara (From left) Recording artist Stephen Marley sings while escorting Miss matics. Last year, District of Columbia resi- McCullough competes in the evening District of Columbia USA 2016 Kara McCullough onstage as rapper Co-host Terrence J (left) high-fives Miss New York USA 2017 Hannah dent Deshauna Barber became the first- gown competition. Pitbull performs on stage. Lopa after she was named a top 10 finalist. ever military member to win Miss USA. The top five finalists where asked differ- The contestants’ remarks stand in stark ent questions that touched on the pros and contrast to the scandal that enveloped the cons of social media, women’s rights and pageant in 2015, when then-part owner issues affecting teenagers. McCullough was and now US President Donald Trump asked whether she thinks that affordable offended Hispanics when he made anti- health care for all US citizens is a right or a immigrant remarks in announcing his bid privilege. McCullough said it is a privilege. for the White House. Trump co-owned The “As a government employee, I’m granted Miss Universe Organization with health care and I see firsthand that for one NBCUniversal, but the network and the to have health care, you need to have jobs.” Spanish-language broadcaster Univision McCullough’s office at the Nuclear quickly cut ties with him, refusing to air the Regulatory Commission focuses on emer- show. Trump sued both networks, eventu- gency preparedness. She said she will be ally settling and selling the pageant to tal- discussing with her work supervisor ent management company WME/IMG. The whether she will take a leave of absence. show kicked off with a performance from a Later in the competition, McCullough, Verg Cirque du Soleil show - a Las Vegas staple - and Gould were asked to explain what they based on Michael Jackson songs. The con- consider feminism to be and whether they testants took the stage as Jackson’s “Black consider themselves feminists. Miss District or White” played and acrobats performed. of Columbia replied she likes to “transpose” CMA Award-winner Brett Eldredge per- the word feminism to “equalism.” After the formed his new single “The Long Way” as pageant, McCullough expanded on her the women modeled their evening gowns. views on feminism. They modeled their final looks of the night during a performance of Pitbull’s “Options” Offending Hispanics featuring Stephen Marley. Julianne Hough, “I believe we’ve come a long way and Ashley Graham and Terrence J. hosted the there is more work to be done,” show. Now that her preparation toward the McCullough, who graduated with a chem- pageant is over, McCullough said she is istry degree from South Carolina State looking forward to eating a Texas cheeses- Miss District of Columbia USA 2017 Kara University. “I think domestically we are teak at Waffle House. “All you need is may- McCullough smiles after being named a making progress and I do believe that we onnaise,” she said.— AP Miss Minnesota USA Meridith Gould reacts after she won second runner up. top 10 finalist. Japan’s ‘Superhuman’ athletes Photo provided by her mother, Anupama mix legends with high tech Poliyedath, show Ananya Vinay, 12, of Clovis, Calif, with her hen it comes to culture and entertainment, a “rock hand”. We asked other players for their Internet idol awards after win- Japan has a rich history spanning ancient thoughts on playing “Superhuman Sports”. Piyohina, an Internet idol and singer of animation ning the California Wlegends and sport to popular comics and songs, said: “When I play HADO, I always simulate in State Elementary video games. Now a new generation of inventors is Bubble-wrapped sumo my head the best way to fire an energy ball.” Spelling Bee for the drawing on this culture to create sports with a 21st- Ryoichi Ando, 27, a virtual-reality researcher and third year in a row in century twist-helping players feel “superhuman” an inventor of “Bubble Jumper”, said he felt as if he Energy sensation Stockton, Calif. — AP through technology or other special equipment. The were wearing the kind of augmented body suit Junpei Sasaki, a singer and “HADO” player, said: Superhuman Sports Society, a Tokyo-based group of found in science-fiction movies that boosts the wear- “Sometimes I can feel the sensation of the energy researchers and game designers, has certified 12 new er’s strength. In “Bubble Jumper”, players walking on ball leaving my hand when I play HADO. It makes 12-year-old wins 3rd straight sports since its launch in 2015, including “HADO”, or stilts and wearing inflatable bubble protectors crash playing the sport really exciting.” “wave motion” in English. into each other like sumo wrestlers. Up in the air In “HADO”, players in head-mounted augmented- Hirohiko Hayakawa, 26, a Ph.D. student in media California State Spelling Bee reality displays and armband sensors dodge waves of Tokyo drift design and an inventor of “ToriTori”, said: “The drone light as they fire energy balls at each other in a virtual “Technology can improve and supplement human in the air is a part of the player’s body and this sport ipsomaniac was the winning a ‘journey’ and now looks forward arena. The game is similar to the action seen in the ability,” said Isao Uebayashi, 38, a sports science integrating human and machine makes me experi- word for a 12-year-old girl to the Scripps National Spelling Bee “Dragon Ball” manga-animation franchise and “Street researcher and an inventor of “Slide Lift”. “Anyone can ence the feeling of flying.” Hayakawa said he was Dfrom Central California who near Washington, DC. She first com- Fighter” video games. Some games are low tech such do ‘drift racing’ with this wheelchair,” he said. inspired by the bird catchers (“tori tori” in Japanese) won the State Spelling Bee for the peted there last year after qualify- as “Rock Hand Battle”, in which each player wears an Equipped with special wheels, the motor-assisted in Kenji Miyazawa’s classic 1934 fantasy novel “Night third year in a row. Ananya Vinay, ing out of a Fresno County compe- oversized arm and tries to knock off small rocks wheelchair can be moved by “Slide Lift” racers in any on the Galactic Railroad”. who attends Fugman Elementary in tition. Ananya said she wants to do attached to an opponent’s “rock hand”. direction, including in racing car-like drifts. Clovis, told the Fresno Bee she’s no well in the Scripps competition, Noriya Kazami, 25, a cartoonist and an inventor of Taking the reins longer as nervous on stage as she aiming for the top 10 and eventual- “Rock Hand Battle” (above), said she took inspiration In another world Kosuke Sato, 25, a Ph.D. student in human infor- used to be because sheís improved ly a championship. For the record, from the legend of Mitsuishi (Three Rocks) and the Tomohiro Hamamura, 25, who works in IT sales matics and an inventor of “Carry Otto”, said he want- so much over the years. Vinay Merriam-Webster Dictionary Demon’s Handprint. She also created a comic book and is a “HADO Kart” player, said: “When I play this ed to create a sport anyone could enjoy regardless of clinched the victory Saturday at the defines the noun dipsomania as ìan series based on the legend, in which a devil was tied sport, I don’t need to think seriously.

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