Big changes are coming to the Miss America pageant.
Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson announced Tuesday morning they will no longer include the swimsuit competition, and instead of the evening gown portion, contestants can choose whatever makes them feel confident.
She also said it will now be called a competition instead of a pageant, and rebranded as Miss America 2.0.
"I feel like this is absolutely a step in the right direction,” said Pratyusha Pilla, the reigning Miss Austin.
She said these changes were needed.
“The swimsuit portion has honestly become obsolete in terms of the role Miss America has evolved into,” said Pilla.
While she’s glad the evening gown portion allows for more personality, she does feel the overall essence should remain.
"It's not necessarily how you look, but what you do to present yourself,” said Pilla.
Pilla is in medical school and, using her title, is working to rebrand the stigma around mental health.
“The legacy I want to leave on this world is 'Dr. Pilla,'” said Pilla.
She feels it’s a rebrand that could be similar to the Miss America competition changes.
"We all chose to do this, we consented to do this, and to a lot of people the swimsuit portion was extremely empowering, but as a medical student I can tell you, a lay person can't judge a woman's health by looking at them,” said Pilla.
Pilla said she’s glad to see Carlson, a former Miss America winner, running the organization.
“We are the faces of this organization, we are the organization and now we’re owning the organization,” said Pilla.
"Ultimately my love for this organization has grown because it's just shown me that we really do have a lot of women who want nothing more than to just continue empowering women,” said Alex Andrews, the current Miss Travis County. “I think the intention behind it all and the direction that the new board is going really is a positive for the organization.”
Andrews will compete in the Miss Texas pageant this June, where they will still keep the swimsuit competition.
“Kind of mentally preparing I guess, 'If you’re crowned, this is how it’s going to go right after,'” said Andrews.
But she said the swimsuit portion isn’t what she most prepares for.
“The biggest portion of competition for all of us is interview, so a big part of preparing for competition is keeping up with current events, doing mock interviews and getting used to speaking. A lot of go us on appearances and speak,” said Andrews. “That’s a big portion of getting ready for competition because that’s a big portion of your job afterwards.”
But Andrews said she’s heard some mixed reviews on these new changes.
"I'm not sure how it's going to go in seeing my own social media and the reaction to it,” said Andrews.
“I could imagine sponsors pulling out or the viewership declining, but I personally think the sponsors might change. Rather than having the swimsuit sponsors, we might move on to maybe professional sponsors. If Ann Taylor were to sponsor the Miss America pageant, oh my goodness,” said Pilla.
Kenny Bramlett-Martin is the executive director of the Miss Austin Scholarship Organization.
“We knew Gretchen was going to make some major changes, (but) this is a big one,” said Bramlett-Martin.
After Tuesday's announcement, Bramlett-Martin said he will now push the local Miss Austin competition back from August to October.
“Hopefully it will open up some avenues to women who have never been able to compete before,” said Bramlett-Martin.
First, he wants to go to this year's Miss America 2.0 competition.
"I want to sit in the crowd, see how it happens and then be able to bring it back and put it into this year's pageant -- excuse me -- competition,” said Bramlett-Martin.
Bramlett-Martin told KVUE the evening gowns contestants wear can cost thousands and thousands of dollars.
“They can be really crazy expensive,” said Bramlett-Martin.
So while he said that could be a positive thing, he said he’ll miss the traditional gowns.
“The little girls, and even little boys, watch miss America to see the princess moment, so not being able to have that full princess moment I think is going to make some changes. But we’re about empowering women -- we’re about telling young women that they can do anything. And so if they’re in a pantsuit that’s more appropriate for an evening attire -- or if they’re in an evening gown, or whatever they think is more appropriate -- that empowers them in a way that I can’t teach,” said Bramlett-Martin.
Bramlett-Martin reflected on how the Miss America pageant started in the 1920s as a swimsuit competition in Atlantic City.
“That’s our history, that’s our core. But we live in a different world," said Bramlett-Martin.
Representatives for the Miss Texas pageant, which is scheduled for June 30, told KVUE it will go on as planned with the swimsuit portion.
Whoever wins that competition will go on to compete for the Miss America crown.
You can watch Miss America 2.0 this September on ABC.