Technically, she's Miss District of Columbia USA and left the state of Florida to an Orlando Magic dancer.
But
University of Miami student MacKenzie Green is still a 305'er these days, so we're totally claiming her as she competes in the
Miss USA pageant tonight on -- oh, look at us! -- NBC.
The 21-year-old beauty has to be one of the most accomplished Hurricanes around. She's earned a double major in sports administration and broadcast journalism, all while holding down Miss DC
USA and UM Alumni Ambassador duties, running UMTV, working as the station's sports anchor, and a whole glut of volunteer work.
Kinda tops our beer pong title and "D means diploma" mantra.
Even in Las Vegas, it's all about The U for...
Donald Trump On Racy Miss USA Photos: "They're Artsy"
We caught up with Green between rehearsals in
Las Vegas, and might just be the only media outlet willing to forego that whole world peace question to get a pageant contestant's thoughts on
Randy Shannon.
We're in Vegas, which isn't all that bad. How's the Miss USA experience been for you so far?
It's been pretty incredible. This is basically my second pageant ever; my first was when I won my state title. It's an incredible feeling to see and watch things that I used to watch as a little girl and dream about.
You're an aspiring sports reporter from The U. So even while busy at Miss USA, you've no doubt heard the news about Randy Shannon's contract extension. All in favor?
I'm for Coach Shannon coming back. I think he adds a level of discipline and maturity to the team that was kind of lacking for a little bit. With such a young team, you need a father figure, because so many of those players don't have a father figure or don't have a strong male around. He's somebody who can really encourage them and that I hope that they look up to, that they're willing to respect and keep moving forward.
There's a history of barrier-breaking in your family. Your father is one of the Little Rock Nine, and you're the first African-American and first woman to become station manager in UMTV's 29-year history. What barrier would you like to see go down next?
I'd like to see the glass ceiling finally break;. I want a woman in the White House! I love President Obama and I'm so proud, as a minority, to see another black person standing in that place.
But I'd love to see a woman there, in particular I'd love to see a black woman there one day. It's such a hard thing in America being a woman; when you look at the class system throughout American history it was men first, then women, then minority men, then minority women. To see a black woman, a Hispanic woman, an Asian woman -- just to see any woman up there -- would be amazing.
You're a strict vegan, so let's talk food. Miami's known for its cuisine, but it must be a bit harder for you. Do you have any secret spots?
I love, love, love, love, love, love
Lifefood Gourmet. It is an amazing place. It's all raw vegan, and it's right off of Calle Ocho. I love the raw vegan pizza. You never feel bad when all you're eating is nuts, grains, avocado and diced tomatoes.
It's my primo go-to place.
Miami's obviously pretty different from D.C. What do you appreciate about it after having lived here four years?
Miami has the same feeling as D.C., it feels like a small big city. It's not L.A., where you feel like you're driving 80 miles to get anywhere, it's not New York where you feel like you're crammed with people and it's loud. It's clean, and it's nice, and it's got its own flavor. It's this multicultural mix where you feel like you're in a different universe that not everybody can come in to.
I just love the Latin rhythm and the flavor. You know, I'm all D.C., but I got a little of that Miami rhythm in me.
What was the hardest thing about juggling your double major, your senior year, and your duties as Miss D.C. USA?
A lot of my teachers didn't really seem to understand what I was doing and how big of a deal it is. It wasn't until recently that it hit one of my professors that 12.5 million people watch the show, that I hadn't left to become Miss Corn Cob County -- that I was actually leaving to compete in a really huge beauty pageant. The hardest thing was just getting everybody to respect that each job was important: being a student, being a pageant girl, being a reporter. Each deserves its own time and focus.
The Miss USA Pageant will get underway live from Las Vegas tonight at 7 on NBC. You can check out the rest of the contestants at MissUSA.com. First Published: May 16, 2010 4:18 AM EDT
