Dowagiac Union High School seniors Erin Corey, left, and Amanda Hassle, middle, take applications from Miss Dowagiac Pageant co-director Courtney Livingston, right, after school Monday afternoon. Sign-ups began Monday and will last through Oct. 15. Leader photo/ALY GIBSON

Sign-ups for the 74th annual Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant kicked off Monday afternoon as girls filed in to pick up applications.

Co-directors Courtney Livingston, Miss Dowagiac 2005, and Gabbi Dorman, Miss Dowagiac 2011, have taken the reigns and began handing out applications to girls who meet the requirements to participate. According to Livingston, girls who apply must be 17 by the cut-off date of Jan. 1. Other requirements include being a resident of Dowagiac, living within the Dowagiac Union School District and either be attending Dowagiac Union Schools, another school through school of choice, or be home schooled at the high school level. Applicants must also have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in their semester prior to the application, which pageant officials verify with the school.

“We want equal opportunity to be available for everyone interested in the pageant,” Livingston said Monday. “If they can’t attend sign-ups, they have until the 15th to get their application turned in.

Applications can be found in the Dowagiac Union High School main office. Livingston also said that, after the applications have been reviewed, a social will take place Nov. 5 at Wolverine Mutual Insurance in Dowagiac. That time will be designated for applicants to get their headshots taken and for parents to ask questions.

“Each girl will be in the same shirt with their hair down and these photos are given to the judges with all the contestant’s information, like her bio,” Livingston said.

Currently, the pageant is scheduled for Feb. 9.

For more information on the pageant or how to apply, contact Livingston at courtneylivingston3@yahoo.com or (269) 591-0150.