Miss Universe 2014 pageant is turning into a hub for all the controversies. Just few days back, the Israel Lebanon selfie subject, mastered into a politics of bilateral relations. After a little sneaking around, we hear that Florida International University, that expected to get a boost to its status by hosting the Miss Universe pageant, is now facing some concern on financial levels. It has been heard that the whole idea of hosting the pageant is causing dispute among staff and students.
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The University had to pay an inflated amount of $540,000, for stadium roof work needed for lodging of cameras and lights. The University is also facing serious criticism from students and staff about the image, the pageant is reflecting. FIU administrators claim that the enhanced arena will create an uplifted setting of the venue, which will help them bring in more events in the future. FIU Professor, Susanne Zwingel, expressed her disappointment by writing to the President of the University, Mark Rosenberg. She wrote, “'Mr. President, female objectification is a dangerous part of American mainstream society. A university has a responsibility toward young men as well. It should help them unlearn the messages sent about women by society as a whole — that they are to be judged by their looks and that it is fine to treat them as objects for men's fantasies.” Zwingle, an expert in Women’s right and gender equality issue said that, FIU should stand up to the status quo. To which, Rosenberg replied by saying, “those who watched the pageant abroad would be curious enough to visit the university's website to learn more about it.”
To avoid all the criticism and back lashing, the University detached itself from the pageant. They removed the university logo from the pageant website and backed out of the sponsorship. However, the university will still receive a couple of “10 second mentions” during the telecast, where more than 100 media channels will cover the event.
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Organising a Miss Universe pageant in a college is odd, but this is not the first time, as the University of Hawaii hosted it in 1998 at a cost of $3.3 million. The FIU had incurred a loss of $20,000 already, due to cancelation of two previously booked events.
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