by Dot Cannon

The crown sat waiting.

In approximately one hour, Pasadena’s 101st Rose Queen® would wear it–and a new chapter of Rose Parade® history would begin.

It was Tuesday evening, October 23rd.  And at the Pasadena Playhouse, guests, families, former Royal Court members and White Suiters gathered.  The Tournament of Roses® was hosting the Announcement and Coronation of the 101st Rose Queen®.

In the outdoor plaza, a Pasadena City College jazz quartet played.

A flower-filled saxophone, plus musical notes and clefts, near the refreshment table, celebrated the 2019 parade theme, “The Melody of Life”.

White Suiter Sylvia Ramos said the day had already been an exciting one.  2018 marks her first year on the Queen and Court Committee.  (And her ninth year as a White Suiter!)

Sylvia said that, this year,  she’s serving as captain for makeup and hair.  That day, she had taken the Royal Court members to have their hair styled.   Queen and Court Committee, she added,  was a husband-and-wife commitment.

“My husband’s inside (the theatre).”

The excitement was building as guests were invited to take their seats.

The show begins

Onto the stage strode the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, KTLA 5 Morning News co-anchor Chris Schauble.

Chris was showing off some World Series spirit.

“I went to Dodger Stadium and it was dark and lonely, but then I remembered it was an away game,” he said.

He also updated the audience on the score and inning.  (Alas, his team spirit didn’t seem to affect the Game One outcome.  The Dodgers lost.)

But more serious business was at hand.

Chris introduced 2019 Tournament of Roses® President Gerald Freeny.   (“We were in the same fraternity, just not the same years”.)

Welcoming the audience, President Freeny referenced the parade theme he’d chosen.

(“Music is a universal language, that transcends boundaries,”) he commented.

After President Freeny left the stage, Chris acknowledged the evening’s sponsors, and introduced Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Danny Feldman, who offered a sneak peek at next year’s Pasadena Playhouse selection.

“We’ll be doing ‘Ragtime’ (in 2019),” he said.

A chat with the Rose Princesses

And then, the time had come to meet the Royal Court.

Each of the seven Rose Princesses came in, escorted by members of Blair High School JROTC.

Chris asked each, in turn, several questions.   (And we had no idea, listening to the answers, how anyone could possibly choose one Rose Queen from these seven amazing young women!)

Princess Helen Susan Rossi, diagnosed with arthritis as a child, is active with the Arthritis Foundation and is a 2018 Youth Honoree.

Remembering her days as a camp counselor, teaching young campers to play the recorder, she referenced the “noise” the instruments made at first.  (“But then everyone learned to play together in harmony.”)

Princess Ashley Symone Hackett loves to sing and is a youth leader at her church.

Her many community activities include serving as a dance trainer with Los Angeles County Tiny Tots.

Among Princess Rucha S. Kadam’s accomplishments: serving as Hackademia Director at her school, La Canada High School.  (She’s also a member of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Space Academy, and an LCUSD Technology and Computer Science intern.)

Princess Louise Deser Siskel is currently researching breast cancer at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.  She’s also planning to continue as a research intern in space biology, at NASA Ames Research Center.

Asked about the board games she likes to play, Princess Louise said she enjoys Monopoly and Clue.

Seven candidates, one crown

Princess Lauren Michele Baydaline’s activities include serving as a volunteer in the Reading Rocks program, in Hillside.  She’s also the Founder and Head of Every Body Affinity.

Noting her interest in language studies, Chris asked her to say something in Latin.  She complied.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“Welcome to the Rose Parade®.”

Princess Sherry Xiaorui Ma is Editor-in Chief of her high school yearbook.  In addition, she is the President and Founder of the Make-a-Wish Club.

And, last but not least, Princess Micaela Sue McElrath is President of her twelfth-grade class.   Her extracurricular activities include serving as a teacher’s assistant in a fourth-grade classroom.

In keeping with the “Melody of Life” theme, Chris asked her about the classic music to which her father had introduced her.  Which groups,, and songs, were her favorites?

“I like the Beatles and Aerosmith,” she said, adding that she liked “Hey Jude” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”.

At the end of each young woman’s short interview, she acknowledged family members present at the Pasadena Playhouse her that evening.

And then…the moment arrived.

The announcement

Chris commented that any one of these seven confident and talented young women could easily have been the Rose Queen®.

“But, there can only be one Rose Queen®,” he said.  “And I don’t have the envelope.”

President Freeny returned to the stage.

“I don’t have it either,” he said, summoning 2019 Queen and Court Committee chair Craig Washington onstage.

(He had the envelope.)

“Would you take a step forward, please,” President Freeny requested, of the 2019 Royal Court.

Which one would it be?

“The 2019 Rose Queen is…

…from Sequoyah High School, Louise Deser Siskel!”

The Blair High School JROTC escorts returned to the stage.  The new Rose Queen® and her court left, to prepare for the coronation.

Heritage, tradition–and a sparkling show

Next, Chris had all the former Rose Queens and Royal Court members in the audience raise their hands.   There were quite a few!

He also welcomed three members of the 2018 Royal Court onstage.  They included 2018 Rose Queen Isabella Marie Marez.  Queen Isabella  had flown down from Washington, where she now attends college, especially for the coronation.

Then, in keeping with the “Melody of Life” theme, Fullspectrumusic‘s “Ambiance” performed.

Their performance started off with a masterful violin solo.

A soulful vocal followed.

And the final vocalist offered an R and B interpretation of “The Impossible Dream” that had the audience cheering.

And–the crown

The group bowed.  The audience cheered.

And the Queen and her Court were ready for the coronation.

The Royal Court members returned to the stage.  Each Rose Princess was escorted by her father.

When all six were in place, their new Queen joined them.

President Freeny crowned, and  administered the Queen’s Oath to, Pasadena’s 101st Rose Queen®, Louise Deser Siskel.

And photographers hurried forward to photograph the 2019 Royal Court.

Asked about her unusual composure upon hearing her name announced, Queen Louise offered a down-to-earth explanation.

“I didn’t know it was me!”

A Rose Princess’s perspective

We also wanted to ask Rose Princess Lauren Michele Baydaline about that Latin!

“I’m taking it (since my freshman year) and I just love it so much,” she said.

Princess Lauren explained that her school, Westridge, had offered high-school students a choice of  three different languages.

“They have Mandarin, Spanish and Latin,” she said  “And I was thinking, oh my gosh, I think Latin would be so cool, because I was always interested in the medical field.  I love French and Italian, and Latin is just really the foundation for that.

“So I was thinking, why not?”

Princess Lauren said the evening had been “an amazing experience”.

“It’s been so helpful to go up (and) speak in front of a crowd.  To say Latin in front of a crowd…they probably had no idea what I was saying.  But it was really, really cool, and I’m so proud of Louise, and she totally deserves this.”

The day, Princess Lauren said, proved the Royal Court’s strength together, as friends and as a team.

“I think we kept it pretty light.  We were making jokes, and getting our hair (and makeup) done.  We kept it pretty calm, ” she commented.

“I don’t think we were too tense about it.  It was all very, very fluid and we were all really, really happy.”

Recently, the 2019 Royal Court spent a weekend in Solvang.

“We got the chance to go around the city and ‘rose’ people, which means you give people the (embroidered rose) stickers,” Princess Lauren said.

“And little girls especially, it was just such an amazing experience, because they looked up to us like real princesses.”

And–a former Rose Queen®’s wisdom

We also asked 2018 Rose Queen® Isabella Marie Marez what guidance she might give the new Rose Queen®.

“I would definitely tell her, the key to being a good Queen…is communication.  (The Royal Court are) about to be thrown into this new experience, something they’ve never done before.

“And I think, talking to each other, (through problems and conflict) will really help them succeed.  And, just talking about their lives and bonding.”

Asked about her own 2018 experience, Queen Isabella said, “January first was definitely a magical day.

“They’re in for a day of running around, changing, fitting, sleeping, eating, all of the above, on that day.  And it’s so magical…every second of that day.

“It’s going to seem long, it’s going to seem never-ending, but when it’s over, you’ll be like, ‘I just did that?’

“It’s going to feel great, and I can’t wait…to see (the 2019 Rose Queen® and Royal Court) on the parade route.”

(Look for 101st Rose Queen® Louise Deser Siskel and her Royal Court in the 130th Rose Parade®, which starts at 8:00 am PST on January 1, 2019.)