The green-eyed brunette had scored high in the swimsuit competition. She had received repeated ovations during her talent program, a ballet set to the religious pop anthem Via Dolorosa. But it was during the beauty contest's final, brief Q&A; that Miss Alabama, 21, performed her most moving feat. She answered a question. Her voice was a bit fluty and her consonants soft, but the college junior clearly understood Regis Philbin's query about self- realization; and her reply, a paean to belief in oneself, was obviously deeply felt. Minutes later, when Heather Whitestone, who is deaf in one ear and has only...
Beyond the Sound Barrier
Deaf Americans are proud that one of their own is Miss America. But can her example apply to them?
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