By Betsy Garbacz
J Alumni News staff
When I was first selected as Nebraska’s 2002 Cherry Blossom Princess, I didn’t know what to expect. Little did I know that whenever I would turn around, not only would there would be flashing cameras and autograph seekers but also invaluable experiences and friendships I would take with me for the rest of my life.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is held every spring in Washington, D.C., when the cherry trees bloom. The trees were a gift from Japan in 1912, and the festival celebrates this friendly gesture and the close relations the two countries enjoy. It brings thousands of tourists from across the United States and Japan to see the beautiful blossoms and participate in the festivities.
Each state society and Washington, D.C., chooses a young woman to represent her state as its Cherry Blossom Princess during the festival. The princesses perform a variety of public relations and diplomatic duties during the week, which contribute to the educational and goodwill mission of the festival. This year 53 American princesses represented the 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam; 13 international princesses were also part of the festival.
I heard that the Nebraska Society was taking applications for its princess, and I thought it sounded like an interesting opportunity. I was in the midst of my sophomore year at the University of Nebraska, where I am double majoring in advertising and political science. Since my interests in these areas fit perfectly with the purpose and opportunities of the festival, I was convinced it was a good decision to participate in the festival. I noticed that there were numerous sushi receptions, and since I am a fan of sushi, that appealed to me as well.
I applied, and when I was notified of my selection, I was excited but quite oblivious to what the festival would be like. Before the festival, I hesitated to tell people I was a princess; instead, I called myself the “representative from Nebraska.” I didn’t fully understand why we were known as princesses and didn’t expect others to, either.
The clothing requirements for the week were strict. We couldn’t wear black, brown or navy blue, and we needed to wear skirt suits, pant suits and dresses for specific occasions. Each of us wore a pink sash with our state’s name on it, and there were specific rules about how we should present ourselves while wearing the sash. It really was a formal event, so it was necessary that we present ourselves with elegance and professionalism. The festival organizers also deemed it necessary for police escorts to be with us wherever we went. There were no complaints from the princesses on this note. After all, why should red lights and traffic delay 66 princesses on their way to have lunch at the Canadian Embassy?
It was an unbelievable week with seven days packed full of events. We talked with many female professionals in top positions in Washington, including women in the Bush administration; washingtonpost.com; National Geographic; and NASA. The women spoke to us about reaching our goals, about how to be a successful woman in the business world and about how to balance our personal lives and careers. All of us soon became aware of the reason this festival and princess program has such a good reputation.
We also visited the new Women in Military Service Memorial where we had the opportunity to listen to an officer who had been in the Pentagon on Sept. 11 describe his experience as “an earthly hell;” when the plane crashed into the building, he suffered burns over 70 percent of his body.
Events included a visit with Chief Justice William Rehnquist, tree-planting ceremonies, unveiling of new state stamps, visiting children with developmental disabilities at the Kennedy Institute and attending an elegant reception at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence. The reception was in our honor, and we were able to taste some fabulous food from Japan. Each of us was given a beautiful beaded purse from Japan as well. This was one of the many occasions where we were educated in the Japanese culture and introduced to the kindness and generosity of the Japanese people.
One of my highlights of the week was the Congressional Reception. Each princess needed an escort, preferably a congressional representative. Nebraska’s U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson was my escort for the evening. I was an intern in Sen. Nelson’s office during the summer of 2001, so I was very honored that he came to be my escort that night. He was also the only Senator who attended the reception, so I was able to show off my Nebraska pride even more.
The grand ball was at the end of the week, and the princesses were required to wear white, floor-length gowns with long white gloves. Each of us was escorted by a midshipman from the United States Naval Academy, and hundreds of other guests also attended. During the ball, the 2002 Cherry Blossom Queen was selected by the random spin of a wheel. That method of selection made the week much more relaxing and non-competitive.
The Cherry Blossom Parade marked the final day of the festival. Midshipmen from the Naval Academy carried our state flags, and it was an amazing experience to walk down Constitution Avenue as the featured guests of the parade. Most of the escorts were very nice, and I was lucky that both of my escorts were great and willing to tolerate the many duties of a princess’s escort. However, I don’t think it was too much of a burden for these young men to accompany a princess.
All the princesses had a lot in common, and it really was an incredible group of young women. We became friends quickly and had a lot of fun together the whole week. I was surprised at how the public received us. Everywhere we went we were treated like royalty, and everyone thought we were celebrities. There was a professional photographer following us wherever we went, but along with him there were usually media representatives as well. Whether it was the professionals or tourists, we became used to the constant flashing cameras. We also signed a lot of autographs, which came as a shock to most of us.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I took this opportunity, but now I can’t imagine how I could have passed it up. It was a beautiful week and I met so many wonderful people. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and now I can say that I am honored to be the 2002 Nebraska Cherry Blossom Princess.