February 23, 2005
Four Purdue students chosen as 500 Festival princesses
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Four Purdue University students recently were selected as 500 Festival princesses for the 89th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.
Those Purdue students selected as princesses include Jennifer Baker, a junior majoring in elementary education from Huntington, Ind.; Annette Lamb, a junior majoring in elementary education from Milford, Ind.; Courtney Oppman, a junior majoring in health sciences from Zionsville, Ind.; and Brittany Shields, a junior majoring in management from Greenwood, Ind.
The four Purdue representatives were among 33 individuals chosen as 500 Festival princesses for this year's race. A total of 193 women applied for the honor, which requires applicants to be Indiana residents between the ages of 19 and 23 and full-time undergraduate students with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
Among the tasks that Purdue's four representatives will undertake as 500 Festival princesses are public relations and volunteer duties related to the annual 500 Festival, which takes place throughout the month of May, as well as involvement with statewide outreach programs.
Chosen on the basis of communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement, 500 Festival princesses also take part in the Indianapolis 500 Victory Circle celebration.
One of the princesses will be crowned as 500 Festival Queen for 2005 during the Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Mayor's Breakfast on May 21 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship.
The 500 Festival was created in 1957 to organize civic events in celebration of the annual Indianapolis 500. Each year more than 400,000 individuals participate in 500 Festival events. More information is available online.
The 2005 Indianapolis 500 will take place May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Writer: Aaron Martin, (765) 496-3133, martinac@purdue.edu
Source: Melissa Mann, 500 Festival media relations, (317) 614-6141, mmann@500festival.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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