LEONARD GRAY

PHOTO: QUEEN OF QUEENS Courtney Tatman beams as she accepts her crown last weekend. I’m absolutely thrilled!’ BATON ROUGE – LSU freshman Courtney Tatman of Destrehan reached the pinnacle of Louisiana pageantry last weekend with her ascension to the title of Queen of Queens at the annual gathering of the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals at the Radisson Hotel. Tatman, 18, the daughter of Larry and Ann Tatman, is a graduate of St. Charles Catholic High in LaPlace and is pursuing a mass communications degree with an eye on LSU Law School and a career as an attorney. According to her dad, this is the first Queen of Queen from St. Charles Parish in 30 years of competition. “I’m absolutely thrilled!” Tatman commented. She was named St. Charles Parish Festival’s first runner-up in August 2000, and the festival committee sponsored her as a contestant to the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival on Jan. 10. After winning that title, the Fur Festival sponsored Tatman to the Queen of Queens competition. “It worked out great! It was so much fun,” she said. Tatman not a stranger to pageant competitions, as she won the Louisiana American Co-Ed System title in 1998 and Miss Teen New Orleans in 2000. However, the Queen of Queens title entitles Tatman to attend the Washington Mardi Gras Ball next year. “I can’t wait!” she said. The Queen of Queens competition consisted of an interview and evening gown review. Then, the top 12 finalists competed in an on-stage evening gown competition and had to answer an on-stage question. Tatman was asked her opinion of teachers going on strike. Her response was that teachers should strike only if it will benefit children in doing so. Any other reason would only hurt the education of those same children. “I don’t have time to relax,” she said. “I live in my car, going to pageants and promoting fur and wildlife and, now, Louisiana. I enjoy staying busy.”