UNC Freshman Makes Stuff Magazine's Finalist List

People can vote for their choice on the magazine's Web site, http://www.stuffmagazine.com.

Each month, the magazine features a different contestant that readers can vote for. The winner will receive a $4,999 scholarship.

Wingler said she sent her pictures to the magazine last January. She was the featured contestant for April.

"I read about the contest in the magazine," Wingler said. "The main reason I entered was for the money. I couldn't afford to go to (UNC) if I didn't because the tuition seems to be hiked up every other week."

But Wingler said she does not think she is like the typical girls who enter these contests. "I really don't look that good physically," she said with a laugh. "Those were just really good pictures."

Wingler added that she doubts her parents would approve of her participation in the contest. "My father is a Southern Baptist deacon and my mom is a Sunday school teacher, so we tried to keep (the contest) quiet," she said. "I think my mother knows, but she hasn't seen the pictures."

Wingler said she has an advantage over the other finalists because of her intelligence. She said she was valedictorian of her high school, and made a perfect score on the verbal portion of the SAT.

"The rest of the girls are 24-year-old, community college students," she said.

But Wingler said the competition is tough. "They're all tan, with big, fake breasts," she said. "There's not a whole lot I can do to compete with these girls. Maybe if there was a SAT competition, I could win."

Wingler said she thinks her chances of winning would increase if she had more support from her fellow students. "(My odds) would be a lot better if Carolina students voted," she said.

She also described her strategy for getting votes from UNC students.

"I sent out an e-mail to the president of every fraternity," she said. "A lot of people are in fraternities, and I thought that would be a good place to start."

Wingler had friends vote for her online as well.

UNC Freshman Brandon Walker, who has known Wingler since high school, said he voted for her.

"I thought her pictures were the best," he said. "She is very intelligent, and she has a great personality, but guys probably won't vote for anything other than her looks."

Walker said he thinks the contest is a good place for Wingler to get money. "It seems like a good idea," he said. "It's a good way to get girls to send their pictures in and a good way to get money."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.