THE UNIVERSE OF THE DONALD

Donald Trump poses with Miss Universe winners and former finalists Flaviana Matata, Angela Martini, Rosanna Purcell, Susie Castillo, Shandi Finnessey, Amelia Vega, Dayanna Mendoza, Justine Pasek, Riyo Mori, Crystle Stewart, Zana Krasniqi, Marigona Dragusha, and Chloe Mortaud during a photoshoot in New York today. Many of these women have gone on successful modeling and entertainment careers. (Photos: Reuters)

THE RATINGS PROJECT (TRP) - MISS UNIVERSE 2002

The 51st annual Miss Universe Pageant, held nine years ago on Wednesday, May 29, in Puerto Rico, was the last one televised on US broadcast network CBS (in 2003, it moved to rival network NBC). How were the U.S. television ratings for the 2002 Miss Universe Pageant? As they say, the ratings were boffo! The pageant won all of its time slots (9:00pm, 9:30pm, 10:00pm, and 10:30pm ET) by a mile, even winning over the NBA Playoff, and ranked 7th overall for the week of May 27-June 2, 2002. 11.3 million viewers in the U.S. tuned into the show to see Russia and Panama duke it out.

The six shows that beat Miss Universe that week?

1. NBA Playoff Sunday (NBC);
2. CSI (CBS);
3. NBA Playoff Friday (NBC);
4. NBA Playoff Tuesday (NBC);
5. Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS);
6. Becker (CBS)
7. Miss Universe Pageant (CBS)

Rounding out the top ten that week were 60 Minutes (CBS), PrimeTime Thursday (ABC), and Friends (NBC).

FROM THE LAND OF THE GOLDEN FROG

The home of Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek, and the land of the golden frog now has new royalty. Last night, Sheldry Nazareth Saéz Bustavino, 19, won the title of Miss Universe Panama 2011, and Irene Nuñez, 23, won the title of Miss World Panama 2011.

For all of Beauty School's geography buffs, did you know that Panama has the largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere outside the Amazon Basin? This rainforest is home to an abundance of tropical plants, animals and birds - some of them to be found nowhere else in the world - including the national symbol of Panama, the golden frog.

MEET THE PRESS PART THREE

Mister Switzerland 2011 Luca Ruch

Mister Spain 2009 Guillermo Garcia

At the Miss World Fast Track - Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Norway, and Miss Northern Ireland

Miss Spain 2010 Paula Guilló and Miss Spain 2010 first runner-up Carla García

Miss Arab World 2010 Rim El Tounsi of Tunisia

Miss Croatia 1994 Branka Bebic

Miss World Argentina 2010 Mariana Arambarry

Miss Universe 2002 Justine Pasek of Panama

VOX POPULI - PART 3

Rounding out the Vox Populi's Top 15 are Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, Thailand, and Spain.

BRIDGE OF THE WORLD, HEART OF THE UNIVERSE

Of the beauty delegates from Central America, Panama's Carolina Dementiev is the clear favorite of Beauty School scholars, based on results from our most recent Quik Poll (she captured 49% of the Quik Poll vote). There is lots of buzz on her...will the heart of the universe capture the crown of the universe this year?

MOST RELIABLE

Today we reveal the latest Class Celebrity, in the category of "Most Reliable." We love the fact that the students at Beauty School are always thinking outside of the box. Their suggestions for this award were all over the place and very interesting. We don't have a runner-up ranking, per se, as the ultimate winner won by a landslide. But we think we should share some of the student body's suggestions: The accounting firm of Ernst & Young, because you could rely on them to deliver the verdict; Miss Universe 1970, Marisol Malaret, who was called upon to crown the next two Miss Universes, when Georgina Rizk was unable to attend the ceremony in 1973; Sylvia Hitchcock, Miss Universe of 1967, because you could rely on her to be in the audience at many, many future ceremonies long after her reign; and finally Maria Cristina de la Vega, the interpreter for the pageant from 1985 to 1999, whom one could rely on to do a great job of translating especially for the Spanish speaking finalists. Our winner for the title of Beauty School's "Most Reliable" is none other than the superb Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002.

She ascended to the throne in September 2002 when Oxana Fedorova was dethroned. The circumstances of her ascension are legend. She was flown to New York, under the guise that the pageant had wanted her in town for a photo shoot. She was whisked away in a limousine and during the trip into the city she was informed she was the new Miss Universe. That simple! Within a week she was officially crowned by the Donald and she was off on a wonderful year. She reigned with grace, never missed a beat, and truly was the most reliable to step in as she did. We salute you, Justine Pasek. You can read more about this beautiful lady at
www.vivapanama.org/JustinePasek.htm