Being named Homecoming Royalty means more than just a “popularity contest” said Amy Mink, the committee chair for Homecoming Royalty.
“There is a much longer process of choosing royalty at the collegiate level,” Mink said. “While any senior can be nominated, in order to get an interview and continue on into the voting portion, it is much more about their involvement at the University and how they represent our school rather than just a ‘popularity contest,’ which is how it might be viewed in most high schools.”
This year’s top eight candidates for queen are Danica Davis (Kappa Alpha Theta), Kirsten Forster (Kappa Alpha Theta), Hunter Funk (Kappa Kappa Gamma), Lindsey Heflin (Kappa Alpha Theta), Sarah Mosman (Gamma Phi Beta), Nicole Pratt (Gamma Phi Beta), Kendelle Puga (Alpha Gamma Delta), and Bailey Storms (Pi Beta Phi).
This year’s top eight candidates for king are Eric Anderson (Lambda Chi Alpha), Eddie Celis (Lambda Theta Phi), Cody Flynn (Phi Delta Theta), Alex Gibson (Sigma Nu), Travis Goerhing (Sigma Chi), Bret Kindall (Alpha Gamma Rho), Cole Lickley (Alpha Gamma Rho), and Dustin Winston (Alpha Gamma Rho).
The first step of the process involves nominations for homecoming royalty candidates, Mink said.
“We take the pool of seniors and have them send in a short biography of themselves,” she said. “Those biographies are reviewed and scored by a panel of judges, and that is how we narrow it down to 24 total nominees.”
The pool of 24 were then narrowed down by a panel of judges who choose the top 16. These 16 are up for a campus-wide vote. At the end, the male and female with the most votes win and are crowned homecoming king and queen.
“Homecoming royalty is an awesome way for us to recognize seniors at the University of Idaho who exemplify what it means to be a Vandal,” Mink said. “Those who are nominated are often involved in many ways on campus and in the community and have shown Vandal pride throughout their four years at the University, and royalty is a great way to recognize them and their hard work.”
Voting for homecoming royalty opened on Tuesday and will close Friday morning. Students can vote here.
Brianna Finnegan can be reached at [email protected]