DE Campus Life Editor 17

Instead of the traditional crowning of the Homecoming king and queen at the big game, this year’s Homecoming candidates will be presented Friday night at the bonfire and pep rally.

Tina Cofink, the director of Homecoming activities, said the original reason for the change in days was because this year, the SIUC family of the year was to be named the same day.

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We were only being allowed to have enough time to do one, and most families won’t be here on Friday night, so we decided to crown the king and queen the night before, said Cofink, a senior in radio and television from Villa Park. But nobody applied for the family of the day, so we will crown (the royalty) at the bonfire and still recognize them at the game. It’s a chance to be honored twice.

Cofink said the crowning day is not the only difference in this year’s king and queen competition.

We wanted to increase participation this year, so we changed it so you didn’t have to be sponsored by a Registered Student Organization, she said. And instead of preliminary voting, we had a distinguished panel of judges to interview all of the candidates, and the ones with the highest scores went into the court.

The panel of judges included faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Although Cofink said the new process was a good idea, Robyn Obert, a junior in biochemistry from Quincy and a member of the court, said the judging made her nervous.

Obert said she is glad the winners will be crowned the night before the game so her nerves will be calmed.

I’d almost rather know before the game, she said. It will be better that way so I don’t have to be anxious for an extra day.

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Obert decided to run because of encouragement from her Delta Zeta sorority sisters.

A lot of people from Delta Zeta thought it would be a good idea, and I just love SIUC, and I think I would represent it well during Homecoming, she said.

Obert said her involvement as a student life adviser this summer also encouraged her to compete as Homecoming queen.

Being an SLA made me really want to be queen, she said. I got to meet a ton of people and learned a lot more about the University.

Jane Starkweather, a junior in English from Carbondale, entered the competition because she thought it would be fun to represent the student body.

I believe I am a very good role model, she said. I am from Carbondale, and I’ve lived here all my life, so I think I have a great sense of tradition.

Starkweather said that if she wins, she does not want to take the title lightly.

I’d like to plan some community service projects and make appearances at SIUC functions, she said. I just want to represent the student body positively as a whole.

Obert said Homecoming is one of the most enjoyable times of the year.

I’m excited, she said. Hopefully, I think everybody will recognize me if I win.

These are the 10 candidates for king and queen:Shannon Biby, a junior in journalism from Rockford; Casey Faye Mills, an undecided freshman from Murphysboro; Sara Ann Walz, a senior in psychology from Naperville; Michael Beam, a graduate student in art from DeSoto; Tony Blood, from Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity; Donald Gibbs, a senior in management from Princeville; Scott Knudsen, a senior in administration of justice from Plymouth; Nader Zane Rabie, a senior in physiology from Carbondale; Robyn Obert, a junior in biochemistry from Quincy; and Jane Starkweather, a junior in English from Carbondale.