The SIUC Salukis celebrated a narrow win on Saturday, but they were not the only ones who tasted victory.

Lesley Batson, a junior in marketing, and Emmett Vaughn, a second year graduate student in health education and recreation, were crowned homecoming queen and king at half time during Saturday’s Homecoming game.

Homecoming kings and queens are selected based on the results of a popular election and panel interviews with various University staff representivites.

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It was a long campaign, and it’s finally over, Batson said.

After spending the day with various alumni and past homecoming queens, the candidates rode out onto the football game in convertibles. The alumni traveled behind the procession in a trolley. The candidates lined up on the field and waited for the announcement of the winners.

Vaughn said he was shocked the first time he heard his name announced as king.

When you win anything, shock is a regular human feeling, he said. I was overwhelmed. Being crowned king is such an honor, he said. You feel good because you represent all the people that have supported you during the campaign.

Batson said she was elated when she was named 1995 Homecoming queen.

I felt good, she said. I was confident. You have to be for yourself.

Batson said she will have to attend various functions throughout the year, mostly alumni gatherings and luncheons, as a result of her victory.

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We are the voice of the campus and students, she said. We keep the alumni updated on activites throughout the year.

Vaughn said there was a general good feeling among the various candidates.

Everyone wanted the best candidate to win, he said. There was not a feeling of rivalry at all.

Batson was sponsored by the Zeta Phi Beta soriety. She is also on the SIUC track team, the Black Affairs Council, Blacks in Bussiness and is a business college tutor.

Vaughn was sponsored by the Black Graduate Student Association. He is also associated with the Black Student Council, Black Togetherness Organization, NAACP, Upward Bound, the University Martial Arts Club and Alpha Phi Omega.

Other candidates were Matt Gregory, Mike Hennessy, Tiffany Barrett, Christie Breen, Wendy Maroscia, and Nicole Moore.