After selling buttons for the afternoon to raise money for Homecoming, more than 30 royalty candidates filled a section of bleachers in the Sports Pavilion on Friday night to show their support for the Gophers volleyball team.
Along the top row of the bleachers, the Homecoming Committee judged each candidate’s exuberance, which is one criteria to wear one of the crowns of royalty.
The committee will whittle the group of 50-60 students down through interviews and observations throughout the week. Those making the final cut will make up the royal court of six men and six women for Friday night’s crowning.
But it’s not just the button sales totals or the candidates’ student organization memberships that make the students worthy of a royalty position — it’s their spirit too. And this group had spirit; at least, it showed spirit.
Although royalty candidates traditionally represent student organizations, many of these students don’t belong to one. Many said they heard being a candidate for royalty was fun, so they did it.
“We’re not sure why there are so many candidates this year from more student organizations,” said Tina Rovick-Falkner, Homecoming staff adviser. “Many applications we received were from predominately freshman halls.”
The reason for this increase from different organizations is unknown, but Falkner said she is pleased with the results.
Middlebrook Hall is home to four Homecoming candidates this year, two freshmen and two sophomores.
Falkner said since many Homecoming competitions — such as the lip-sync — were opened up to all student organizations this year, participation is up.
Natalie Mann, a sophomore political science major from Middlebrook Hall, decided to run for royalty to get more involved in Homecoming. She is also the social chairwoman on the Middlebrook Hall Council and is helping build the Homecoming float for the hall: “Mystify Michigan State.” The Gophers football team plays the Spartans on Saturday.
The Homecoming event Mann is looking most forward to: “Lip-synching — definitely,” she said.
Evans Scholars Jim Reibestein and Laura Tanem said they enjoyed the hall decorating the candidates completed Thursday. The displays can be seen at Coffman Union, Willey Hall, Williamson Hall, Folwell Hall and Walter Library.