The Homecoming Court goes beyond the glossy sashes, outpouring of tears, and school popularity contests seen on TV.
At FAU, the king and queen must meet certain academic standards, have leadership experience and be generally involved to receive the school-wide recognition and $500 reward.
For starters, Court hopefuls must submit an application, a letter of recommendation, a resume and an essay.
They must have also completed 60 credit hours with a 2.8 GPA or higher.
Once they’ve met these criteria, they can be considered for their first interview with a selection committee made up of three students, two faculty members and two staff members. The committee then selects five men and five women as candidates for the Homecoming Court.
“Over the course of the last few years, it’s become more of a prestigious honor,” said Alicia Keating, associate director for Student Involvement and Leadership. “It’s a valid reward for hard work, by being involved on campus and doing well academically. ”
The Court goes through a second interview with a new committee, who rates each candidate and votes on who it thinks should be crowned. This vote counts for 40 percent of the final decision, while students’ votes count for 60 percent. In previous years, these percentages were reversed. But this year, Keating said, they wanted to make students’ votes worth more.
This year’s Court was announced at the Homecoming Pool Party on Sunday, Oct. 30, at the Recreation and Fitness Center.
This year’s winners will not only receive the school’s admiration and a $500 award. They will also be the first crowned in the new stadium during halftime of the Homecoming game against Arkansas State University on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Ricky Barrett, the most recent Homecoming king, earned the title by demonstrating academic hard work and an ambitious, innovative drive. Founder of Delta Tau Delta and the rock climbing club at FAU and a singer/songwriter, Barrett was the kind of student FAU is looking to crown.
“I was definitely honored,” said the now-grad student studying biological research. “It’s nice to know you’re respected, and it’s a good gauge to know I’m keeping my life in balance.”
The Homecoming Court tradition has been around for more than a century, but it stands today as a symbolic way of showing off a school’s star students.
