Collegiate Times

Groups for 16 homecoming candidates are calling out for votes on the Drillfield and distributing T-shirts, banners and a-frames on campus, making it is impossible to avoid the campaigns.

“Homecoming is a time when the whole campus can get together and celebrate the decades of tradition,” said William Kelly, Delta Tau Delta’s nominee for king.

“Every year, we get to select one man and one woman to represent everything that is being a Hokie and being a student here,” Kelly said.

Students on campus have mixed opinions about the event, but the candidates are adamant about upholding the tradition.

“I really want to portray homecoming right,” said Libby Rettew, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s candidate for queen. 

Rettew said the roles of homecoming king and queen extend beyond the week’s celebrations.

“It’s not a popularity contest,” Rettew said. “Everyone is qualified to be an ambassador to the university.”

One king candidate said the “ambassador” role is often overlooked.

“A lot of people think you’re just voting for someone that’s gonna wear the crown and then be done with it,” said Price Wootton, king candidate for Delta Sigma Phi. “You’re actually voting for the ambassador of Virginia Tech for the rest of the academic year.”

Homecoming events are scattered throughout the week, featuring live music, a comedy show and a hypnotist.

The homecoming king and queen participate in events throughout the year, starting the day after they are crowned, when they will be kicking off a race sponsored by the University Bookstore. 

Rettew, Kelly and Wooton all said they wanted to focus on expanding the role of the position and remain active after the homecoming festivities end.

“We involve the entire campus,” said Michelle Davis, the reigning homecoming queen and a marketing major.

Davis has participated in many events since she was crowned queen last year and continues to recruit for the school while working for the admission’s office.

The campaign itself is also a learning experience for the candidates.

“It was a great opportunity to practice my major,” Davis said. “I created my brand and marketed myself.”

The candidates, who are referred to as the homecoming court, have met to decide on policies, rules and a budget for the election.

Each candidate is required to design a website for their campaign with a photo, slogan and campaign info.

They must do all campaigning within the budget they set for themselves, and most of the rules deal with getting permission to do things and keeping campaigns respectful.

Each candidate rallied a group of supporters to campaign on the Drillfield, despite the alternating chilly wind and hot sun.

“I’m volunteering because I think Nathan Lavinka (the GERMAN Club’s candidate) embodies what Virginia Tech stands for,” said Luke Wells, a volunteer on the Drillfield. “I feel that he deserves to be the face of Virginia Tech.”

Voting is open now at vthomecoming.org and continues through Thursday night.

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 13 issue of the Collegiate Times.