The senior class elects fellow students to be candidates for homecoming royalty each year. This year seven candidates boy candidates and seven girl candidates were chosen instead of the usual five.

The candidates felt honored to have been selected.

“I’m extremely honored to represent my class in this special event with such an incredible group of candidates,” senior Jodi Veach said.

Senior Cooper Flores is glad to have been picked out of everyone.

“The people who nominated me could have picked anyone else,” Flores said. “They decided to choose me though.”

Receiving the nomination was a surprise for some candidates.

“I didn’t think I was going to get nominated, so when I heard my name I was sort of in shock,” senior Hannah Thomasson said.

Thomasson considers homecoming candidates to be the kindest people in the school.

“The fact that my class thinks of me that way is a really great feeling,” Thomasson said.

Candidates get to partake in a wide variety of festivities from now until homecoming.

“There’s a lot we have to do,” senior Brianna Brin said. “We each do a candidate video, hand in pictures and answers to a few questions for the display case, and we go take pictures of all the candidates and individual pairs somewhere in the community. We participate in the candidate games on the Monday of homecoming week, practice at Lewis Field on that Tuesday, watch the interview videos on Wednesday, attend the bonfire on Thursday.

“Friday is when the real fun begins. Candidates are dismissed from class on Friday so we can get all done up for the formal assembly. Our parents have to be there to ‘walk us down the aisle’ where they present the candidates and talk about all that we are involved in and our future plans. After that, the candidates all go eat together and then go to the parade. After the parade we are dropped off at Lewis Field to wait until half time to await the verdict on who won. The next day, we are expected to attend the dance.”

Brin said she is most excited for the homecoming parade.

“Ever since I was little I’ve watched the girls in pretty dresses riding in flashy convertibles, and they always look so happy,” Brin said. “It’s exciting to think that will be me.”