STUDENTS TAKE PART IN HOMECOMING TRADITION

10/23/2013

To even the most ardent lover of medieval history, the harsh reality that the days of a lively royal court have come to an end has long been accepted and recognized.

The one exception to this seemingly bygone era in history, however, is exemplified by Bridgewater State University’s Homecoming Court.

According to the University website, any full time BSU senior with BSU spirit who has earned 84 credits is eligible to apply each fall to become part of the Homecoming Court.

Jesslyn Lowell, a senior management major with a concentration in marketing who is also the president of Gamma Phi Beta, said applicants are asked such questions as why they are interested in being part of the Homecoming Court.

Lowell added that she was happy to be chosen to represent the school once she received news that she had been accepted as a member of the Homecoming Court.

“I was really excited,” said Lowell. “It’s something that I kind of always wanted to do.”

The Homecoming Court is comprised of five men and five women, of which Lowell is one.

The Homecoming Court competes in a pageant that has three portions to it where members of the Court are required to display talent, wear a costume reflecting the BSU Homecoming theme, and answer a question in front of the crowd while wearing formal wear.

“Basically the pageant is an opportunity to showcase your school spirit and pride in front of the school community,” said Lowell.

Kendra Tully, the vice president of Programming for the Program Committee said that much time and effort has gone into preparing for the pageant.

“The whole Court has been rehearsing for about a month now,” said Tully. “They practice every Thursday night, so it’s been a long process.”

Lowell said the pageant is very similar in setup to a fashion show runway. Each member of the Court walks onto the stage, performs his or her duties, and exits the stage.

Then, the audience votes for their favorite male and female Court member via cell phone texting.

Tully also said she appreciates the amount of support that is always present for each of the pageant contestants.

“I think that it’s really cool that so many people will come to support their friends who are in the pageant,” said Tully.

Tully said one aspect of the pageant which she looks forward to is seeing what the pageant contestants will choose to exhibit in front of the crowd.

“I get excited because you don’t really know what they’re going to do,” said Tully. “What the pageant contestants will come up with is a mystery, so I’m excited to know what the pageant contestants will come up with.”

The pageant takes place this Thursday, and the winners of the pageant are announced during halftime of this Saturday’s BSU football game.

Elizabeth Sekkes is a Comment living-arts writer. Email her at esekkes@student.bridgew.edu.