While having hors d’oeuvres and beverages, the Homecoming royalty candidates will attend this year’s Homecoming Happy Hour under the watchful eyes of the judges who will pick king and queen.
Today’s event, which is from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Alumni Center, is to honor and appreciate faculty and staff as well as to give them a chance to get to know the royalty candidates. The Homecoming Steering Committee will also be in attendance.
Homecoming Faculty/Staff Chairman Kristin Lathrop was in charge of planning the event. She described the Homecoming Happy Hour as “a lot of socializing” and said 168 staff members have submitted RSVPs to the event, up from 133 in attendance last year.
Lathrop said the Homecoming royalty candidates will be anonymously observed by the judges. Their interactions at the event will factor into their overall score, in addition to the popularity vote and subsequent interview.
“The Homecoming Steering Committee mingles with the staff and the royalty candidates are being evaluated,” Lathrop said. “The judges are there but [the candidates] don’t know who the judges are.”
Julie Eastes, assistant adviser to the Homecoming Steering Committee, said the event is hosted before Homecoming Week so it does not interfere with all of the Homecoming activities.
She also said Homecoming Happy Hour helps include the staff and faculty in Homecoming Week and remind them that it is “just around the corner.”
“[The event is] to show faculty and staff our appreciation for their hard work and get them involved in the Homecoming activities,” Eastes said.
