Homecoming week this year is full of activities, ranging from hayrides to a roundtable discussion with members of the MSU team in the Game of the Century in 1966.
One of the lesser-known features of homecoming week is the homecoming court, whom will be announced during the halftime of the football homecoming game against Northwestern University.
“I didn’t know there was such thing in college,” psychology senior Ellen Hicks said.
Hicks is one of the 10 members on homecoming court this year, and is also adopted from China.
"Being adopted is part of my identity," Hicks said via email.
But to Hicks, being on homecoming court doesn’t just mean representing MSU. It's also representing a group of people.
“I wanted to represent those who are part of the adoption community … and those who have a similar story of not being a part of one culture,” Hicks said.
Another fellow court member, biological sciences and secondary science major Lazarius Miller, thinks the same way Hicks does in terms of representing a group of people.
“Coming from Detroit, I didn’t necessarily know that inner city students — or even black students — are even on homecoming court,” Miller said. “I wanted to be a representation for (the) inner city, like Detroit, and come to Michigan State and be a leader as well.”
However, Miller is also excited to be recognized for all the hard work that he has accomplished.
“I’m just honored that my experiences here are valued with the selection committee and are valued across the campus,” Miller said.
Homecoming court might seem like a high school activity, but to some of the court members, it’s more serious and about representing MSU as a whole.
“You represent not only the undergraduate students here currently, but you represent past alumni and future alumni,” homecoming court member and political science senior Jason Porter said. “You’re representing Michigan State as a whole.”
Hicks said being on homecoming court isn’t just about being popular like it was in high school.
“You’re representing Michigan State University, you’re an ambassador for this university and embrace the values that MSU has,” Hicks said. “We’re a symbol of the type of people in the MSU community, these are the people that will make a difference in the world … it’s kind of like a job.”
Hicks also thinks every member of the homecoming court brings in different characteristics that make each member unique.
“All of us on the homecoming court … we’re so diverse,” Hicks said. “We all have a different story to tell and we all have played a role within the MSU community.”
Those who want to be on homecoming court have to be nominated by someone, such as an adviser or a professor, Porter said.
After that, potential candidates have to turn in an application and a resume, which gets turned into a board made up of past homecoming members, faculty, advisers and administration, Porter said.
“They go through a paper cut … they then take about 20 numbers that have passed that paper cut and they do interviews in person,” Porter said. “After those interviews, they narrow it down 10.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Other members of homecoming court include accounting senior Elexis Grimes, food industry management senior Ahmad Hassan, international relations senior Dorothy Shewchuck, microbiology and genomics and molecular genetics senior Julianne Streukens, social work senior Katrine Weismantle and social relations and policy seniors Claire Bratzel and Alexa Ruestman.
