MSU Homecoming royalty announced

This year’s Homecoming royalty welcomes 10 new members as homecoming festivities are planned throughout this week at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

This year’s royalty consists of Gabriella Sanchez, Dylan Gregory, Nick Huynh, Koshangi Jha, Emma Knutson, Kayla Dorshak, Elizabeth Spiegelhoff, Tyler Pickel and Maria Rios De Santiago.

The homecoming committee has selected 10 MSU students who they think represent the student body and university. On Thursday, following the lip-sync contest, two will be chosen for king and queen regardless of their gender or sexual orientation in the Bresnan Arena.

Those who put their name in the hat this year all did for unique reasons.

Nick Huynh, who is on this year’s royalty court is also a senior at MSU majoring in bio-medical science and chemistry and is looking forward to the week of school spirit. “I never really had a high school experience, I started college when I was 16 years-old,” Huynh said. “This is my last year so I want to get involved as much as I can and have a big celebration.”

Others wanted to represent the student body and all of the different layers that make up MSU. 

“I wanted to apply because I wanted to represent everything MSU does like academics, sports or RSO’s and to support the community,” Kayla Dorshak, a senior at MSU majoring in Mass Communications, said. “I’m looking forward to the lip-sync because that is always a fun one to go to.”

Those who are selected to the court are chosen by using a 10-point scale. The categories include how well they demonstrate leadership on campus, involvement in campus activities, academic excellence and their ability to represent MSU with a positive image.

“I wanted to do royalty because I think our campus overall has a lot of ways to get involved and make a difference on campus,” Emma Knutson, who is on MSU’s royalty court and senior majoring in dance and marketing, said. “I’m taking part in the food-eating contest this week.”

Those who are on the royalty court this year are judged based on a rubric that includes 15% attendance at homecoming events, 40% candidate interviews and 45% being judged on the royalty vote itself. The voting is now live on the official MSU website.

Header Photo: Homecoming royalty Elizabeth Spiegelhoff, Emma Knutson, Kayla Dorshak and Nick Huynh pose at the Centennial Student Union Mall. (Julia Barton/The Reporter)

Write to Julia Barton at julia.barton@mnsu.edu