Homecoming Pageant
By the time the pageant started, I was incredibly nervous but ready to get out and show the world what I got. The hosts asked us questions about campus, school spirit and personal life. Throughout the show, contestants would showcase their outfits: casual, decades, school spirit and formal attire. Additionally, the contestants performed their talents at different parts of the show, sometimes between outfit changes and questions!
Below is the link to the video in which Evan and I performed our talent: a bachata/decade dance. Let me know what you think; many people LOVED the 90's (for a great reason too!).
Campaigning Throughout the Week
It was sometime between leaving GUC after auditions to getting to my house that I invented the hashtag, #LebrockTheVote. I thought it was a clever and catchy way to remember the fact that I was running and wanted to receive a vote. Many people complimented me on the quote (and by many, I mean there was always at least one comment on each campaign picture that I shared!) and I decided to utilize that to the fullest extent that social media would let me...without becoming too annoying.
I hung up multiple posters and flyers with my face on campus so that people would see them and consider voting for me. One of the coolest experiences to prepare for Homecoming Week was being able to have a photo shoot with my friend Tom Sebert of Sebert Photography. Definitely check his portfolio out, he's really good and will do various shoots for a low cost!
With my pictures plastered across nearly every bulletin board in every academic hall, I tried to make sure people were seeing my posters. And oh yes, they definitely were. Even one of the advisors to one of the societies I am the President of had even told me that he saw me fifty-two times that day...all over campus. I was about to comment on his statement but then I really thought about it...
Voting for the King and Queen
I will be honest; I hated social media so much this past week. With the voting process finally opening up to the students, I was always posting about voting for myself and telling friends as well as random people to vote for me too. Would I have voted for myself if I had tried a ploy like that on myself? I don't even know! But at least some of you did, right?
With friends telling me left and right that they voted for me, I was going PR-crazy. I just HAD to convince the entire campus that I was worthy of being Homecoming Queen. Sure enough I, as well as everyone in the Homecoming Court, was qualified for the title. It was just a question of our performance in the pageant and the number of votes we received. I couldn't even remember how many times I told people the following:
"DID YOU VOTE FOR ME?!"
"HEY YOU IN THE YELLOW. VOTE FOR ME!"
"HEY I HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU IN YEARS LOL BUT VOTE FOR ME!"
"VOTING CLOSES AT 5PM FRIDAY WHY HAVEN'T YOU VOTED YET?!"
"DID YOU SEE ME IN THE PAGEANT!?"
"HOW ABOUT MY POSTERS. DID YOU SEE THOSE DAMN POSTERS?!"
"I WANT TO WIN WITH EVAN IT WOULD BE SO CUTE IF WE WON TOGETHER OMG"
"BUT IF WE DON'T WHATEVER RIGHT?!"
"WE STILL CUTE HAHA VOTE FOR ME!"
"YOLO VOTE FOR JADE!"
"HERE'S MY COMPUTER VOTE RIGHT MEOW!"
"#LEBROCKTHEVOTE!"
Um...yeah.
Homecoming Parade
The final result of who would win Homecoming King and Queen would be announced at halftime at the Homecoming Football game that Saturday afternoon. Before the game even started, we had another important event to attend to: the Homecoming Parade and Block Party!
We all were allowed to ride on a fancy float with balloons and a banner hanging off the back of it. After all, we were royalty, right? During the parade, we were on the float, waving to the crowd and posing in pictures. There was even a kitty to pet! (I REALLY wanted it, by the way...)
After the parade, we all were dismissed until just before halftime, when we would learn who won the titles of King and Queen. I spent my two hours at the Block Party, where I got stung by a bee, ate free food and rode a zipline! It was a fun-filled afternoon for Jade, let me tell you!
Homecoming Football Game
Waiting in the stands before half-time made me super nervous. I was excited and terrified at the same time, wondering who was going to come out on the other side as the victor. Additionally, I was worried that either Evan or I would win and the other counterpart would not. Many emotions buzzed through my head. Then I looked at our Homecoming Court: Evan, Jennifer, Philly, Katie and Paris.
In that moment, I realized that we all had something in common: the fact that we were involved with an organization on campus. Whether it was in Greek Life, Orientation, Residence Life, Student Government, Passion 4 Fashion or anything else, we all held leadership positions at this school. The fact that all of us had made it this far shows that people know us, recognize us and respect us for the hard work we put into this university. We all are LEADERS of SU, regardless of who wins.
King and Queen!
In the end, the committee presented Paris as Homecoming King and Philly as Homecoming Queen. We all congratulated them on their successes, and once we walked off the field, the six of us all huddled together. We shared an intimate moment that I will never forget. Each one of us LIKED being with one another in this competition; there was no hate, there was only love for the people who won and who participated in the competition. We all loved each others performances and grew closer to one another throughout this week. Even if the results did not go the way we all wanted, it did not even matter because we all had fun with it. And that is supposed to be what Homecoming is about: coming together because of the incredible times we've shared and growing from our experiences.
If there is anything I've gained this week, I've gained three new sisters and one brother (obviously I'm not going to call Evan that...ew moving on!). I gained the respect and support of people that I already know and also just become friends with. Homecoming Court is something that I am proud to have participated in and you better believe that I am rocking my pin to graduation in May!
Finally, I learned that it is not all about winning, it is about celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime chance that I can confidently participate in a friendly competition that I know that people will support no matter what. Regardless of the number of votes or the amount of money I put into this campaign. Everyone I know who even paid a glimpse of attention to mine or anyone else's campaign deserves a giant piece of cake. The love from everyone on this campus has been amazing.
I wanted to thank everyone who supported me in this competition, you are AWESOME and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Congrats Paris and Philly, you both deserve it! Homecoming Court for life!
