Homecoming court is a staple of homecoming week at UW-W. Students are encouraged to submit their names in the hope of being crowned homecoming king or queen.

Applying for homecoming court begins with an application (the application session is now closed). Students are sent an email with a link to the application a few weeks out from when homecoming begins. The applications are then looked over by Homecoming Steering Committee, and a lucky handful get sent on to be interviewed.

Katrina Granberg, the chair of homecoming, helps oversee the interview process, the court and the events of homecoming overall.

“I’m the person who comes up with judges for the interview process,” Granberg said. “I reach out to alumni, staff and faculty to ask them to come back and help us out with homecoming.”

Following the interview process, the judges then select the few who made the best impression. From there, the court is announced at the study night in the UC.

Charlie Kudy, a junior at UW-W, decided to apply for this year’s homecoming court.

“I decided to apply because I wanted a chance to represent the university in an official capacity,” Kudy said. “After years of being able to help effect change here, I want to be able to be a representative for everything that our university stands for.”

Kudy explained what the application process was like, and his hopes for receiving an interview.

“After a campus wide email from the homecoming committee, and one of my friends reaching out to me, I had applied on Connect,” he said. “There were questions pertaining to how I would represent Whitewater and what it means to be a Warhawk. I am feeling excited and nervous at the same time. It feels like a job interview.”

Although the application process is the same for every student, the feelings and emotions behind it differ for each person.

Alex Ostermann was crowned homecoming king for last year’s homecoming court. He shared his personal experience going through the process, and what it felt like to be selected for court.

“I was really surprised,” Ostermann said. “I didn’t think I was going to win. I was really happy to be on the court in general, to be surrounded by a group of amazing students.”

Ostermann shared that as part of homecoming court, he was able to walk in the parade with his fellow court members and be crowned during the homecoming talent show.

“I still have the crown, it sits in my room on top of my dresser,” he joked. “People come over and try it on and try to steal it.”

Because Ostermann is the reigning homecoming king, he has the honor of crowning this year’s homecoming king or queen.

“I’m pretty excited about that,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t crowned by the previous person, just because she isn’t here anymore, but I’m very excited.”

The selected winners will be announced when homecoming week begins.