SIU Homecoming King and Queen

October 24, 2016

Winners of homecoming competitions announced

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Pleasant weather and lots of special activities drew large crowds to Southern Illinois University Carbondale for Homecoming 2016 and the results of various competitions are now in.

Students chose Orlando Toatley of St. Louis as their king and Beryl Span of Chicago as queen via online voting. Toatley is a senior radio, television and digital media major with a speech communications minor, while Span is a senior criminal justice major with a minor in sociology.

Throughout the week, during the “Saluki State of Mind” celebrations, registered student organizations showed their Saluki pride through participation and prizes were given to the groups that did so best. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority won the Spirit Competition-Small Bracket (for 1-49 members) prize while Delta Phi Epsilon won the Spirit Competition-Large Bracket (for 50 or more members).

There were more than 55 entries in SIU’s 2016 Homecoming parade and Harry L. Crisp II, chief executive officer of Pepsi MidAmerica, was the grand marshal. Alpha Gamma Rho and Delta Zeta teamed to win the award for best large parade float. The Automotive Technology Organization claimed best small float honors.

Winners in the marching band competition, listed by categories, include:

Class A -- 1. Harrisburg High School; 2. Carbondale Community High School.

Class B -- 1. Goreville Junior High and High School.

Class C -- 1. Harrisburg Middle School; 2. Carbondale Middle School.

The homecoming court also included:

  • Peyton Gehrs, a senior agricultural systems and education major from Highland.
  • Nicole Hanke, a senior civil engineering student from Carlyle.
  • Naomi Tolbert, a junior political science and international studies major from Carbondale.
  • Rose Weisenstein, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Belleville.

This year’s king candidates were:

  • Rudy Bacette, a senior psychology major with a minor in communication studies from Evanston.
  • Kenneth Hiemer, a senior history education major from Frankfort.
  • Jermaine D. Hughes Jr., a senior criminology and criminal justice major from Richton Park.
  • Philip Kains, a senior mathematics major from Springfield.

In conjunction with SIU’s Homecoming, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce also sponsored a window decorating contest. Evolve at SIU was the winner.