Ten students in the running for titles of Homecoming king, queen
Members of WCU's 2019 Homecoming court are (front, from left) Haylee Ewert, Vanessa Van Slambrook, Hannah Starnes, Samantha Carter, (back, from left) James Sneiderman, Paolo Balladares, E'Quince Smith, Dylan Rood and Marcus Greene. Not pictured is queen candidate Kaitlyn Alston.
Ten Western Carolina University students, including five women and five men, have been named to the Homecoming court for 2019.
The court will be presented and Homecoming king and queen announced during halftime activities at WCU’s home football game against Furman University on Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.
WCU students voted Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to choose their top 10 candidates for king and top 10 candidates for queen from a pool of entrants. A Homecoming court panel conducted interviews with each of the candidates, and then, based on the interview sessions and letters of recommendation from WCU faculty or staff, narrowed the pool of candidates down to the five men and five women who make up this year’s court. The WCU student body voted Oct. 7-8 to choose the king and queen.
Members of the court will participate in WCU’s Homecoming parade that begins in downtown Sylva at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.
Seeking the title of queen:
Kaitlyn Alston, a junior from Raleigh majoring in marketing. A graduate of Wheatmore High School in Trinity, she is the daughter of Bernita Alston and Michael Rorie.
Samantha Carter, a senior from Holly Ridge majoring in social work. A graduate of Dixon High School in Holly Ridge, she is the daughter of Sonya Carter and Ennett Carter.
Haylee Ewert, a senior from Charlotte majoring in hospitality and tourism management. A graduate of Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, she is the daughter of Barbara Ewert and Joel Ewert.
Hannah Starnes, a senior from Hickory majoring in recreational therapy. A graduate of Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, she is the daughter of Sandy Starnes and Wesley Starnes.
Vanessa Van Slambrook, a senior from Clover, South Carolina, majoring in social work. A graduate of Clover High School in Clover, she is the daughter of Julie Van Slambrook and Kent Van Slambrook.
Seeking the title of king:
Paolo Balladares, a senior from Clayton majoring in nursing. A graduate of Clayton High School in Clayton, he is the son of Katty Delgado and Pablo Amestica.
Marcus Greene, a senior from Whiteville majoring in accounting. A graduate of Whiteville High School in Whiteville, he is the son of Maryann Greene.
Dylan Rood, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, majoring in chemistry. A graduate of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia, he is the son of Rhonda Rood and Mitchell Rood.
E’Quince Smith, a senior from Raleigh majoring in criminal justice. A graduate of Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School in Raleigh, he is the son of Gretchen Johnson.
James Sneiderman, a senior from Greensboro majoring in psychology. A home-schooled student, he is the son of Veronique Sneiderman and Edward Sneiderman.
For a full schedule of Homecoming events at WCU, visit go.wcu.edu\homecoming.
