THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2012
PAGE 3
HOMECOMING
8800
Jan Merrick was the last crowned homecoming queen at KU in 1969.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Sunday, October 21
Sunday, October 21
WHAT: Jeyhawk jog
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Massachusetts Street
WHAT: Stuff the Bus
WHEN: Noon-4 p.m.
WHERE: Dollons on 23rd Street and Adams
WHAT: Glow KU
WHEN: Noon-9 p.m.
WHERE: KU campus/Lawrence com-
munity
WHAT: Jayhawk Jingles Auditions
WHEN: 5-9 p.m.
WHERE: Adams Alumni Center
Monday, October 22
WHAT: Monday Funday
WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
WHERE: Wescoe Beach
**WHAT:** 3 vs. 3 Basketball Tournament
**WHERE:** 11 p.m.
**WHERE:** Student Rec Fitness Center
WHAT: Glow KU Judging
WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: KU campus/Lawrence community
WHAT. Chalk. "n" Rock
WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
WHERE. Beach Beach
Tuesday, October 23
WHAT: 3 vs. 3 Basketball Semifinals/
Finals
WHEN: 5-9 p.m.
WHERE: Student Rec Fitness Center
Wednesday, October 24
WHAT: Mural Contest
WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
WHERE: Wescoe Beach
WHAT: SUA Comedy Show Featuring Vanessa Bayer and Nick Vetterter
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Budig Hall Room 120
Thursday, October 25
WHAT: Rock Chalk Day
WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
WHERE: Wescoe Beach
WHAT: Homecoming Food Fest Featuring Jayhawk Jingles
WHERE: 6-9 p.m.
WHERE: Adams Alumni Center
Friday. October 26
WHAT: Crinnon and Blue Games
WHEN: 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
WHERE: Wiscoe Beach
WHAT: Homecoming Parade
WIEN: 6 p.m.
WHERE: Jayhawk Boulevard
WHAT: Homecoming Pep Rally
WIEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Adams Alumni Center
Saturday, October 27
Saturday, October 27
WHAT: Pregame Pancakes ($5 per person)
WHEN: 9 a.m.
WHERE: Adams Alumni Center parking lot
**WHAT:** KU vs. Texas Football Game
**WHEN:** 11 a.m.
**WHERE:** Memorial Stadium
TRADITION OF QUEEN ENDS
Schedule info taken from kualumni.
org/homecoming
KAYLA SOPER
ksoper@kansan.com
1969 homecoming queen candidates, from left: Jan Merrick, Candice Heavin, Nancy Watson.
1969 was a time of extreme political and social unrest at the University, creating a tense oncampus atmosphere.
With the Vietnam War in full swing, anti-war riots and demonstrations were a part of everyday life. In the midst of chaos, the campus was shut down early that year, giving students the choice to either keep their current grade and leave or stay for finals and try to raise their grade.
After the 1969 Homecoming game, the 44-year-old tradition of a KU Homecoming queen met its end.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
"I remember the fires; the Student Union was burned. Fires were set in garbage cans during classes. We never got used to it." Homeconning queen runner-up Candice Benn said.
Benn, who lived in McCollum Hall, remembers the day U.S. troops invaded Cambodia. The campus was on a full lockdown. No one could go outside for hours,
and students could only watch as the National Guard patrolled the streets with guns.
Among the volatile political climate, there was an unsettling social climate. Every year, a white female student was crowned Homecoming queen to represent the school in the homecoming ceremonies. Sororities and dormitory halls nominated a candidate to be in the race for KU's Homecoming queen. Then the race was narrowed down to three and the winner was announced at halftime of the football game.
and demanded representation in the homecoming events of 1969," Wilson said.
This award was of high prestige because the winner traveled across the state and spoke at events. Black students were not included and could not be nominated for homecoming candidate.
The Black Student Union created a parallel process by electing an African-American queen who was also presented during the football game. Lorene Wilson was the first BSU queen elected.
"The white establishment could not and did not represent our position, aim or goals. We wanted
BSU wasn't the only organization to take action against the Homecoming queen tradition. Many student organizations used drastic measures to end this tradition, shocking KU staff and alumni at the time. 1969 would be the final year of the Homecoming queen. The selection of only white women to represent the University at homecoming proved to be an outdated and inappropriate custom.
"It ittled encompass the whole campus; people of color weren't invited or nominated. The tradition needed to go." Benn said.
The abolishment of KU's Homecoming queen received national attention. The Chicago Sun-Times fully supported this decision in an editorial declaring, "Kansas is now less corny," citing the Homecoming queen elections as irrelevant to the educational purpose of a university.
Fourty-three years later, KU students are selected to represent
the University at Homecoming with the Ex.C.E.L award. This award started in 1991 and is still continued today with the election of a male and female each year based on leadership and academic
qualities. BSU continues to nominate a king and queen each year, and recently added a prince and princess portion as well.
"For over thirty years, no homecoming queen at KU. Wow, we
made a great impact on campus," Wilson said.
— Edited by Joanna Hlavacek
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
1936 homecoming queen, Carolyn Brink, with Ray Noble and Lloyd Burton.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
1946 homecoming queen, Nina Green, with Norma Jean Guthrie.