Royally excited: 2021 HOCO nominees share their feelings on being nominated

Gabriella Sevieri, Staff Reporter

This year Vandegrift is holding its second homecoming dance. The nominees for homecoming king and queen came out this past week, and students are excited to start voting. The king and queen will be announced at the dance on Oct. 23. 

The princess and prince winners were announced yesterday. There are six nominees in total: three for queen and three for king. There was a voting form sent out to all students last week. 

“I’m really excited. I didn’t realize how much of a production [homecoming] is,” senior Queen nominee Riley Weigelt said. “With COVID last year, we didn’t really get the full homecoming experience. But now I’m seeing how crazy this week has been.” 

Spirit days are taking place all week and so far, students have been very involved with wearing outfits that fit the themes. Friday is the Homecoming football game and students are supposed to show their support by wearing Viper gear. 

“I’m very happy to be nominated,” HOCO King nominee Clayton Moore said. “My friend Griffin really wanted me to do it, so he spearheaded the nomination. I guess he did a great job because I was nominated.”

This year’s voting system is taking place on a Google form. Votes will be counted up before the dance takes place. However, before they are announced, the king and queen nominees are celebrated in their own ways.  

“The night of the dance, my friends and I were planning to take pictures and go to dinner,” Weigelt said. “So I think it’s gonna be fun.” 

The dress-code for this year’s homecoming dance is semi-formal. This means students are supposed to be in nicer articles of clothing. 

“To the dance this year, I’ll probably wear khakis, a button down shirt and a sport coat,” Moore said. “I wore this to the mother son football event as well, so I have the needed outfit already.”

Tickets to the dance are available for purchase online now for $15. There will be tickets sold at the door for $20. 

“If I win, I’ll probably think about my class and my school, because, if I get announced, it’s just going to be a big picture moment of my senior year,” Weigelt said. “These are the people that I’ve grown up with my whole life, so it would be a surreal experience.”