By Keith Allen
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The University of Arizona Homecoming queen will receive her crown tonight at 8 p.m. at the Homecoming bonfire on the UA Mall.
The tradition of the Homecoming Queen started at the UA 48 years ago, said Greg Prugh, business and public administration senior and member of the Bobcats Senior Honorary, the group that organizes Homecoming events.
"They must be people who do something for the UA," Prugh said. The Homecoming queen should have "all the qualities of the university embodied into one person."
Some of these qualities, he said, are spunk, spontaneity and school spirit. The Bobcats also looked for candidates who are involved in the community, approachable, good students and are well-spoken.
It is not a popularity contest though, Prugh said. It is part of tradition.
"Homecoming is symbolic of one's time spent at the university," Prugh said. "It is a memory thing."
Bobcats interviewed 31 nominees then narrowed the field to five, Prugh said. Students voted Wednesday on their choice for queen from the five finalists.
Nominees participated in two informal mixers and an interview with the 13 Bobcat members, Prugh said.
Candidates were nominated by campus organizations, Prugh said. He said that Bobcats contacted groups all over campus encouraging nominations.
It cost $25 to submit a nomination application. The fee covers the flowers, posters, mixers and Pima County voting booths used on Wednesday during royalty voting, Prugh said.
Homecoming royalty will appear at halftime of the football game tomorrow.
The five UA homecoming queen finalists are Day Daetwyler, Lesley Brown, Diana Aguirre, Andrea Major and Stacey Shannon.
Day Daetwyler is a 21-year-old communication senior from Phoenix. She was nominated by Pi Beta Phi sorority.
She is a member of Pi Beta Phi, a justice on the Greek Judicial Board, a member of the academic leadership honorary Order of Omega, a member of Rho Lambda Honorary, a pledge educator, an assistant vice president of social advancement and a participant in both football and softball intramurals.
"I think that Homecoming royalty is representative of the senior class," Daetwyler said. "They represent the struggles of college, living on their own, school, work and the different activities offered at the UA."
Lesley Brown is a 24-year-old general biology senior, with a focus in pre-medicine. She is from Tucson and was nominated by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
She is president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, vice president of the National Panhellenic Council at the UA, undergraduate member-at-large for the western region of the National Panhellenic Council, worker at Greek Life, mentor at New Lights youth program, committee member for the Centennial Awards and an employee at La Paloma .
"The Homecoming royalty symbolizes all students that go to the university," Brown said. "They represent pride, intelligence, beauty and spirit."
Diana Aguirre is a 21-year-old health and human services administration senior from Yuma, Ariz. She was nominated by the Student Alumni Association.
Aguirre is a member of the Student Alumni Association, a volunteer at Casa de los Ninos and a student worker at the Arizona Cancer Center.
"It (the Homecoming royalty) symbolizes having a good time, meeting new people and returning to Homecoming to reminisce about the good times at UA," Aguirre said.
Andrea Major is a 21-year-old art history senior from Phoenix. She was nominated by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and Chi Omega sorority.
Major is vice president of ASUA, a member of Chi Omega and was president of the Chain Gang, a junior honorary, last year.
"It (Homecoming royalty) is a great way to connect with alumni," Major said. "It is a fun way to get students involved and alumni to come back and see what the students of today are doing."
Stacey Shannon, 21, interdisciplinary studies senior from Phoenix. She was nominated by Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Sigma Chi fraternity.
Shannon is a member of Gamma Phi Beta, a UA football recruiting hostess, a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Inc. and a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society.
"For me it is the opportunity to get involved and meet more people," Shannon said. "Being a member, we represent the university and what it stands for."