KEARNEY – Eight finalists for homecoming royalty were announced Monday during a pep rally on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus.
Queen candidates are Emma Bond of Kearney, Katie Cornelio of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Daylee Dey of Gresham and Kayla Nunnenkamp of Omaha. King candidates are Ethan Ciancio of Fullerton, Ben Crocker of Kearney, Jonah EagleFeather of Hastings and William Otte of O’Neill.
UNK’s homecoming king and queen will be crowned Thursday night following the lip-sync competition, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Health and Sports Center. They will also be recognized during the homecoming parade scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Kearney and the home football game set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Cope Stadium.
The lip-sync competition, royalty crowning and homecoming parade will be livestreamed at unk.edu/watch.
Homecoming royalty are selected by two rounds of student voting, with the final round occurring this week.
Queen candidates, and the organizations they represent, are:
Emma Bond, Loper Programming and Activities Council (LPAC)
Bond is a junior studying business administration with a marketing emphasis and a minor in multimedia. She’s active with a variety of campus organizations and currently serves as chair of UNK Student Government’s Facilities, Sustainability and Campus Development Committee, marketing co-chair for the Honors Student Advisory Board and homecoming co-chair for LPAC. She’s also a regular at the UNK climbing wall, either climbing or teaching others about this unique sport.
Katie Cornelio, Louie’s Legion
Cornelio is a senior studying middle-level social studies education. She’s a three-year letterwinner and co-captain for the UNK swim team and administrative vice president for the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Cornelio also serves as a campus tour guide and Chancellor’s Ambassador, and she’s part of the Teacher Scholars Academy, Order of Omega honor society and Loper Leaders. She participates in undergraduate research, as well.
Cornelio plans to student teach in the spring before pursuing a master’s degree in history.
Daylee Dey, Gamma Phi Beta
Dey is a junior studying communication disorders with plans to become a speech-language pathologist. She’s served on the Gamma Phi Beta sorority’s executive team for four semesters and currently holds the position of public relations vice president. She’s also the vice president of scholarship for UNK’s Panhellenic Council and was a Panhellenic counselor during fall recruitment. Dey works as a welcome desk assistant in the Learning Commons and serves as the resident assistant for the Gamma Phi Beta house.
This summer, she was the team leader for a Volunteers Around the World trip that took UNK students to Panama to provide health care to underserved communities there.
Kayla Nunnenkamp, Gamma Phi Beta
Nunnenkamp is a senior studying elementary education. She serves as president of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and is part of the Teacher Scholars Academy, Elementary Education Club and Kappa Delta Pi and Order of Omega honor societies. She also works in the Learning Commons on campus.
Nunnenkamp plans to student teach in the spring before starting her teaching career in Nebraska.
King candidates, and the organizations they represent, are:
Ethan Ciancio, LPAC
Ciancio is a senior in the pre-radiologic technology program. He serves as student body vice president and as a Chancellor’s Ambassador. Ciancio was a New Student Enrollment leader last summer and he’s a former LPAC executive member and Honors Student Advisory Board member. He’s involved in intramurals on campus.
Ben Crocker, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Crocker is a senior studying industrial distribution. He serves as chaplain for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and president of the Mortar Board honor society. He’s also part of Chancellor’s Ambassadors, the Industrial Distribution Organization and Thompson Scholars Learning Community.
Crocker volunteers with the Kearney High School cross country team and helps lead a youth group at Grace Fellowship Church. His favorite experience has been traveling to Peru to help run a medical clinic with Volunteers Around the World.
Jonah EagleFeather, Sigma Lambda Beta
EagleFeather is a junior studying social work with a behavioral and mental health minor. An advocate for mental health, he’s involved in the Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity, TRIO Student Support Services, Learning Commons, First Gen Lopers, PRISM and Intercultural Scholars and Leaders Community. He’s also president of the First Nations Student Association.
William Otte, Loper Catholic
Otte is a junior studying 7-12 history education with a philosophy minor. He’s a member of Students for Life, Turning Point USA, A Scholar Academy, Loper Catholic, the UNK Honors Program and Thompson Scholars. He also serves as a campus tour guide and sings in the Men’s Chorus.
PHOTOS BY ERIKA PRITCHARD, UNK COMMUNICATIONS
