Don’t be scared—when you see the 10 candidates for NIU Homecoming king and queen, they won’t remind you of Freddie Krueger or the Wicked Witch of the West.

Despite this year’s Homecoming theme, when you see the candidates for Homecoming king, your hair won’t turn white. The candidates are Steven Coloia, Sigma Phi Epsilon; Willie Earl Fowler, Black Interhall Council; Wayne Lee, Neptune Residence Hall; David Reidy, Phi Kappa Sigma, and John Stack, Douglas Hall Council.

You won’t run for the cornfields in fright when you see the queen female candidates, who are Lynn Alig, Sigma Sigma Sigma; Julie Kerestes, Delta Zeta; Catherine Krueger, Delta Phi Epsilon; Marthony Longo; Grant Towers South, and Laura Pinchot, Alpha Phi.

Students will be able to vote for their favorite king and queen candidate Tuesday through Friday in the Holmes Student Center’s Pow Wow Room, said Linda Germann, Campus Activities Board festivities coordinator for Homecoming.

Only votes for the selected candidates will count, according to CAB’s Homecoming royalty rules document. The king and queen of this year’s Homecoming will be announced Friday night at a talent show in the student center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom, Germann said.

The 10 king and queen candidates survived the process of being interviewed and judged. Germann said entering candidates for Homecoming king and queen starts when campus groups sign up for various activities such as the Homecoming parade.

Candidates must be full-time NIU students and must be a sophomore or older, according to the CAB rules. Candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or better, the document stated.

King candidates must be male and queen candidates must be female. Anyone meeting the above qualifications but not affiliated with a campus organization is eligible to participate in the race, the document stated.

Each royalty candidate was interviewed Oct. 2 by five judges, Germann said. Only one king or queen candidate from each organization will be considered, the document stated.

Homecoming king judge Fabian De Rozario said he judged the male candidates on their “Huskie spirit” and their enthusiasm. He said he was looking for someone with communication skills because he believes the Homecoming king is a spokesman for NIU.

The judges used specific criteria in determining who the five finalists would be, Germann said. Leadership, community service, school spirit and the scholastic/academic achievement of each candidate were reviewed, the rules stated.

The candidates also were judged on poise during the interview, sincerity in response to questions and the position each candidate holds in a campus organization.