The time has come for NIU students to elect their Homecoming court.

The three-day, campus-wide election begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday and lasts until 3 p.m. each day at the Holmes Student Center’s food court area and DuSable Hall’s lobby.

The candidate list is supposed to include a few of NIU’s finest from various organizations.

“In order to run for court, students must abide by certain standards,” said Stephanie Cheehy, Homecoming court coordinator for Campus Activities Board.

The criteria

Candidates were nominated by their organization or group, based on academic and community service merit. To qualify, nominees should be a full-time NIU student at the sophomore, junior or senior level.

They also must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Transfer students must have at least one semester at NIU prior to nomination.

Any promotional poster made must be approved by the University Programming and Activities office before they are placed on campus bulletin boards. Posters that are removed without authorized consent will result in a violation forwarded to the University Judicial Office.

“The names and pictures of each candidate will be placed at each voting location, so students will know a face and not just a name,” Cheehy said.

Candidates are encouraged strongly to not participate in any misleading or unauthorized campaigning.

They’re allowed to increase their chances of winning through free speech at the King Memorial Commons, hallway space in classroom buildings or the HSC and electronic message boards.

The candidates

All potential candidates went through a formal interview Sept. 30. Last Tuesday, 10 students were chosen to be runners-up.

This year’s Homecoming king candidates are: Joe Bargiel, member of Lambda Chi Alpha; Francis David, member of Phi Mu Alpha; Keith Kruchten, member of the Residence Hall Association; Juan Martinez, member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon; and Frank Woodin, member of Sigma Pi Epsilon.

Homecoming queen candidates are: Rachel Aberle, member of the Office of Campus Orientation; Katie Bradbury, member of Pi Sigma Epsilon; Kristin Murphy, member of the Northern Black Choir; Ashley Pearson, member of Habitat for Humanity; and Heather Strasser, a member of Delta Zeta and an advertising representative at the Northern Star.

Cheehy said it would be great to see the NIU community take part in one of Homecoming’s main events.

“Royalty voting is a good opportunity for students and faculty to show their spirit for people who they think succeed here at Northern,” she said.

Students are eligible to be on the Homecoming court two times only.