Kally Watson let out a shriek as she tore the bow off of a shiny white box, pulled back the green tissue paper, and found a white rose carefully placed inside. Meanwhile, Will Finnie, her boyfriend of two years,  raised his white rose in triumph as a Leadership student placed a crown on his head.

Those two white roses signified that they are this year’s Homecoming King and Queen. Their victory was announced during halftime of the varsity football game against the Drake Pirates.

“If you get voted on by your peers it’s something really special,” Finnie said. “There’s no one in the world I’d rather be on this with, so it feels pretty good.”

Watson said that she was both surprised and flattered.

King and Queen are selected by a school-wide vote administered during homeroom period the Friday before the Homecoming game. Class representatives distribute ballots, and students vote for the candidate of their choice, with upperclassmen receiving more weight to their vote than do underclassmen.

Finnie is a captain of the varsity soccer team, a member of Peer Resource, and a drama student. Watson is captain of the varsity softball team, and is also a drama student.