Student story-Campaigning doesn't guarantee the crown

By Danielle Valliere

The race to royalty for Flint Hills Publication Workshoppers led to breathless sprints, computer trash-talking and shameless sidewalk promotions.

Revived for the 50th anniversary of the camp, the king and queen tradition had been out of practice since 1972. Workshop director Linda Puntney encouraged students to clench their class’ nominations before competing for the official title. Both the class elections and campaigns took interesting turns.
javascript:void(0)
Barbara Hollingsworth, instructor of the Advanced Newspaper Writing class, conducted a race for the queen title.

10 a.m. Monday: Ten girls took part in the race on the second floor of the K-State Student Union.

Anticipation ran high, as the rules for the race were set.

Whispers of “why can’t we just vote for queen?” and “I’m really afraid I’ll be knocked down” could be heard near the starting line. Regardless, the race was clean.

All were silent as Hollingsworth hollered “Go!”

With a thumping of bare feet, the runners took off.

After a short sprint, Notre Dame de Sion student Nikki Koppers was proclaimed queen.

Once the class had nominated its candidates, it made no joke of campaigning for them.

“Advanced writers laying down the gauntlet: our queen will outrun your queen candidate any day,” the class tweeted Monday. “Vote Nikki Koppers.”

In support of its king, McPherson High School student Caleb Chin,
it tweeted, “Caleb Chin (advanced writing) promises world peace if voted king.”

11 a.m. Tuesday: Election Day. Candidates took to the podium to campaign. Some speeches were single sentences, while others were much more involved.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be here. I’m from a small town, Wichita,” Kapaun Mt. Carmel photography student Marcella Brooks said, jokingly. “I mean, I came here to learn, not to be royalty.”

Diversity Discovery student Kerry Upsey justified his desire to be king simply.

“I wanna be king, because I’m like the greatest, you know,” Upsey said.

8:45 p.m. Tuesday: Advanced newspaper writing students campaigned with sidewalk chalk advertising — efforts that would prove futile come 11 p.m.

10 p.m. Tuesday: Now, to the dance. Classmates introduced candidates in many ways: one rap, one fabricated story, one catchy slogan, one flex of the arm muscles and multiple speeches.

Throughout the night, students checked their candidates’ progress in the election, which was determined through a “penny drive.”

11 p.m. Tuesday: Time for the results. Everyone crowded the dance floor, as Kapaun Mt. Carmel students Tom Wittler and Erika Reals swept the titles.

The pair danced to Jason Mraz’s “I’m yours,” while the other students swayed in tune around them.

Wittler attributed his win to the support of his fellow KMC students, who numbered 21.

“I feel really great,” Wittler said. “Words can’t express how I feel right now.”

For Wittler, the crown mainly means a comfortable place to sleep.

“There are three guys in my room, so one has to sleep on the floor,” he said. “I will no longer be sleeping on the floor. One of them can do it, because I’m boss now.

“Other than that, I plan to rule with dignity.”

Danielle Valliere is a senior at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School and a student in the advanced writing class at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop.