Spectator staff

It seems they’re everywhere this week.

On posters picketed in the ground. On banners hanging from the bridge. On the Campus Mall with buttons and candy.

The Homecoming Queen candidates are in constant campaign mode this week in attempts to win the votes of their peers.

The crown is the light at the end of the tunnel, but to get there, candidates said it is one hectic ride.

“I’m running for queen so I didn’t have to run in the gym”

When senior Theresa “T-SA” Soules’ sister nominated her for Homecoming queen as a joke, she didn’t think she would ever be where she is right now, the Homecoming candidate for Sigma Alpha Iota, a women’s music fraternity.

“I thought it would be kind of funny,” she said. “But I never thought I would do it.”

Soules said she didn’t think she was the typical candidate.

“I’m just a sloppy music major who likes to eat and laugh a lot,” she said with a laugh.

But she soon realized that Homecoming court at the college level is much different.

“It’s not like in high school where it’s a girl who’s really popular who is put together,” she said.

Everyone’s really just in it to get the word about their organizations out and to have some fun, she said.

“Amy loves you”

As senior Amy VerBurg made posters and banners for her candidacy with her friends Sunday night, she ran into a bit of a problem.

After her campaign manager finished spray painting a bed sheet on the veranda of Davies Center, he went back inside to deliver some bad news to VerBurg.

“He came back in saying there was a good chance we were going to get arrested for graffiting Davies,” she said with a laugh.

The spray paint went completely through the sheet and plain as day, ‘Amy loves you’ was on the ground, she said.

They joked that at least if they made The Spectator’s Police Blotter, it would be good publicity, she said.

Luckily, they were able to clean it up, but she said when she went back there Monday it was still there faintly.

“That’s kind of our funny, stressful campaigning story,” she said.

VerBurg, who is running as the Campus Ambassadors’ candidate, said they can all laugh about it now, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

She said when she isn’t in class, she’s working on her campaign by passing out candy on the Campus Mall, putting up her signs bright and early, taking them down again at night and attending Homecoming activities.

A competition Sunday night gave candidates a chance to win prizes such as sidewalk chalk and prime spots on the bridge to hang banners, she said.

Set to the song, “Pretty Fly For A White Guy,” VerBurg and a few friends improvised an air band performance and took second place.

Tuesday night all the candidates made their television debut on TV 10 where they played Royalty Feud, a spin off of “Family Feud.”

“I love my lady bumps. Check her out. Vote Malarie for queen.”

Senior Malarie Bump said she thought she bought enough candy, but she’s already out.

That’s because Bump ran as the social sorority Alphi Xi Delta’s candidate for Homecoming.

But she said the experience is more about meeting new people.

“Don’t be too competitive,” she said, offering her advice to anyone thinking of running next year. “It’s a lot of fun and I would recommend other people do it and get the word out about their organizations.”

“Jah-Rules”

Junior Jahlieh Henderson said she was thrilled to be nominated to represent the Women’s Concert Chorale.

“It’s pretty much an honor in our group,” she said, adding that Homecoming is the biggest event for them. “We put pretty much everything into it.”

That explains why Henderson is campaigning from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this week, handing out rulers to go with her slogan “Jah-RULES.”

She, along with the rest of the concert chorale, is chalking sidewalks, making new signs and handing out goodies and fliers.

“It’s usually where the freshmen girls can feel like they’re part of the family,” she said.

As of Wednesday, Henderson said she believes she could win.

“If I have enough support from the campus community as well as the people that I know off-campus, I think that I have a good chance,” she said. “It’s going to be a good competition this year.”

“Hey, Arnold!”

People might recognize junior Teresa Arnold from the football posters around campus with her picture on them.

Arnold is representing Sutherland Hall during Homecoming week, and while she said she was hesitant to accept the nomination at first, she is glad she did.

“The time commitment was a big deal, but I didn’t really have anything to lose,” she said. “It’s pretty hectic trying to campaign and advertise for yourself and go to class.”

Despite the near chaos, she said it’s been a positive experience so far.

“I’ve been told that I have a good chance of getting on court. I don’t think I’ll win,” she said with a laugh. “It’s all up in the air.”

“Vote for Katie, she’s one fine lady”

Senior Katie Adelmann said if she were to run for queen again, she would do things differently.

“I’d put a lot more planning into it,” she said upon the revelation of just how much time she has devoted to her campaign so far.

“It’s been a lot of early mornings, late nights,” she said.

“Love life”

Junior Oak Ridge Hall candidate Becky Washleski said it doesn’t matter who wins.

“I feel like it’s all about meeting people and having fun,” she said.

And that’s exactly what she says she’s doing.

She doesn’t really have a campaign slogan on posters – just some facts about herself and a message to love life.

So as she campaigns and attends all the Homecoming activities, she is enjoying one thing the most.

“It’s been a lot of fun getting to meet people, especially in my dorm.”

“Ellen Waldhart: Your safest bet for Homecoming queen”

Senior Ellen Waldhart started planning for Homecoming last fall, so when she was elected to represent Delta Zeta, she was excited to say the least.

“We were like, ‘Heck yes!’,” she said. “We already had a game plan before school started.”

She said a typical day for her begins at 6:30 a.m. when she puts up her signs by 7 a.m.

Then there is class and campaigning in between, she said.

Towers Hall representative Jena Jenkins and Sigma Sigma Sigma representative Stacy Bonneville could not be reached by press time.

Candidates pictured above are members of the 2007 UW-Eau Claire Homecoming Court. One will be crowned queen at Varsity Night Live! on Friday.