By Elizabeth Sanders and Evie Beale 

Staff Writer and Sports Editor

    During halftime, the band was silent, and the Dancing Boots were still. The stadium was filled with anticipation of who would be crowned R. J. Reynolds Homecoming King and Queen. On the field, fourteen RJR seniors stood before the crowd, with suspense building over who would take the crown. 

    Niah McDaniel-Moore is the senior class vice president, a cheer captain, and an Ebony Society president and constantly engages with the community of RJR. McDaniel-Moore was named Homecoming Queen and plans to use her position to further impact RJR. 

    “I intend to make an impact through service, service, service, community service, and representing my school to the fullest, helping and engaging in the community and the school,” McDaniel-Moore said.    

    Ethan Truzy has always found ways to be involved, like captaining the Drumline, spending time with student peers, and serving as an RJR student body senator. At the game, Truzy was named RJR’s Homecoming King. Truzy made his decision to run mostly for the experience, but plans to continue representing RJR well by spreading cheer in the hallways and continuing to lead by example. 

    “It feels great to be the Homecoming King,” Truzy said. “I really enjoyed the experience. Everyone’s shown much love, and I really can’t help but express a great gratitude I owe to Reynolds.”

    Helen Wilson was named Queen of Compassion. The candidate who wins Queen of Compassion is the one who raises the most money for a cause selected by RJR—this year, a new mascot. Wilson is captain of the varsity field hockey and lacrosse team, Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, Senior Girls Service Club president, and a part of the Student Government Association.

    “Being on HOCO Court has been such a fun experience getting to know all the other candidates better and engaging with the student body, ” Wilson said. “My motive for running was to become the 2025 Queen of Compassion. I have always aspired to be the candidate who can raise the most money for such a great cause.”

    Lauren Bodenheimer is the president of Crosby Scholars, a dancing boot, a member of Girls Council and National Honor Society (NHS), and she brings school spirit wherever she goes, whether it’s a football game, cheering on the sidelines, or the spring musical. Bodenheimer was looking forward to running for Homecoming Court because she wanted to engage with the school community in a fun new way. 

    “I really just wanted to experience as much as I could,” Bodenheimer said. “It’s senior year, so I want to just try as many things as I can, and I just thought it would be a lot of fun.”

    Nylah Lee is a leader of the RJR A Capella group Syncopate and loves putting herself out in front of diverse groups of people. Lee is used to singing in front of a crowd, or performing under bright lights, but wanted to experience the HOCO game at its fullest, by participating on the court.

    “My motives for running are socializing,” Lee said. “Along with getting a chance to see and meet other people, and getting them to know more about me as a person.”

    Frii Sampson-Young, student body president, cheer captain, and NHS president, as well as much more, has campaigned for different roles within the school and loved doing it. This year, Sampson-Young added Homecoming Queen to her campaigning repertoire and had just as much fun with it as past elections. 

    “I love campaigning season, and I’m just so excited to get to know Reynolds more,” Sampson-Young said.

  Unlike his fellow competitors, Lem Cannon, a Reynolds Rowdy, wasn’t aiming to be on Homecoming Court. Once Cannon realized he was, he decided to stick it out and enjoy the experience.   

    “I was a surprise nominee, ” Cannon said. “I kind of just decided, all right, well, if I got nominated, might as well go through with it, and I’m looking forward to walking out and seeing all my friends.”       

    Sophia Lindenthal, or more commonly known as Soph, is a person who isn’t afraid to take charge, seen in her positions of leadership within Fashion Society and Film Studies, and try something new. This courage is what motivated Lindenthal to run for Homecoming Queen.

    “This has been a really fun experience because it has pushed me out of my comfort zone, making these posts and videos and asking, ‘Hey, do you want to be in my homecoming video?’” Lindenthal said.

    Anabella Rivas, vice president of the fencing team, wanted her campaign journey to be a fun time for herself, her friends, and her peers. To add a comical twist to the campaigning festivities, Rivas and her escort went around lunch dressed as a minion and a dinosaur.

     “I want to get people more hyped for school events, because I always see everyone being too nonchalant about things,” Rivas said. “And I want people to smile more. It’s high school, enjoy it.” 

    Deionna Wilks, co-captain of the RJR dance team and a member of the Demon Delights, wanted to be confident. She knew there was a chance she wouldn’t win Homecoming Queen, but she was not going to let whether or not she earned the title determine her self-worth.  

     “Sometimes you can see people’s true feelings when it comes to running or gaining a spot that may feel above other people,” Wilks said. “But if you just be humble about it and you continue to just be yourself, the prize will come.” 

    Sasha Quintana, a wonderful dancer, both at school and outside of school, and social media manager for GC, didn’t intend to be nominated. When Quintana was offered the opportunity to run, she decided to make the best of it. 

    “I’ve just been having fun, campaigning, and hanging out with my friends who are on court and helping them campaign too,” Quintana said. 

    Ashlyn Miller,  a senior working towards becoming a nail technician and who enjoys crocheting in her free time, ran for court because she wanted to be a pretty princess. Miller also ran with her boyfriend, Eliejyah Leach, a Homecoming King nominee.  

    “I was most looking forward to doing it with him,” Miller said. 

    Eleijyah Leach, a part of the RJR Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the robotics team, was excited to spend the time on Court with Miller. Alongside an activity to share with his girlfriend, running for Homecoming Court was a way for Leach to memorialize his high school years. 

    “My motives for running were to have a good time and to come out and celebrate RJR,” Leach said.  

    Chris Rodriguez, a member of the RJR marching band, Legion of Demons, and the chess club, saw those who ran for court earned the respect of their peers and he wanted the same for himself. In addition to earning the respect of his fellow students, he intends to make others feel respected.

    “I will contribute respect by getting to know everybody,” Rodriguez said. “I love everybody here. I love the school, and it’s made a huge impact on me.”

   All of the fourteen seniors on court had two shared motivations: they wanted to try something new in their senior year, and they wanted to make RJR the place where everyone wants to be. They executed this vision as they campaigned for Homecoming Court and across their four years at RJR through their acts of leadership, service and camaraderie.