Surprising the Sweetheart Nominees

Senior Emma Marston shot up in bed. Sirens filled the air and young high school voices sounded through the megaphone.

“CONGRATULATIONS!!” Sophomore Student Council President Teirnan Shank shouted, “You’re nominated for Sweetheart queen.”

Candidates were nominated throughout the week of Jan. 16th. The votes were cast online. On Monday, Jan. 24, the tradition of waking up Sweetheart court candidates continued as 10 Student Council members woke up the candidates.

As the 22 seniors gathered at the McDonald’s at 95th and Mission, excited faces replaced the sleepy ones. Some seniors were very surprised, while others had been told or been hinted that they were nominated.

Nominee Nathan Simpson had no idea and was a little frightened when he found out.

“At first I had no idea, I was totally lost because people just walked in with a megaphone and sirens,” Simpson said, “I was a little scared.”

Simpson said he had suspected that he had been nominated a week ago, when his parents told him to clean his room.

“They never say that, so I just thought…hmm maybe I’m nominated,” Simpson said.

When he didn’t get woken up the next morning he was disappointed.

“I was sad, but then I got nominated the next week,” Simpson said, “Wow, I had no idea.”

Senior Molly Kurtz had gotten home from a ski trip earlier that morning and was very tired. She had told her mom to let her sleep in, so when she heard noises early in the morning, she assumed she had been nominated.

The Sweetheart dance will be on Saturday, February 12. The crowning of the queen will be the Friday before the dance, at the boy’s basketball game. The king will be crowned at the dance around 9:15 p.m.