Daily Collegian - King, queen to be crowned tonight (Chris Heidrick)
For the past two days Penn State students had the opportunity to choose royalty, or at least decide which man and woman will be king and queen of the annual Homecoming festivities.
Members of this year's court are as follows:
-- Kelly Bratt (senior-secondary education/English) of Erie is co-editor of La Vie and a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority, 206 HUB. She is also a member of the University Scholar student advisory board, secretary of Mortar Board, and a member of Golden Key.
Bratt helped plan diversity courses for the honors program and was involved in selecting the 1990 President's Awards.
She said she works hard to achieve goals.
"With hard work you can accomplish anything you want," Bratt said. "But I don't sleep much."
-- Laura McClelland (senior-finance/international business) of Mercer is a University Scholar and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, 5 Ritner, and the Order of Omega, Golden Key and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies.
Her hobbies include reading and water skiing. McClelland studied abroad in West Germany last spring.
She said she manages to keep her high grade point average despite her many activities.
"I've always been really involved, so I learned to find study time right from the start," McClelland said.
-- Annette O'Donnell (senior-political science) of Dunmore is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, 108 S. Cross, and the Golden Key and Order of Omega honor societies.
O'Donnell hopes to study law at University of San Diego. In addition to interning at a law firm for three consecutive summers, O'Donnell spent last summer studying in the Netherlands.
She said experiencing different cultures was the best thing she had ever done.
"I became very much an individual and independent," O'Donnell said.
-- Stacie Rog (senior-English) of Lancaster is a Lion Ambassador and president of Kappa Delta sorority, 101 S. Cross.
Rog enjoys theater and music. As a freshman she starred in the Thespian production of Once Upon a Mattress and was in the chorus of the musical Grease.
Rog said she loves the chance to promote Penn State.
"As soon as I came up here I knew it was perfect for me," Rog said. "It's all different kinds of people from all different kinds of areas."
-- Chris Bogden (senior-electrical engineering ) of Allentown is the president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, 529 E. Beaver Ave. He is the past president of the Engineering Undergraduate Council, a member of the Order of Omega, and has attended a Leaders of the Future national conference.
He also volunteers for the Centre County Second Mile, an organization to help underprivileged children. Bogden said he loves working with people.
He said Penn State has given him more than an education.
"I've grown so much," Bogden said. "I've grown in every direction."
-- Chris Heidrick (senior-economics) of Bricktown, New Jersey is a member of Theta Chi fraternity, 523 S. Allen St. and the Order of Omega. His fraternity involvement includes the IFC finance committee and board of directors of the Fraternity Insurance Purchasing Group.
He is involved with tutoring at the University Learning Assistance Center, belongs to the Penn State Sailing team and studied abroad in England as a sophomore.
Heidrick cited his father as the person he most admires.
"He's always been there for me. He let me make the mistakes I needed to," Heidrick said.
-- Joseph Renda (senior-accounting) of Pittsburgh is president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, 429 E. Prospect Ave., a former Penn State cheerleader and a former Lion Ambassador at the McKeesport campus.
Renda volunteered for the Special Olympics and studied abroad last summer in Italy.
He said his experience abroad changed how he thought about life.
"In Italy they put a lot of emphasis on family and friends . . . and they really just love life," Renda said.
-- Mike Slaymaker (senior-electrical engineering) of Strasburg is a Lion Ambassador, a member of Mortar Board honor society and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.
In his spare time he enjoys music and motorcycles.
Slaymaker said he holds the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon as the most important of his Penn State memories.
"It's so cool how the University comes together," Slaymaker said about Dance Marathon.
The new king and queen will be crowned tonight at 8 p.m., south of Beaver Stadium. A bonfire will follow the coronation.