Winning the title of Homecoming king and queen isn’t just a popularity contest.

Sixty percent of the winners’ scores comes from an application and 10-minute interview with two faculty members.

In the interview, candidates are asked about current events and how they would better Eastern if they were elected, said Marcus Smith, a member of the Homecoming Elections Committee and a junior biological sciences major.

Royalty hopefuls must also fill out an application that explains why they want to represent Eastern as king, queen, prince or princess.

The application includes questions like: What have you done so far that makes EIU better than it was before you came; What is your motto for life and why; and how do you want to be remembered at EIU after you leave?

The application states it should look professional, similar to a resume.

If a candidate doesn’t do well in the interview, he or she probably won’t win the title, Smith said.

Student vote makes up 40 percent of the outcome. But not many people even vote in Homecoming elections.

The numbers of student voters are usually very low, said Andrea Thomas, a member of the Homecoming Coronation Committee and a senior family and consumer sciences major.

“It’s because you don’t get anything out of it,” she said, adding people only vote if they know a person running or have a specific person to vote for.

Students usually campaign with fliers, buttons and T-shirts, but Thomas said she hasn’t even seen any signs of elections yet.

Honor clubs, residence halls, Recognized Student Organizations and the Greek Community all nominate candidates.

This year, more than 30 people have applied for Homecoming king, queen, prince or princess.

The king and queen don’t usually come from one specific organization.

There’s really no trend, Thomas said. But the likelihood of a person representing Greek Life is greater because more of them apply to be Homecoming royalty.

The Homecoming election rules require king and queen nominees to have junior or senior standing. Prince and princess candidates must have no less than 30 hours and no more than 60 credit hours at the time of the election, which is equivalent to sophomore standing.

Candidates must also have been a full-time student at Eastern for at least one semester and have a 2.5 GPA.

Each candidate is required to participate in one community service event, Family Fun Night.

Wednesday’s event, geared toward kids, is for the children of Eastern faculty and staff. It’s completely hosted by the Homecoming candidates.

After coronation Oct. 16, the king, queen, prince and princess have to participate in activities throughout Homecoming Week.

The royalty for “EIU Homecoming 2006. Tunes Into Classic TV Land Flicks” will be voted on today through Wednesday. Students, faculty and staff can vote in Coleman Hall, the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and the Student Recreation Center.