The 2010 University of Alabama Homecoming Court is composed of five girls who are fairly well-known, involved on campus and academically strong, according to Erica Floyd, SGA homecoming director. Each of these girls has her own unique interests, passions and reasons for wanting to be crowned queen.

            The first Homecoming Maid is Pandora Austin, a senior from Starkville, Miss., who is double majoring in psychology and advertising. She said her passion is people.

“Everything I’ve been involved in at the Capstone has involved people,” said Austin. “I am very compassionate and want to help better people’s lives, especially in my career.”

Austin is involved in many different organizations including: National Pan-Hellenic Council, the peer mentoring program, Psychology Club, Advertising Confederation, and the Alabama Black Belt Initiative. She also serves as the community service chair for Delta Sigma Theta.

“I want to be Homecoming Queen because I always aim to inspire others,” Austin said. “It’s about leaving a legacy at UA. I want to leave a pathway so someone else could follow behind in my footsteps.”

She said there has not been a minority Homecoming Queen at Alabama since 1986, so that is another reason why she would like to win this year’s title and set a precedent for minority girls in upcoming years.

She said the quote that most inspires her comes from the movie “A Cinderella Story”: “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

            The second Homecoming Maid is Chelsea Banks, a senior from Tuscaloosa, who is majoring in telecommunications and film. She said her passion is life.

“I’m just high on the three L’s – love, laughter, and life,” Banks said. “I guess you can really relate all that back to the fact that I’m a Christian.”

Banks has been involved in various organizations during her time at the Capstone, including Sales and Marketing Association (SMA), Avanti Team, many honor societies and Baptist Campus Ministries, where she has served in leadership roles for three years.

Banks wants to become Homecoming Queen in order to represent a ministry on campus.

“Fifteen out of 18 of the Homecoming nominees were greek,” Banks said.

She said she feels honored to be nominated and would love it if a girl supporting a ministry won.

The quote “The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way,” inspires her.

            The third Homecoming Maid is Anna Foley, a senior from Richardson, Texas who is majoring in English. She said her passion is engaging in discussions about new ideas.

             “I am invigorated when other people challenge my way of thinking,” Foley said.

She is involved in many organizations on campus including: Chi Omega, Blount Undergraduate Initiative, an Honor’s College internship, Blackburn Institute and various honor societies.

“I am just so honored to be on Court. It was not on my radar at all when the Honors College nominated me,” Foley said. “I never foresaw it. But I would enjoy representing all of the people that came out and voted for me.”

Foley said a quote that inspires her is by C. S. Lewis: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at its testing point.”

            The fourth Homecoming Maid is Shellie Street, a senior from Mobile, Ala., who is majoring in accounting. She said her passion is trying to make a difference in the lives of those around her.

“I’ve always been the type of person who enjoys being busy, and I meet many diverse people,” Street said. “I want to leave a legacy behind with each person I meet, because that’s what you are remembered by.”

Street has been involved in many organizations, including: Crimson Cabaret, the Alabama Panhellenic Association, Directors of Recruitment Counselors, SGA director of transportation and various honor societies. She currently holds the title of Miss University of Alabama.

“I want to be queen because I think that it would be a huge honor to be able to represent the University from all different aspects,” Street said.

A quote that Street said inspires her comes from the mouth of Eleanor Roosevelt.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

            The fifth and final Homecoming Maid is Bethany Travis, a senior from Kennesaw, Georgia, who is majoring in marketing. She said her passion is international mission work.

“I have a really big heart for community service, traveling and helping children who may not otherwise have the means to learn about God,” Travis said.

She has been involved in many organizations including: Sales and Marketing Association, Women’s Initiative Program at the executive level, Kappa Alpha Theta Service Committee, sales ambassador for the Business School, University Community Service Center, and various honor societies.

Travis wants to be Queen because she loves the University of Alabama.

“Attending Alabama is a tradition in my family,” Travis said. “I’m a third-generation student. I was born and raised to love the Tide and would love to represent UA as Homecoming Queen.”

A quote that Travis said inspires her is the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 13:13, which states, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”