A student task force will develop a new manual for the homecoming queen selection process following this year’s election cycle. 

In an email to the student body in October 2021, Vice President for Student Life Myron Pope supported a redraft of homecoming election rules because the Elections Manual was “not written with homecoming queen in mind.” He called for the creation of a diverse student task force to draft clear rules for future homecoming elections. 

The task force will develop a proposal and present it to Pope by the end of the spring semester. Pope will review and finalize the proposal to be enforced in the 2022 homecoming election. 

“Thank you to our Elections Board for your service in the past and to our students who helped identify challenges associated with using the Elections Board Manual for homecoming queen selection,” Pope wrote in an email to the student body. “I’m grateful to serve such an energetic student body and look forward to seeing the clarity that will be born out of your efforts.”

Meet the task force

The Homecoming Queen Selection Process Task Force consists of 10 students. Amy Traylor, director of the Bachelor of Social Work Program, will serve as an adviser, along with Student Government Association adviser Angel Narvaez-Lugo. 

The 10 student members are John Richardson, Jaylin Goodwin, Trinity Hunter, Demarcus Joiner, Jordan Jones, Ari Kellum, Kameron Klass, Colby Lewis, Arman Sheffield and Caleb Thome. 

The committee is chaired by John Richardson, a sophomore and winner of last year’s Outstanding Freshman award. Richardson is also a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. 

“The task force is filled with proven leaders on campus who have demonstrated hard work and great character during their time here in Tuscaloosa,” Richardson wrote. “Although, we have not had the opportunity to meet yet as a group, we look forward to convening throughout the course of the spring semester to accomplish our goal of clarifying this selection process for Homecoming 2022 and onwards.” 

Jaylin Goodwin is a marketing major and member of the honor societies Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma. 

Trinity Hunter is the vice chairperson of the Blackburn Institute and the chief administrative officer for the SGA. Hunter is also the director of communications for Not On My Campus and a writer for Her Campus at Alabama. 

Demarcus Joiner is last year’s SGA president and a current student at the UA School of Law. Joiner was also a vice president at the UA chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and the interim assistant regional vice president for Alpha Phi Alpha’s national branch. 

Ari Kellum was the chair of the 2020 class of the Blackburn Institute and is the vice president of the all-women campus honorary, The XXXI. 

Kameron Klass is a UA System fellow and a sophomore majoring in public health. 

Colby Lewis is the deputy chief of staff for the SGA’s vice president for student affairs and a member of the “Respect Rolls Here” interpersonal violence task force and the Student and Campus Life Committee. 

Arman Sheffield is the director of diversity, equity and inclusion for The University of Alabama Interfraternity Council and a member of Sigma Tau Gamma. 

Caleb Thome is the SGA’s counselor to the chief justice, an ambassador for the College of Human Environmental Sciences and a member of the Blackburn Institute. 

Information about Jones’ involvement at the University could not be confirmed in time for publication.