Queen candidate Stefanie Bolling is a green M & M, “’cause there’s just something about the green ones.”

At Wednesday night’s coronation, emcees Lisa Sherrick and Brandy Meyer announced what types of sweets prince, princess, king and queen candidates would be.

The evening’s theme, “These are the Sweetest Days,” coincided with this year’s Homecoming theme: “How Sweet it is at EIU.”

This year’s king, Jason Guziec of Delta Tau Delta, said he was glad to represent Eastern.

His fraternity brother, Joseph King, won prince, and Sigma Kappa’s Mary Vashkelis and Chandi Daugherty won queen and princess, respectively.

“I’m glad to share this opportunity with my fraternity brother and the lovely Sigma Kappas,” Guziec said.

Vashkelis said she was shocked and excited when they announced she had won queen.

“Whether I won or not, it was going to be an awesome experience, and winning made it all that much better,” she said.

The soft music playing and dimly lit, elegant park scene onstage couldn’t hide the buzzing excitement floating in the air as the night proceeded closer to the announcement of the 2001 Homecoming King and Queen.

While candidates glided arm-in-arm up to the stage, Sherrick and Meyer, coronation co-chairs, read what each candidate considered to be their sweetest moment at Eastern.

Candidates named everything from bid days to birthdays to building a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Jennifer Rodriguez and Jonathan Walker of the Minority Teacher Education Association represented their organization as queen and king candidates as a happy couple of two years.

Both named their sweetest memory as finding the love of their lives.

Rodriguez and Walker both agreed being on court was a different experience. Each said they wouldn’t have done it without the other.

Phi Sigma Pi representative Jenny Christ’s sweetest moment was helping at the Special Olympics. She named Lifesavers as her candy because she is there when her friends need her.

Paul Lytle of Pi Kappa Alpha called himself an Almond Joy because “sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”

He also had the opportunity to be freshman attendant four years ago. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to represent my house.”

Gary Craig of Sigma Phi Epsilon won first runner up for king, and Becky Furlan of Kappa Delta won first runner up for queen.

Bolling, who won second runner up for queen said, “Its for them, not me.”

Second runner up for king, Brad Donaldson of Sigma Pi, said, “It was very unexpected. I can’t believe it.”

Katie Grenda, queen candidate for the Triad, said the experience was nerve-wracking and exciting.

“It was a good life experience,” she said. “I overcame a fear of big crowds.”

Sherrick and Meyer said they thought the evening was awesome. They said congratulations to all the candidates. “They represent their organizations beautifully.”

The Homecoming Court was selected based on 20 percent application, 20 percent voting and 60 percent interview. Elections took place Oct. 2 and 3.