This year’s homecoming court members all had experience with Associated Student Government and Greek life, and these affiliations have raised questions for some students. The process for selecting the court is designed to promote fairness, the ASG director of homecoming said.

Thousands of Razorback fans watched as Holly Hilburn was crowned 2011 homecoming queen Saturday, Nov. 5, during halftime of the Arkansas-South Carolina football game. Hilburn is a senior from Little Rock majoring in journalism and political science.

“ I think it is fair for ASG members to be on homecoming court despite the fact that ASG members play a big part in organizing and presenting the event,” Hilburn said.

“There were only a couple of us on the court who are actively holding positions. Now, that by no means is the reason they got on court. They got on court because of their service to the school and the time they give every day,” Hilburn said.

The members of Hilburn’s sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, nominated her for homecoming court, she said.

Homecoming court is open to all UA women who are nominated by a Registered Student Organization, according to the ASG website.

“I believe only one of the girls that actually made it to court [top five] was nominated by her sorority. The rest of them were nominated by other organizations,” said Leah Nichols, ASG director of homecoming.

Three of the top five candidates were nominated by a Greek life organization and one candidate was nominated by ASG, according to the ASG website.

Director of Homecoming is a new position created by Lauren Waldrip, the ASG vice president who also was on the homecoming court.

Waldrip said the position  was created because she thought that there was a need to make improvement in some areas for the students.

“Last year, homecoming was just kind of like another game, just not as exciting, just not as much fun,” Waldrip said. “In the past, the vice president has just had an assistant. I’ve taken basically most of the events that I’m in charge of and divided it up.”

Following their nominations, homecoming candidates must submit written applications, which are reviewed by a panel of judges. The pool of 15 candidates who pass this stage is then narrowed to five by an interview process. These candidates can then campaign for queen, Nichols said.

“Each judge represented diverse groups on campus,” Nichols said. “We tried to touch each base so it’s a fair judging.”

The homecoming selection panel included people that represent different groups on campus including athletics, staff, Greek life, nontraditional students and  international students, Nichols said.

Having ASG experience and being on homecoming court is not a conflict of interest, Hilburn said.

“The people that do the court selection process, they are independent of actual ASG. ASG just oversees court selection, but there is a bipartisan individual who oversees the process,” Hilburn said.

“ASG is the largest RSO on campus, so it is natural for women who have been in ASG to be on the homecoming court,” said Rudy Trejo, ASG director.  The homecoming court panel is a full representation of the student body, so that removes the conflict of interest, he said.