by George Smith, Student Reporter
Students at Northwestern Oklahoma State University have had their say, and the finalists for the offices of Ranger Royalty for the 2019 Homecoming celebrations were named at a banquet on Oct. 15.
The Northwestern News sat down with each of the candidates to find out why they want to become Northwestern Royalty.
RANGER KING CANDIDATES
Michael “Spanky” Czapansky is a senior agriculture major from Pond Creek, OK. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and cheering on the Ranger Cheer Team. The cheer team is sponsoring him.
Czapansky said that running for Ranger Royalty is important to him because he won Homecoming King at his former college, Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. Winning the crown at both schools “would be legendary” to him. Czapansky said he is running on a platform of merits. He has gained support for his candidacy through Snapchat, and he has spoken to students around campus. He is the only senior running for the office, and he feels confident that he “has a shot” at winning.
Jesus “Chuy” Dominguez is a sophomore mass communications major from Laverne, OK. The band is sponsoring him. His hobbies include making music, running, and designing digital products.
Dominguez’s name is pronounced like the word “chewy.” As such, he has handed out chewing gum to students when asking for their votes. He has used social media to spread the word about his campaign, and he said he hopes the best man will win.
Sam Gentry is a sophomore from Corpus Christi, TX. He is a member of the football team. He serves as a Ranger Connection Peer Leader, and he helps with the reading mentor program. The football team is sponsoring him.
Gentry and his supporters have produced and distributed T-shirts to help drum up support for his candidacy. Gentry has handed out “goodie bags,” and he made a video in which he discussed why he feels he should win.
RANGER QUEEN CANDIDATES
Adriana Guel is a junior social work major from Los Angeles, California. She enjoys reading, and Chartwells is sponsoring her.
Guel works for the university, and she said that she has a huge network of friends that helped get her name on the ballot.
To promote her candidacy, Guel has handed out baked goods and snacks. She has also promoted her campaign through social media. Guel thinks that the competition for the crown is fierce, but she believes that a good voter turnout will help her in the end.
Mallory Overpeck is a senior biology and chemistry major from Elkhart, Kansas. She plans to go to dental school after graduating from NWOSU. She is a math tutor in the Academic Success Center, and the Medical Sciences Club is sponsoring her.
Overpeck has been handing out cookies and other treats to persuade voters, and she said she has enjoyed getting to know her running mates.
Madison Wilson is a senior history and theatre major from Enid, Oklahoma. She is a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha and the Castle Players club. She enjoys acting and planning events. Alpha Sigma Alpha is sponsoring her.
While Wilson also has handed out baked goods, she said she has taken a more “nostalgic” approach to her campaign. She has handed out “silly bands” with hashtags and quotes on them. Wilson said she sees herself as a top competitor because she has utilized her social media platforms more effectively than her competitors have. She believes that her message has reached the greatest number of voters.
FRESHMAN QUEEN WINNER
The 2019 Freshman Queen is Payton Scott. Scott is an agriculture business major from Newkirk, Oklahoma. She plays on the softball team, attends the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and serves as a manager for the football team.
Scott said he ran for the office because she wanted to represent the softball team off-the-field.