CMU has had Homecoming Ambassadors instead of kings, queens since 1996
Kings and queens are often associated with Homecoming events, but not at Central Michigan University.
The university has not crowned a homecoming king and queen since Oct. 11, 1996. The kings and queens have since been replaced with gold ambassadors.
“With most homecoming kings and queens, it is simply a popularity contest,” said Damon Brown, coordinator of student activities.
The goal of honoring a gold ambassador is to highlight all areas of the student, including academics, campus and community involvement and leadership, Brown said.
Curt Hansen, a 1997 alumnus, remains the university’s last Homecoming king.
“My first reaction was like, ‘Did I screw something up?’” he said about hearing of the change.
Sasha Coleman Arnett, then Sasha Coleman, was the last woman ever crowned CMU Homecoming queen.
Arnett, a 2000 masters alumna, said Homecoming has never been a popularity contest. She said campus involvement had a lot to do with being named king and queen.
“I don’t think a popularity contest is what it was or should be,” Arnett said. “And if it is that, I don’t know how a simple change of name makes that difference.”
Arnett was a Robinson Hall resident assistant, summer orientation mentor and member of the National Residence Hall Honorary, according to Central Michigan Life’s archives.
‘Representing the university’
Although most Michigan universities still honor homecoming kings and queens, CMU is not alone.
Michigan State University honors “court ambassadors” and Grand Valley State University honors “court regents.”
Brown said the Homecoming committee holds the power to change the tradition back to king and queen if they want to.
Carol Hyble was the director of alumni relations in 1996 and part of the committee that made the original change.
Hyble said the idea was for people to look at gold ambassadors as leaders.
“Basically the king and queen title was more high school,” Hyble said. “In college, you want to think of people as representing the university.”
Hyble is currently the vice president for advancement at Alma College, which still honors homecoming kings and queens.
She said she would like to do the same thing for Alma College’s Homecoming that she did with CMU.
“I would love to do that here,” Hyble said. “I think it would be a nice suggestion.”
Hansen said he thought the change was an issue of political correctness.
He said after being crowned Homecoming king in the fall of 1996, he traveled across Michigan with then-president Leonard Plachta. He helped the president with events including alumni receptions and freshman orientations during the spring 1997 semester in several cities across Michigan, Hansen said.
Hansen was a Saxe Hall resident assistant, summer orientation mentor, admissions office intern, intramural athletic official and Alternative Spring Break leader among other things.
Hansen said being CMU’s last Homecoming king was an honor.
He said he is now a principal at Montague Middle School and occasionally has students go to CMU and come back and say, “You’re the last Homecoming king.”
