On September 19, between the freshman and varsity football game, the West High 2025 Homecoming King and Queen were announced, Melakhi Hickey and Esther Shin. The week prior, juniors and seniors cast their votes for who they wanted to be on the Homecoming Court, and that week, the court was announced. The week of Homecoming, the Court was introduced with their partners and the student body voted on who they wanted to be their King and Queen for the year.

“Oh crap, I didn’t know what to think, I kind of blanked,” stated Hickey, who then continued to share, “It means a lot, to be voted by everyone makes me feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.” He didn’t believe he would be picked as king, but he would have been happy if any of the guys were picked. However, he ultimately just enjoyed being with and around his friends. 

Shin, our 2025 Homecoming Queen, stated it was an honor and that she was grateful to be crowned queen. “In the spur of the moment, I thought I had misheard my name and was caught off guard,” she said. She stated that she was personally rooting for her best friend, Amy Perez-Calderon, to win.

With the hectic week of homecoming, especially for a homecoming candidate, Shin shares that some of the memorable moments of this experience were, “generally speaking, getting one full day excused was so much fun. But, looking back, the most memorable experience would have to be walking across the stage in front of the entire student body. It’s not a common experience making it…nerve wracking, but definitely the most memorable experience.” Shin encourages future candidates to stay respectful, have fun and enjoy events. 

While homecoming week can be nerve-wracking as a candidate or not, there are lots of chances to have fun and enjoy the spirit of West High as a Wahawk. For future candidates of Homecoming and Kings and Queens, Hickey has some words of wisdom for those who need it. “The proof is in the pudding, you eat chocolate pudding, your poop’s gonna be brown.”