Homecoming 2023 is here! Starting today, September 25th, is spirit week. Every day, students will be dressing up to fit this year’s theme, Beachside Braves Homecoming. Today’s theme is “Beach Prepared Monday,” followed by “Teen Beach Tuesday.” Dress like a lifeguard on Wednesday, then rock a Hawaiian shirt on Thursday. Finally, end the week by dressing in orange and black for “Forever Braves Friday.”

After Spirit Week, there is the Homecoming football game against Tonganoxie on Friday night. Then, this Saturday, September 30th, from 7-10, is the Homecoming Dance. At the dance, students will have the chance to vote for Homecoming King and Queen from the ten senior candidates. Let’s meet those candidates!

Mckenzie Campbell

Mckenzie is a very involved BSHS student, both in athletics and clubs. She currently plays volleyball and does track, and she used to be on the basketball team. When she’s not on the field, she’s cheering on her fellow students in Orange Crush, a school spirit club. The other clubs she is a part of are FCA, Student Council, NHS, and Kay Club – a club that helps give back to the school and community. Outside of school, she works at Menards.

As a member of Student Council, Mckenzie played a part in choosing the theme of Homecoming this year. She says they picked the beach theme because it was simple and they all liked Hawaiian outfits. “ I love spirit days. They’re so fun. Everyone should do them,” says Mckenzie. Mckenzie didn’t promote herself at all, so she didn’t know what was happening when she got nominated as a Queen candidate.

Mckenzie says students should vote for her because she’s “that cool.”

Kate Dalton

In school, Kate has been involved with Orange Crush. Outside of school, she serves pastries at a Swiss cafe. In her free time, she loves going to concerts. She’s seen her favorite band, Hippocampus, multiple times.

Kate says she is very excited about Homecoming this year. She and her boyfriend, Isaiah Adcox, didn’t campaign at all, so she was very surprised when she was nominated. She says she is definitely going to participate in the beachy spirit week.

Finally, why should you vote for Kate? “If [you] want to,” Kate says.

Kaia Haigh

Kaia is a very involved student. She is on the cheer team, NHS, Kay Club, and 20/20 Leadership, a club to help students plan for their future and have leadership opportunities outside of school. Outside of school, Kaia works with kids at Lifetime Fitness, watching kids while their parents work out.

For Kaia, it’s a very exciting opportunity to be nominated for Homecoming Queen. She says she grew up watching Homecoming candidates get crowned, so she says it’s cool that she will be that person now. She had promoted herself, along with King candidate Chayce Richardson, by making a photo collage on social media.

Why should you vote for Kaia? “I am involved. And I’ve grown up in the Bonner Springs community my entire life,” says Kaia.

Hadley Hammerbacher

Hadley is another student involved with a lot here at BSHS. She is a Diversity Ambassadors officer, an Orange Crush Chieftain, wrestler, track runner, and member of 20/20 leadership. She works at American Eagle and Sporting KC outside of school.

Hadley thinks the Homecoming theme this year is really cool. She was excited to get nominated and also happy that her friends were nominated with her. She campaigned with King candidate Kalen Streit on social media.

Here’s why Hadley thinks students should vote for her: “I’m very involved in school and I think I could represent Bonner Springs well.”

Luci Smith

Luci plays tennis and soccer, and she’s a member of 20/20 leadership and the Diversity Ambassadors. Outside of school, she works at Kohl’s in Shawnee.

“I really like going to…Florida so I love the beach,” Luci says about the theme this year. She says she is definitely going to participate in all the Spirit Days. Luci says she was at a “loss for words” when she got nominated as a Queen candidate because she hadn’t done anything to promote herself.

Why should students vote for Luci? “I’m so cool,” she says.

Isaiah Adcox

Isaiah is a person who is pretty involved in school. He’s a photographer/videographer for the BSHS newspaper and yearbook, and he’s doing track this year. Outside of school, he works at Cookie Co. in Lenexa and creates videos for a basketball club called Mokan.

Isaiah says he is excited for Homecoming and excited to be nominated for Homecoming King. He and his girlfriend, Queen candidate Kate Dalton, didn’t even campaign but were nominated as a couple.

Why should students vote for Isaiah? “You know me, vote for Zayshotit,” Isaiah says, naming his photography Instagram handle. “Just because me and Kate are the only couple [in the running]…you should vote for a couple, vote for us.”

Chayce Richardson

Chayce is another candidate who is also on the yearbook team. He’s the editor-in-chief of the yearbook, as well as the president of Diversity Ambassadors, part of 20/20 Leadership, and member of the cheer team.

As for the theme for Homecoming this year, Chayce feels it is “pretty vague but…pretty cool.” He and Queen candidate Kaia Haigh did a lot of promotion together on social media, but he says it was still so crazy to get nominated.

Why should you vote for Chayce? “Because I’m obviously the best option,” Chayce says, “and I think since we haven’t had a gay homecoming king in a number of years, I think it would be cool to have that type of representation.”

Kalen Streit

Kalen is an athlete here at BSHS. He plays basketball, football, and he supports the other sports as an Orange Crush Chieftain. He’s also part of Kay Club. Even outside of school he is involved in sports, playing golf in his free time.

Kalen enjoys this year’s Homecoming theme and plans to participate in some of the Spirit Days this week. To campaign, he and Queen candidate Hadley Hammerbaucher posted on social media, so he was happy when he was nominated.

According to Kalen, students should vote for him because he’s kind.

Dainan Whetstone

In school, Dainan is on the bowling team. He also bowls outside of school and is going to go to college at St. Mary’s on a bowling scholarship. He is a sports photographer along with King candidate Isaiah Adcox, and part of the Diversity Ambassadors.

Dainan says he usually doesn’t like Homecoming because he never gets picked to be royalty, so this year is different. “Senior year more than one person…can get chosen so it was a higher chance. But yeah, it was pretty cool.” He took a comedic approach to his campaign, saying he was going to throw a bowling ball at people’s heads if they didn’t vote for him.

Dainan says people should vote for him because he’s “better than the rest.”

Zubayr Zlitni

Following the common theme of newspaper/yearbook team members, Zubayr is on the newspaper staff. He is also in the boys volleyball club and is an Orange Crush Chieftain. Outside of school, Zubayr works at a restaurant called Pegah’s and likes to go hunting and play video games.

Zubayr has a mixed opinion of the theme this year, but his overall thoughts on Homecoming are positive. “I feel like we should change the theme because we do this same thing every single year for the theme,” he says.

He didn’t campaign at all, so he was kind of shocked when he was picked as a candidate. “To be honest. I wasn’t really paying attention to the assembly. And out of nowhere they said, ‘Zubayr Zlitni’ and all my friends started screaming to tell me to get up and go out there.”

Zubayr says students should vote for him because he’s an underdog, not having a big campaign.

Underclassmen

We can’t forget the underclassmen royalty. The junior prince and princess are Fenway Poling and Adley Maxwell. For sophomores, it’s Hayden Allen and Aubrey Miller. Finally, the freshman royalty are Bridges McConnell and Liliana Madrigal.

Good luck to all the candidates and may everyone have a great time celebrating Homecoming!