Wearing a red dress brighter than a Lobo uniform and a smile as big as the team's win against San Diego State, she accepted the title of 2004 UNM Homecoming queen.
In front of the fifth-largest crowd for a UNM football game, Elizabeth Schomburg and Carlos Guillen were crowned 2004 Homecoming queen and king Saturday.
"I have been involved in Homecoming since freshman year," Schomburg said.
She said her involvement caused her to realize you only get out of UNM what you put into it.
Schomburg and Guillen are ASUNM senators.
"It is going to be fun to represent UNM," Guillen said. "I am going to see a different aspect of UNM and will meet alumni, as well as learn about UNM's history."
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Schomburg said she is grateful for the support she received and the students who voted for her.
This year, 13 men and 11 women ran for Homecoming court.
"We had a big turnout of candidates this year," ASUNM Lobo Spirit Director Amanda Martinez said. "Normally only 15 to 20 students run for court."
Candidates must have a minimum 2.5 GPA, be enrolled in six credit hours and be an undergraduate, Martinez said.
"We had a good group of people and a good election," Martinez said. "I was excited to have so many people run."
Candidates for Homecoming do not have to campaign, but some put up signs or chalk around campus.
In the past, students have not campaigned and still made court because they knew so many people, Martinez said.
Schomburg and Guillen campaigned for Homecoming elections.
Martinez said most students she spoke to ran for court because of family traditions, prestige and the desire to represent UNM.
"The college Homecoming queen and king have more responsibilities, but not as much significance as a high school Homecoming king or queen because too many students attend college to really know the queen or king," junior Nikki Orio said.
Immediately after the polls closed, ballots were taken to a CIRT computer pod where they were counted electronically.
The counting device has a memory bank of all UNM students' social security numbers, preventing students from voting more than once.
The director of the CIRT pod and the head of ASUNM elections are the only two people who know the voting results. Winners are announced during the halftime show of the Homecoming game.
Because UNM is a nontraditional campus, it lags behind other universities in student enthusiasm and support of school functions, Martinez said.
She said the purpose of Homecoming is to increase school spirit.
"I ran for Homecoming, because I believe in the importance of school spirit and involvement," Guillen said.
Being crowned Homecoming queen or king is not just a title, Martinez said. These students must represent UNM students at meetings and functions for an entire year.
Candidates for Homecoming participated in Fall Frenzy last week by donating clothes to needy families or volunteering at a domestic violence shelter.
"Running for king has been totally worth it," Guillen said. "I have met so many new people and benefited from community service."
