The 2005 National Panhellenic Council African American Homecoming Coronation is an event intended to further involve Ohio State’s minority students in the university’s homecoming celebration. However, the crowned king and queen said they were given second-class treatment on Homecoming day.

The coronation, an official OSU homecoming event, was held on Thursday, Oct. 13. Katelyn Jackson, a senior in journalism, was crowned 2005 African American homecoming queen and She’Rohn Draper, a fifth-year senior in philosophy and political science, was crowned king. The pageant has previously been held by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. but was headed by the National Panhellenic Council this year.

Pageant winners were awarded a $500 scholarship, trophy, flowers and tickets to the Homecoming game. They also were to attend brunch with the OSU court, the pep rally, homecoming parade and be presented at skull session and Homecoming game.

“I feel that the title of queen represents royalty and leadership, and someone who gives back to their community, which are all qualities that I think that I hold,” Jackson said. “The African American Homecoming Coronation is like a bridge for us to feel connected to the OSU community as well as the homecoming tradition.”

Jackson said she enjoyed attending the pep rally and parade, and did receive everything that she was awarded as queen. However, she said Saturday started off badly when the parking attendants at Longaberger tried to make her pay for parking at the homecoming brunch. She said the attendant said she was not told that African American Homecoming king and queen were coming.

“I didn’t have a sash or flowers, or anything that really says ‘I won,'” Jackson said. “I just looked like a regular black girl in a suit and tiara.”

Draper agreed with Jackson.

“This feeling of alienation was in full force Saturday,” he said in an e-mail.

Draper’s e-mail said he and Jackson were told there were no tickets for them, and eventually they were given extra tickets from a court member. He said he felt it was a small consolation when the coordinator of events finally got them a pair of tickets together.

Jackson said that when she asked Felix Alonso, Homecoming Court coordinator, if she and Draper were to prepare to go to the stadium with the rest of the court, she was told no.

“He said, ‘No. You’re done. Thanks and congratulations’ and then went on his way. There was no preparation on Saturday, so it felt like ‘Why are we even here?'” Jackson said.

“Katelyn and I were so pissed about the whole thing that we sold our tickets and left,” Draper’s e-mail said.

Lyndsey Smith, a fourth-year student in psychology, was the coordinator and MC of the coronation. She said she wanted the ceremony to tie in the African American community to the OSU community as a whole. Smith said she received a phone call from Jackson the day of the football game and gave her the phone number of Abbey Erford, coordinator of greek life, who handled the Panhellenic Council’s involvement in the coronation planning.

“Since it was a Saturday and no one was in their office, I didn’t know what to do after that.”

Smith said she didn’t feel that Jackson and Draper were treated with the same royalty as the traditional court and that they deserved better.

“I will work to assure that the (African American Homecoming Court) king and queen are treated with as much respect as the OSU court, even if I’m not coordinator,” she said.

Alonso, director of programs at the Alumni Association, said he did not know exactly if the African American king and queen were told what they would be receiving or that they would be part of the pregame show. He said he did not have any coordinating role in the African American coronation and that the planning for the OSU court’s participation was already done.

“I got a phone call saying ‘Could you introduce them at the skull session?’ and I said ‘Of course I can’.”

Alonso said the homecoming process begins in May. He encourages the African American coronation to happen earlier in the year, prior to Homecoming, to provide a better experience.

“Right now, Homecoming is the next day (following African American Homecoming Coronation),” Alonso said.

Alonso said they worked hard to include the African American Homecoming king and queen and to have a diverse OSU Homecoming Court.

“We do our best to make sure we have a Homecoming Court to represent the student body.”

Erford said she figured that Jackson and Draper’s involvement in homecoming activities were common knowledge and understood by the homecoming committee.

“This was a new event for (Panhellenic Council) to plan, and perhaps communication could have been more clear. I’m disappointed that this experience was like that for them because Katelyn and She’rohn were very deserving of their titles,” Erford said.

She said it is important to take things to the next level and do a good job of making everyone feel included.

“If this is something that we can improve upon then we will strive for that in the future,” she said.