A week of virtual and socially distanced homecoming activities, dubbed the Triton FAN-demic, wrapped up over the weekend at the University of Missouri–St. Louis when Madison Bruns and Tyler Haynes were chosen the 2021 Homecoming Court Royalty winners. Their coronation ceremony took place via Zoom.

Bruns, 21, is a senior psychology major and a graduate of Belleville East High School who really enjoyed the crowdfunding aspect of homecoming week. Haynes, 20, is a sophomore in UMSL’s Succeed Program and a graduate of Francis Howell North High School. He won first place in the CANstruction can collection competition.

In all, homecoming royalty candidates helped collect 1,779 nonperishable food items for the Triton Pantry, and they also raised $7,606 in scholarship funds to benefit UMSL students.

UMSL Daily reached out to Bruns and Haynes to find out more about their homecoming royalty experience.

Madison Bruns 

Tell us about the organization that sponsored you and why you are a part of it.

I was sponsored by Zeta Tau Alpha. I’ve been a member of the sorority since 2018. I joined during formal recruitment that year because I felt as though I found a true home among those women in the organization. They made me laugh and made my interests their interests. Since being a part of the chapter, they have lifted me up when life has brought me to my knees. They have made me laugh, made me cry, and made me feel loved. I have learned so much from my time being in Zeta and it has shaped me into who I am today.

What does being homecoming royalty mean to you?

Honestly, I’m without words. It is such an honor. It represents a history at UMSL and being able to have an impact on campus. Just being a part of running for royalty meant so much. Being crowned has just left me without words. I’ll do all I can to make the campus proud and to get the campus community involved again despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Why did you run for homecoming court?

Every year since being a member in Zeta I have been able to help with homecoming activities. It is always so fun and a tradition that most look back on fondly. Sammy Jacobs, homecoming royalty last year, is my “big” in the chapter. Being there for her last year really inspired me to want to run. It was so much fun and she was able to make such an impact on the campus community through all of the events — from raising money, to donating items for CANstruction, to getting to have such a good time with everyone at the lip sync battle. Getting to see all of that firsthand was really inspiring and pushed me to want to also make a difference on campus.

What was your favorite part of homecoming week?

I really loved crowdfunding. I know that sounds weird, but towards the end of the final day we really had a good competition going. It ended up bringing my sorority sisters and I together. We started calling all of our family members, and some girls were even donating a lot of their own money toward the cause. Just trying to raise the most money made all of us so competitive. Those last five hours on Friday night were tense. Our group chat was going crazy trying to think of who we could call or reach out to that would be willing to donate. At the end of the day we are all so proud we were able to band together to raise so much money for such a worthy cause.

Was homecoming different to you this year because of COVID restrictions?

It was way different. I’ve gotten to participate in all of the past events in years prior, so this year felt really strange. Not doing lip sync was pretty sad because that was an event the girls in my chapter always really enjoyed. All of the preparation for that meant we all got to spend lots of time with one another so it really brought us together. Same with CANstruction. Spending time getting lots of cans and then spending that time building a structure with your friends is something I definitely miss. Especially because this year there was a can limit as well as only having one person. Having everything online gave it a very different feel, but don’t get me wrong, I still loved it. It pushed us to connect in different ways. I know it pushed me to connect with people in a very different way. Spending more time online or building connections with others was pretty crucial for this year.

Homecoming was a breath of fresh air, though. It brought back some familiar feelings, so I still got the feeling of homecoming even though it was a little different. It still allowed us to connect with one another and be involved with the campus community while still being smart and safe. A nice break from our regular day-to-day.

Why did you choose UMSL?

UMSL was close to home without being too close to home (haha). Also, no one I knew from my high school was coming to UMSL so I would be able to branch out and meet new people and gain new experiences. UMSL was a big enough university that I would be able to have that feel without actually having to go to a big university. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and it had lots of opportunities for me so I knew I would be able to get a lot of different experiences and then move from there.

What’s your favorite UMSL experience?

Honestly, it’s so hard to choose. I’ve had so many amazing experiences from my time with working with First Year Experience mentors to being a residential advisor to all my time at the RWC, but my favorite has to be Bid Day for my sorority. Bid Day comes at the end of what feels like a long tiring three days. You spend all this time trying to build connections with women, and Bid Day is the big pay off of all that hard work. It’s one big celebration for all of the women in Greek life. One specific Bid Day, my best friend and big, Sammy Jacobs, was going to be running home. She was a part of Panhellenic, so I was not able to really spend any time with her because she was disaffiliated. Finally, I was going to have my best friend back, and I was going to get to welcome home all of these new amazing women into Zeta. Most of those women are now running our chapter. I remember them opening the doors and Sammy running home and me almost tackling her to the ground. I was so excited. Then I got to spend that entire day with one of the new members who eventually became one of my three littles. The whole day was filled with nothing but joy. I’ll hold that close to my heart for a long time.

What are your plans after graduation? What are your career goals?

After graduation I hope to go on to attend graduate school to earn my master’s degree in counseling. The dream is to become a sex therapist.

 

Tyler Haynes

Tell us about the organization that sponsored you and why you are a part of it.

Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity sponsored me. APO is a service fraternity that focuses on leadership, friendship and service. We provide service to the campus, community, nation and our fraternity. I joined APO because I am interested in participating in service activities and learning new things. I love making new friends and working together with others! I am the first student from the Succeed Program to join APO.

What does being homecoming royalty mean to you?

To me, being homecoming royalty means that I represent UMSL. I can show people how amazing UMSL is and that there is something for everyone. I want people to know that UMSL has so many awesome programs and activities. I can also help people to meet new friends!

Why did you run for homecoming court?

I really love being a student at UMSL! I love going to classes, meeting new friends and doing all of the cool activities! I participated in the 2020 UMSL homecoming activities and went to the homecoming dance. I had so much fun. It was really cool to see the homecoming court and winners. I knew I wanted to participate on the homecoming court in 2021.

What was your favorite part of homecoming week?

My favorite part of homecoming week was the CANstruction competition. We had to build a structure using canned goods. I built a model of the UMSL basketball court because I love basketball! It was so cool and really fun. We were able to have one person work with us. My friend Ethan from Alpha Phi Omega worked with me. I won first place in the CANstruction competition!

Was homecoming different to you this year because of COVID restrictions? 

Yes, homecoming was different this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. We had to do a lot of the activities virtually, and we could not have the big homecoming dance. I still had a lot of fun participating in the different homecoming activities!

Why did you choose UMSL?

I really wanted to go to college. I have autism and knew I would need extra support in college. My family learned about the UMSL Succeed Program. I learned more about the program and really liked it. I read about how awesome UMSL is and heard great things about UMSL. I am really glad that UMSL has the Succeed Program. 

What’s your favorite UMSL experience?

I enjoy so many things at UMSL! One of my favorite UMSL experiences was joining Alpha Phi Omega last fall. Another one of my favorite UMSL experiences was being on the homecoming royalty court. I also enjoy living in Oak Hall with so many friends.

What are your plans after graduation? What are your career goals?

I really enjoy working at the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center in guest services. I love working with people and doing team activities. I would like a career in public relations.