Candidates for West Virginia University’s 2010 Homecoming court have been selected. The five female and five male students will now compete for the title of king and queen.

Homecoming queen candidates are: Meghan Flinn, Oakland, Md.; Melissa “Mel” Moraes, South Park, Pa.; Tracy Speilman, Beckley; Rachel Viglianco, St. Albans; and Dana Zelder, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Homecoming king candidates are: Kevin Beck, Fairport, N.Y.; Kyle Golombos, Hillsborough, N.J.; Zachary Liberto, Wexford, Pa.; Taylor Richmond, Beckley; and Omar Wazir, Charleston.

The candidates will begin campaigning at midnight on Oct. 11 and will end at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 18. Voting will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 19-21 via the MIX (Mountaineer Information Xpress) system.

The entire court will participate in the Homecoming parade down High Street, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 22.

The 2010 Homecoming king and queen will be crowned during a halftime ceremony at the WVU-Syracuse football game, which is on Oct. 23 at Milan Puskar Stadium.

A brief bio for each candidate follows:

Homecoming Queen Candidates:

Meghan Flinn is a senior mathematics and philosophy major from Oakland, Md. She is active in the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, where she has served as an officer for three years and was president one of those years. This year, Flinn is a student advisor for the society. She is also an executive officer for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She has volunteered with the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club and participates annually in Relay for Life. She is currently a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Mortarboard honorary and is a student in the Honors College. She has been on the president’s list, for receiving a 4.0 GPA, each semester of college. Flinn is the daughter of Gene and Joyce Flinn. She is being sponsored by Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society.

Melissa “Mel” Moraes is a senior public relations major with minors in dance and theatre from South Park, Pa. She is involved with the WVU Student Government Association as their executive director of the arts and the public relations team; WVU’s Public Relations Student Society of America, where she serves as the historian/social chair; and she is the secretary and public relations executive of the student-run program MountieRide. Moraes is a member of the WVU Dance Ensemble, Mountaineer Maniacs, and was also on the WVU Dance Team. She qualified for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars for three years, the School of Journalism Dean’s Student Advisory Board and has been on both the dean’s and president’s lists. She is the daughter of Marcia Del Papa and Jorge Moraes. She is sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Tracy Speilman is a senior nursing major from Beckley. She is a member of Alpha Phi sorority and is currently serving as director of member development. She is a governor on WVU’s Student Government Association Board of Governors, and was recently nominated as social chair of the College Republicans. She volunteers her time to the Amazon Water Walk, United Methodist Temple, Scott’s Run Settlement House, Head Start and cooks meals at the Rosenbaum and Bartlett houses. She was rewarded the Emma Larson and Mountaineer Mine Safety Scholarship for her schooling. Speilman is the daughter of Burge and Cynthia Speilman. She is sponsored by Alpha Phi sorority, WVU’s Student Government Association, College Republicans and Student City.

Rachel Viglianco is a secondary English education major from St. Albans. She is active in WVU’s choirs, competing as a top finalist in Mountaineer Idol and singing the national anthem for WVU athletic events. She is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, WVU Honors College, Italian-American Organization, Italian studies club, Sigma Tau Delta and Alpha Lambda Delta, among others. She is also a fourth-year member and leader of WVU’s varsity rowing team. Viglianco has been on the dean’s list every semester, and has been a Presidential Scholar. She was a member of the Big East All-Academic team and a National Scholar Athlete for the Collegiate Rowing Association. She is the daughter of Steven and Kerry Viglianco. She is sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Dana Zelder is a senior nursing major from Pittsburgh, Pa. She is a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, where she serves as chaplain, assistant academic achievement chair and publicity chair; and the WVU Nurses Association, where she serves as a treasurer. She has volunteered at the WVU Children’s Hospital, St. John University Catholic Parish, Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House. Zelder has been on the president’s or dean’s lists every semester at WVU. She was awarded Pan-Hellenic academic awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement, sister of the “Best Sorority on Campus” and was named to the 2005 Pennsylvania Female All-State Soccer Team. She is the daughter of Marty and Sheree Zelder. She is sponsored by Alpha Xi Delta.

Homecoming King Candidates:

Kevin Beck is a senior marketing major from Fairport, N.Y. He is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, the WVU Marketing Club and Snowboard Club. He is the son of Richard and Christine Beck. He is sponsored by Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Kyle Golombos is a senior marketing major from Hillsborough, N.J. He is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, where he serves as fundraising and co-community service chair. He has also been heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Boys and Girls Club. He is a member of the WVU EcoCAR team, and is currently completing a marketing internship at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center. Golombos has been awarded the Tau Kappa Epsilon academic scholarship two times. He is the son of Susan and Greg Golombos. He is being sponsored by Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Zachary Liberto is a senior secondary education major, with a focus on social studies and a minor in history, from Wexford, Pa. Liberto is active on the West Virginia Men’s Lacrosse Team. He has been on the dean’s list each semester since spring 2009. He is the son of Tom and Donna Liberto. He is sponsored by the West Virginia Men’s Lacrosse Team.

Taylor Richmond is a senior political science major from Beckley. He currently serves as president of the Leadership Studies Student Association and is the alternate Mountaineer mascot. He has been active as a residential assistant in Braxton Tower, Blue and Gold Ambassador, former executive of the Mountaineer Maniacs and a Puskar Leadership Scholar. Richmond is currently serving as the only undergraduate student on the President’s Strategic Planning Council, and he is a member of WVU’s Transportation and Parking Committee. Richmond is the son of Ed and Donna Richmond. He is sponsored by the Leadership Studies Student Association.

Omar Wazir is a senior biology and history major from Charleston. He is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Epsilon Delta honorary. He is director of health and wellness for the Student Government Association and is a Gold and Blue Ambassador. Wazir volunteers at Ruby Memorial Hospital. He has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, was a Mr. Mountaineer finalist and has been on the dean’s list. He is the son of Karen and Dr. Badshah Wazir

For more information on 2010 Homecoming, visit http://homecoming.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

cd/09/28/10

CONTACT: Colleen DeHart, University Relations – News
304-293-5507, Colleen.Wright@mail.wvu.edu