Harvest Court crowned
November 18, 2010
In Potter Auditorium, the 2010 Harvest Court crowed its latest members Nov. 13 to end Oklahoma Baptist University’s centennial Homecoming events.
James Gonzalez, a senior Bible major from Katy, TX and Jenna Butner, a senior biology major from Seminole, Okla. highlighted this year’s Harvest King and Harvest Queen.
“Well, for me it’s just a tremendous honor for me to be nominated and selected by my peers, just to be recognized,” Gonzalez said. “I guess the Harvest King is somebody who is a part of campus, serving on campus and knowing people. So, it’s just an honor to have been able to be a part of the entire thing. And then to win. it is just really special.”
Butner was the 80th woman on Bison Hill selected to this position and said she is really pleased and proud to be a part of such a rich tradition at OBU.
“First, I’m very excited and very honored,” Butner said. “I think this year, besides it being my senior year, I’m really excited because Harvest Queen is something that’s so historical; the first queen was crowned in 1920, and so I know that it being the centennial year, it’s a huge honor and I’m really humbled by it.”
“I was really surprised because I think the other two girls that were nominated are just outstanding,” she said. “They are great friends of mine and it was a lot of fun to be in it with a lot of seniors whom I’m very close to.”
The other members of the 2010 Harvest Court include: best all-around woman, Senior English major Kaitlyn Rothaus from Bethany, Okla.; best all-around male, Senior Nursing major Taylor Dickenson from Enid, Okla.; most servant-like woman, Senior Nursing major Bethany Slagle from Haskell, Okla.; and most servant-like man Senior Anthropology major Daniel Jordan from Belle Vista, Ark.
“I think Harvest Court helps to honor students who have made a positive impact at OBU, most specifically students who are involved in extracurricular activities and service,” Butner said. “I think its specifically a way to honor seniors for, most likely their four-year contribution; if not for their two or three-year [contribution].”
Butner said that becoming the Harvest Queen has special meaning for her because it makes her feel connected to the university.
“For me, it gives me a feeling of ownership for the university,” Butner said. “I feel like I have invested a lot of time in different organizations and so it is something I’ll always look back on. I like that I have a deep, historical connection now to the university since there have only been 80 Harvest Queens.”
“And so, it something that I’ll always have with me, granted its not like the most important thing in my life because it’s a Homecoming Queen,” she said, “but I like that there’s now an even deeper connection between me and my university than there was before.”
Harvest Court is not just a way to honor special seniors of the university, it is also a special time for family to come and visit the campus. Also, this ceremony allows friends to spent more time with one another Gonzalez said.
“The whole thing is just a been a blast and I’ve had so much fun because I was friends with everybody up there in the entire court, and so everything leading up to and during the ceremony, I was just super excited and had a blast,” Gonzalez said. “And then I guess, thinking and then hearing my name, I mean both Scott and JJ are so awesome, awesome guys and I would have been totally pleased to see either of those guys win, and then hearing my name, it was just an honor to have the privilege of being the Harvest King.”
Butner said she hopes to see the Harvest Court not only continue its long-standing tradition, but also find a way to get the word out to more people on campus.
“I didn’t feel like very many people knew about it, other than seniors of course who were in it before voting,” Butner said. “For instance, I didn’t even know that voting for deciding who was actually going to win; I didn’t know it was Wednesday until they announced it at chapel after they announced us. And so, maybe a little more publicity for the campus; I know my freshmen year, I didn’t really know what it was or how it was important, so maybe some sort of advertising.”
