Florida A&M University Developmental Research School has crowned their king and queen on Sunday, Oct. 29 in Lee Hall with family, friends and classmates to witness, as the first event to kick off homecoming week.
The ceremony began with the “Keeper of the Seal,” which is the official person to introduce the king and queen.
The royal attendants and escorts made their grand entrance to the stage. The announcers Roger L. Walker and Lorian Miles introduced the former DRS king and queen as they took their final walk and said their farewells.
The audience offered a standing ovation as Walker introduced the new 2017-2018 Mr. and Miss. FAMU DRS Kenyah T. Williams and Micheal D. Jones.
Williams took to the podium to thank the student body, her family and friends for electing her, but mainly she reminisced on her experiences at FAMU DRS leaving with words of encouragement for the audience.
“I believe that all people have the qualities of a successful being, characteristics of altruism and the abilities to be the epitome of excellence,” Williams said. Then, she added, “When faced with challenges, I remember that though the route may seem cumbersome and the tough times create feelings of uneasiness, your character is not determined by what you experience but rather the person you become when rising from the ashes in triumph.”
Then, Jones offered the audience his speech with history and joy.
“I been at FAMU DRS since 2011.There have been good times and there have been bad times but overall I enjoyed my experiences,” Jones said.
The Royal Court, composed of 22 ambassadors ranging from kindergarten to high school who were voted on by their constituents to represent the university’s legacy, serve as campus ambassadors and recruit around the country.
One by one, each ambassador brought gifts to express love and gratitude to the king and queen on their well-decorated throne with orange and green background and a beautiful flower centerpiece.
Proceeding after the royal adornments, there was a dance selection by Terrence Pride and Company, followed by a warm song selection from James Tellis.
“DRS Coronation is special because it gives high school students the ability and experience to be a leader and to serve their community while feeling royalty,” said Florida A&M University’s current Mr. FAMU Jordan Sealey, who was visiting the high school event.
Throughout their reign, the court will continue to organize programs and campus-wide initiatives, travel on behalf of the university, and speak at public events.
The “Keeper of the Seal” closed the Lee Hall portion of the event. Then, the coronation ended but the celebration continued at the Ball in the Grand Ballroom.