Evan Davis is campus royalty—just don’t say that to his face. The down-to-earth senior was recently named homecoming king, but he’s still getting used to the title and all the attention that comes with it. However, we think Evan is the perfect homecoming king and campus cutie because of his humble and friendly personality, as well as his obvious dedication to all things OSU. Boasting an impressive resume of extracurricular activities, Evan might be one of the most involved students on our campus, so chances are you’ll be seeing him around; just look for that signature hairdo.
Hometown: Xenia, Ohio
Major: Political Science and International Studies
Campus involvement: Tour guide, Model African Union, Honors & Scholars, MUNDO, Off the Lake Productions
HC: What made you decide to run for homecoming king?
ED: Freshman year I worked as an assistant in Mack Hall and my manager told me, “one day I can tell you’re going to do great things here at Ohio State and one day you’re going to be on homecoming court.” And I was like, “oh yeah, whatever.” And when the applications came out to apply, I was like, “well, I guess I should give it a go.” And then I also did it just because of my involvement with the university. I feel like a lot of times, people don’t appreciate the university as much as they should and they don’t have a real, concrete understanding of what it means to be a Buckeye, or they think that because they might not be involved in some of the large campus organizations that plan major events or bring big names to campus, they’re not making an impact. But there are people that are part of smaller organizations that do great things that are still making Ohio State one of the best institutions in the country.
HC: There were 24 students on homecoming court this year. What do you think made you stand out?
ED: I honestly don’t know. When they said “Evan Davis,” I was in disbelief. I didn’t think it was real. And my escort was like, “they said that you were king, you should probably walk down to the field.” So I don’t know, but it’s definitely such an honor to be homecoming king, considering the people I was on court with, because they’re all amazing individuals and they all have qualities that I admire.
HC: Your homecoming week experience was obviously different than most other students’. Describe what that week was like.
ED: Homecoming week was overwhelming because I had midterms, so I had to study, but I also wanted to hang out with the other members of court and go to the different obligations that I had. We had a variety of different dinners that were planned, and then we also did a few things on our own, just so we could spend the week together and bond as a court. One morning, we got together and made breakfast with each other, and that was fun. But it was definitely overwhelming; it was a lot to take in for one week. The week just went by so fast, but it was something that I kind of wish happened every week because of (it has nothing to do with the crowning or anything like that) just getting to hang out and bond with those people. They’re all amazing individuals. Getting to know them was definitely a lot of fun.
HC: What was it like being on the field that day?
ED: When we were on the field, it was kind of funny because there’s actually a reunion brunch the day of the game. I’m so glad we had a night game this year because we didn’t have to be there until 3 PM—and if it had been a noon game, it’s a reunion breakfast and you have to start everything at 6 AM, so I was happy that we didn’t have to get there at the crack of the dawn. So you have your reunion brunch, then we went to Mirror Lake and took pictures and then we went to the reunions with our families. From the reunion, you get bussed over, and you get a police escort (which is actually kind of fun) through campus to St. John’s Arena for the skull session. So you wait for the skull session, and they announce the court there. And then you leave St. John’s and you go over to the stadium and they tell you, “this is one of the only times you’ll ever get to be down the field, so take advantage of it and do whatever you want.” So a lot of us were goofing off and playing around, running up and down the sidelines and running up and down the ramp like we were the band, dancing to the music. We also took pictures on the field like we were the offensive and defensive lines. We took pictures of Archie doing the Heisman pose, which was really fun.
HC: So what exactly does the homecoming king do? Do you have any obligations?
ED: There aren’t official obligations; you’re not mandated to do anything specifically. However, they do ask that if there’s an alumni association event that you do attend, be in the tapping ceremony that will happen in the spring for inducting the new members into homecoming court and then also helping with Traditions Night. It’s a night where the old homecoming court members come back and take the new court members around campus and talk about the different traditions. We’ll tell them about the week, and the specifics and history about homecoming and what it means to the university. And then we’ll have to come back next year and help with the crowning of next year’s king and queen.
HC: You’re representing Ohio State, one of the largest universities in the country. What does that feel like?
ED: It’s exciting but it’s also a little bit nerve-racking. My family went crazy and they were so excited and everyone back home knows; it was on the news and it’s been in the papers back home. I was walking to class the other day and I heard people whispering behind me, “I think that guy’s homecoming king,” and it was a little bit awkward. I don’t know what to say or what to do. It’s weird because I honestly don’t feel like a different person, and I’m not walking around like “yeah, I’m the homecoming king.” I was at the football game yesterday and this lady and her family stopped and were like, “oh my gosh, you’re homecoming king, can we get a picture with you?” It’s a little piece of fame that I wasn’t expecting and that I’m not really ready for because that’s not my personality. I’m not someone who likes to brag or boast about my accomplishments, but people are like, “you should tell everybody you know!” It’s weird when people just walk up to you … and congratulate you. I mean, it’s fun and I’m happy that I get to represent the university, but I definitely think that the experience overall is something that’s a little bit overwhelming that I wasn’t all too well prepared for.
HC: Would you do it all over again?
ED: Yeah, I would do it all over again. It was amazing. Past court members will tell you it’s honestly not a competition. Instead it’s just about being honored that you’re being recognized for your accomplishments at the university. It doesn’t matter who gets king or queen because you get to make friends with the entire court. It is actually more of an honor to be associated with the other court members than it is to be crowned king or queen, just because those are people you’re going to be connected with for the rest of your life because of your shared experience.
HC: What do you love about Ohio State?
ED: This is going to sound really cheesy, but I love the sense of opportunity that Ohio State provides. Because we are such a large institution, we have so many connections and so many people spread throughout the world. It makes it a lot easier for students to become active and become involved, and integrate themselves into society rather than being caught in a college bubble.
HC: Is there anything you dislike about Ohio State?
ED: I’ve done four study abroad programs since I’ve been here (Brazil twice, Bolivia and Turkey), and I wish that every student had some type of financial support to allow them to study abroad, or some type of requirement or mandate, just because it is an amazing experience. I know they are expensive and not everyone has the money, but a lot of times there are scholarships that people don’t know about that they can apply for that could heavily subsidize study abroad. But I wish that was a requirement.
HC: So it’s your senior year. What’s one thing you want to do before you graduate?
ED: This is hard because freshman year my friends and I got together and jokingly created a bucket list of things I wanted to do. And for the most part, I think I’ve accomplished everything, so I don’t know. I want to have fun. I’m kind of more of a chill, laid back, go-wherever-the-road-takes-you person.
HC: What advice would you give to underclassmen to make their college years the best?
ED: I would definitely say don’t be afraid to take advantage of the opportunities. Just because opportunities are there doesn’t mean they’re going to come knocking on your front doorstep, so make sure you put in that extra effort to want to improve and enhance your college career. I know if I would’ve just sat back and not been proactive about things, I could have very easily forgone a lot of opportunities that have definitely shaped and molded my time here at Ohio State.
HC: Where do you see yourself ten years?
ED: Hopefully I will be sitting in an embassy in some foreign country working for the State Department.
Evan’s Campus Favorites:
Favorite place to study on campus: It only actually works in early autumn and spring quarters, but right in front of Hopkins Hall, there’s a little sycamore tree and I like to sit underneath that tree.
Favorite on campus place to eat: This is a hard one. It’s probably a tie between Woody’s and Oxley’s. At Woody’s I like the pulled pork barbeque nachos. At Oxley’s, their southwest chicken is by far the best.
Favorite off-campus place to eat: Chipotle
FavoriteOSU sport: Football
Favorite class you’ve taken here: That’s a tough one. I’ve taken a lot of good classes. I would have to say that Political Science 350: International Relations is definitely one of the best classes I’ve taken.
Favorite time of year on campus: Autumn. The leaves are changing and there’s still semi-warm days … it’s definitely the best time.
Best kept secret/interesting fact about Ohio State: There’s an elephant buried on West Campus. A few years back, the circus was in town and one of their elephants got sick, so they brought it over to the vet school. While it was here it died, and the circus people didn’t want it back so they buried it on west campus.