Senior Will Morrow was crowned king during Westside’s homecoming on Saturday, September 28, along with homecoming queen senior Angela Li. However, Morrow was across the country in South Carolina for a family wedding during the coronation. In order to crown Morrow, one of Morrow’s friends, senior Ben Waxberg, facetimed him and placed his phone on stage next to Li. 

“I thought since I was gone I didn’t think I would be eligible,” Morrow said. “I honestly went to sleep really early and I got 30 notifications all at once and Ben Waxberg facetimed me. He held me up in front of everybody and was like, ‘you won’, and then I was like, ‘I should put a shirt on.’ I didn’t expect to win and I didn’t think I was going to win and then I did.”

Westside High School Principal, Jay Opperman,  said that the administration knew Morrow would be out of town during the night of homecoming and the coronation ceremony. Opperman also said that even with Morrow’s known absence, the administration decided not to change their structure for handling votes; they would take the votes as they occurred. 

“As an administrative team, [we] had a short discussion once we knew that [Morrow had won the vote for homecoming king] and just how we were going to handle it,” Opperman said. “We decided that he was voted by his peers and he was still [going to] be the homecoming king even though he had a prior obligation that he needed to be at.” 

After Morrow had been announced homecoming king, he said that Opperman took Waxberg’s phone from the crowd and said congratulations to him. Opperman then placed the phone on the chair with Morrow still on Facetime to take a picture of the homecoming court and the homecoming king and queen.

“I was on facetime [during the picture],” Morrow said. ”I was fully conscious, awake, fully clothed again and Ben made me [take the picture]. I was on facetime with Ben and they put me on the chair and put the crown on the phone. It was interesting.”

Senior Angela Li, who was announced as homecoming queen, said that she thought the coronation was funny because it seemed as though Opperman was confused.

“In previous years, Opperman does that thing where he goes back and forth and fakes someone out,” Li said. ”He genuinely didn’t know where Will was and that was really funny and we were like ‘oh that has to be Will.’” 

Li said that she was flattered and that it was nice to be recognized by the Westside students. Li and Morrow both said that they were not expecting to be crowned king and queen.

“I think its cool that I was able to win across the country,” Morrow said. ”I didn’t expect to win but it’s cool that everybody made it happen and that Mrs. Nolin and Mr. Opperman were able to let me win even though I wasn’t here.”