Behind the crowns

by Larissa Adams
Crusader staff

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Keddy Williams and Lindsey Carter are now known around campus as the 2004 Homecoming king and queen of Seward County Community College. The new titles are just a part of who they are, however. The two come from simple backgrounds and are now true Kansans, but each has their own story to tell.

Lindsey Carter was born in Liberal on July 22, 1984. She grew up in Forgan, Okla., where she lived during her school years and then came to Seward County Community College to get her education and get a step closer to becoming a veterinarian. Long before her college years she has always been interested in animals.

"Both of my grandparents had farms, so I was raised on the farm. I guess I've always wanted to be a veterinarian -- every since junior high," Carter said.

Lindsey started working at the Kansas Avenue Veterinary Clinic so she could gain experience in the field for the future. She said the job is what helped her make the decision to become a veterinarian.

"Working there has been one great experience. It really told me for sure whether I'd be able to deal with it or not because I got to see the stresses and pressures he got to go through," Carter said. "I was lucky enough to get a job I like and look forward to going to everyday."

Not only has she loved to take care of animals in the past, she was fond of catching them also. Todd Carter, Lindsey's father and head of the science department, remembered well how Lindsey loved to fish when she was younger.

"A friend of ours had a small lake stocked with fish. She went out on the boat with all the dads, and they were all fishing. She was the only one who caught any fish, though, and she was only around 7 or 8 years old," Todd said.

Playing with the animals is not all fun and games though. Lindsey will transfer to Oklahoma State University to obtain her bachelor;s degree and then work her way through school four more years to become a veterinarian.

Currently, Lindsey is a Big Sister for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and a counselor for girls at church camp. Throughout high school Lindsey was involved in basketball, softball, cross country, choir, show choir and did numerous vocal solos. Todd said he gained respect for his daughter through watching her play sports.

"I really admired her when she was playing basketball because she wasn't the most athletic person on the floor, but she was the leader. She saw the floor well, played smart, and really just played for fun," Carter said. "The thing I really admired was she knew her role. She didn't have to be the leading point scorer.

When people see Lindsey around campus they will probably notice her happy and bubbly attitude right off the bat. She's seen as an all around people person.

"Lindsey is a very outgoing, caring person," Todd said. "As a dad I don't worry about her because she takes care of herself. She's just a good, responsible person you can count on."

By being an outgoing and friendly person on campus, Lindsey has made herself known to many of the students. She pulled in votes from the majority of the students to be crowned the new SCCC homecoming queen. Lindsey is not the only one in the family who has ever been given this honor.

"My sister got it when she came to school here four years ago, so I thought that was really cool," Carter said. "I was excited and surprised because I didn't think I would get it. I was really happy."

On a regular day, Lindsey can be found hanging out with her friends, out on the dance floor and talking on the phone. She has also acquired the hobby of taking pictures and making scrapbooks with them. Even so, she thinks friends are of utmost importance.

"I just enjoy hanging around people," Carter said. "I don‚t think you can ever have too many friends."

Keddy Williams, Lindsey's royal SCCC counterpart, was born in Liberal Oct. 28, 1983 and he has lived in Liberal his entire life. He attended Lincoln Elementary School, West Middle School, and Liberal High School and is now in his second year at Seward County Community College. At the college, he is president of Student Life and a yell leader on the cheerleading spirit squad.

Jimmy Powell, who is a friend of Williams and also a yell leader, said Williams was is fun to be around, yet quiet.

"He is for the most part quiet," Powell said. "He jokes around when the situation is right, not just any old time."

Williams said that around campus he is usually "smiling and hyper". Several times he has been seen dancing and singing when entering his classrooms. Williams said although he is a shy guy, some people see him as confident.

"I guess some people think I'm cocky because the girls on the squad call me cocky," Williams said. "I'm just confident and blessed all the time."

Throughout high school, Williams threw discus and shot put on the track team, did powerlifting, played football, and participated in broadcasting and Student Council. One of the most exciting times in high school was not in a sports competition or at a meeting; it was when he got to see the mountains for the first time, something most people take for granted.

"I finally got to see the mountains my senior year when we had a football game in Albuquerque, N.M.," Williams said. "That's the first time I"d ever seen the mountains. If I were to move somewhere it'd be near the mountains. I loved them."

Williams everyday routine includes reading the Bible and going to the gym to lift and workout for an hour. In his free time he hangs around campus and plays games in the student union with his friends.

"My friends and I play pool, foosball and watch a lot of television. But instead of betting money during pool and foosball, we bet push ups because we're all broke," Williams said.

Williams is seen by several as a nice guy who is fun to be around. Powell said he first got to know Williams through jokes they played on each other last year.

"I started hanging out with him last year when he lived across the hall," Powell said. "We would have pranks wars for weeks at a time. We trashed each other's rooms. It was pretty funny."

This fun-loving attitude won Williams enough votes to become the homecoming king of SCCC.

He admits he was surprised to be on the ballot, let alone receive the crown.

"I knew I was kind of popular, but not like that. I was so surprised I even made it into the top five," Williams said. "I was just going to school and being like everyone else. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

Others were not quite as surprised to find out Williams had won, however.

"He's just a cool and all-around nice guy," Powell said. "I think Keddy won homecoming king because he's a very well-liked guy. He's friends with a lot of people."

Williams considers his reign as homecoming king a one-of-a-kind experience that he will never forget. When crowned, he said all he could do was "smile and take it like a man."