“Rally Behind Ali” and her mission of Respect this Homecoming season

Homecoming is just around the corner for students at Virginia Tech and one homecoming queen nominee, Ali Buck, is excited for the week ahead and the opportunity to advocate for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign in the process.

Virginia Tech has a long-standing homecoming tradition. Each candidate selects a charitable platform and spend a week campaigning for votes to raise money for the organization. Once the homecoming king and queen are crowned, they will receive funds to implement projects on campus and advocate for the organizations of their choosing.

Ali chose Spread the Word to End the Word as her platform for the upcoming homecoming election. Her exposure to the campaign started in middle school where she participated in an event alongside Special Olympics athletes. At this event, she had the opportunity to take the R-word pledge and, since then, has been an advocate for the program and constantly encourages others to take the pledge.

“I hope that I am able to start the conversation on campus and encourage students to hold each other accountable to respecting all people through their language,” Ali said. “I can’t wait to spend the week talking to as many students as possible on Virginia Tech’s campus and I can’t wait to share a platform that means so much to me!”

If Ali is crowned queen, she will use funding to host an Inclusive Prom during the spring of 2019. It is an event that has never been done at Virginia Tech and Ali thinks it would be a great way to create awareness on campus. Her goal is for students to attend, but also find individuals who will volunteer hair and make-up services for women in attendance who may not have access to these resources.

Throughout homecoming week, Ali will be at a campaign booth on campus educating others about the Spread the Word to End the Word Campaign and spreading awareness about her proposed event.

“At my table, I will have free information about the campaign and encourage students to sign the pledge. Ideally, we want to start a conversation and create awareness that words do hurt, and as a student body we need to be more conscious about the words we choose,” Ali said.

As Ali enters campaigning week, she is excited for the opportunity to educate others about the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign and start conversations about more inclusive language on campus.