Regatta Royalty takes place on Regatta day, crowning two winners from seven court members. Both winners receive crowns and a $500 scholarship.
In the weeks leading up to the crowning ceremony, organizers drafted questions for the interest form, conducted interviews and ultimately selected students who showed genuine interest in joining the court.
The coordinator of traditions creates the questions on the interest forms. To qualify, applicants must be IU Indianapolis students, have at least 26 completed credit hours and a GPA above 3.0.
Applicants are asked a series of questions such as: “What makes a good IU Indianapolis ambassador?” “What do you do around campus?” "“What are you involved with on campus?” and “What does your volunteer experience look like?”
“This year I really wanted to hone in on volunteer experiences. We do try to emphasize that Indianapolis is our backyard, and we want to give to the community as much as they give back to us,” said Van Siu Lung Tum, coordinator of traditions.
The form opened in early August and was due early September. Students were notified by email about Regatta Royalty and encouraged to apply.
The form received 160 unique views, more than last year. Each application was reviewed with a rubric to identify those who genuinely expressed interest in joining the court.
After the review, 80 students were selected for interviews. From those, seven were chosen for the court using the same rubric. At each stage, applicants were notified whether they advanced.
“I knew we had a really big incentive because of the scholarship, but this year we had an exceedingly high amount…which far exceeded my expectations,” said Lung Tum. “But I felt overjoyed when I realized that there are so many people on campus who truly want to be involved and embody what it means to be an IU ambassador.”
Court members were announced on social media during Regatta week and were encouraged to attend activities to connect with students and demonstrate what it means to be on the court. They also serve as judges in the Dog Costume Contest on Regatta day.
Though there is a rubric and grading component, voters help determine the winners. Voting takes place on Regatta day through the event website or by scanning QR codes posted around campus.
“Our court is full of people that come from all different walks of life, different types of genders, races and origins,” Lung Tum said. “We don’t call them [the winners] king or queen, just Regatta Royalty.”
This year's court was all women: Nicole Gordon, Karla Bohenkamp, Ariana Garcia, Eliza Surdizal, Molly McCord, Kena Baker and Rohini Vemparala. Bohenkamp and McCord were crowned Regatta Royalty.
Citlali Sanchez is a senior majoring in sports journalism with a minor in sports marketing. She enjoys going out for boba, shopping (even if she does not buy anything) and watching anime. She can be found volunteering at sporting events in town or out at coffee shops.
From Al-Andalus to Indianapolis: The IU Indianapolis course bringing medieval Spain to Indy
By Salsabil F. Qaddoura | Dec. 3When considering the cultural forces that shape the modern world, few students immediately think of a society that thrived a thousand years ago on the Iberian Peninsula. Yet the history of Al-Andalus, or Arab Spain, remains one of the most influential periods in global intellectual development.
IU Indianapolis Environment and Society course helps in achieving sustainable solutions
By Ian Janke | Nov. 22On the morning of Oct. 17, 2025, Professor Owen Dwyer’s Environment and Society class gathered outside in the green space between Taylor Hall and the Social Work Building to do some tree planting. This is an eight week course and happened to be their last class.
REVIEW: Sticky Notes opens in the Campus Center – serving sweets and smiles
By Regina Graves | Nov. 20A new sweet shop called Sticky Notes has opened on campus this fall 2025, bringing students, staff and visitors a fun and uplifting place to enjoy desserts, candies and different pastries. Designed as both a dessert stop and mental recharge, the shop has quickly become one of many to go spots for students looking for something sweet and positive on campus.
