Seniors From Across Pasadena Vie for Spots on Royal Court in Second Round of Interviews

By Noah Miyamae

Staff Writer

The second round of interviews for the Royal Court took place at the Tournament House on Saturday, September 19. Around 250 of the 800 students who originally tried out for the Court moved on to this stage.

“I felt anxious before the interview but as soon as it was over I just felt grateful to be a part of such an amazing opportunity,” senior Alex Hurtado said. “This round definitely gave me the chance to show the judges more of who I am and I feel blessed to be a part of it.”

Each contestant had a minute to answer questions presented by a panel of judges. The questions were designed to cover a variety of topics, as the judges hoped to surprise contestants and allow students to express themselves in a genuine manner.

“The judges were really just looking for people to be themselves,” Hurtado said. “[Overall], I just felt super grateful to be apart of such an amazing experience.”

Only 75 of the remaining contestants go onto the third round, and only about 25 to the final round. The final seven vying for Rose Queen will be announced on Monday, October 3, ending the month-long process.

“[The Royal Court tryouts] have definitely been an interesting, nerve-wracking process,” senior Denise Huang said. “But I have been able to meet so many nice people and treat this experience almost like a practice job interview.” The results for round two have been announced. Round three will take place on September 24.

Upcoming Dates
Final Round:
September 30
Royal Court Announcement:
October 5
Rose Queen Announcment:
October 22