[quote]By Nikki Roberts
Online Writer
Photo courtesy of BuzzFeed[/quote]

The archetype of a homecoming or prom court is well-known due to its tradition in schools across America, as well as its dominance in many high school based pre-teen movies. For some, the allure of winning the election with their homecoming date or significant other is what draws them to the polls. Others find that nominating their fellow classmates aids in building the hype surrounding the first school dance of the year. However, these groups of people seem to be in the minority, as this is simply not the case here at Metea.

With the exception of a selected few who hold a place on the homecoming court, it’s relevance and potential excitement is virtually nonexistent among students.

“This is the first time I’ve really heard anyone talk about homecoming court. If I do hear people talking about it, they usually just make jokes. Nobody really takes it seriously anymore,” junior Jacy Monaco said.

Seeing as announcements are made in the mornings, laptops are set up for voting during all lunch periods, and a prominent ad was placed on Metea Media this year, the lack of interest cannot be summed up to a lack of publicity given to voting.

“Freshmen and seniors nominated much more than the junior class. Overall, nominations tend to be low when you consider the class size that could nominate. The best class only had about 20 percent of students respond,” student government sponsor Donald Pankuch said.

Homecoming nominations are intended to be a fun activity in which all students have an equal chance at being elected as either homecoming king or queen. But is Metea’s system truly set up to give all students a fair shot? This year, two openly gay students have brought much discussion and controversy to Metea’s traditional policy by arguing that they should have an opportunity to win the title of homecoming kings, just as any other heterosexual couple would have the ability to  win as king and queen.

The current homecoming nomination policy is that each student may nominate one female student and one male student from their respective grade level. Although students can not officially campaign or run as couples, this procedure allows for the possibility that the king and queen could also end up being a pair going as dates to the homecoming dance. Many couples dream of a fairytale ending to their homecoming experience, and being crowned royalty with their date surely completes that fantasy. However, what about the couples who fail to meet the ‘one male, one female’ criteria? Should they be denied the right to have the chance at striving for the crowns?

“The school needs to be shown that making things, such as nominations, more open-ended will help make people, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, feel more included,” senior Ethan Rexer said. “The over emphasis on the one male candidate and one female candidate was unnecessary,” Rexer added.

In order for couples of the same sex to be crowned as dual homecoming kings or queens, an adjustment is required in the nomination process. One option would be allowing students to write in the names of two fellow classmates, regardless of gender. This procedure would also make nominations more comfortable for transgender students who may struggle with others accepting their identity.

“People who are gender non-conforming don’t want to be nominated as male or female. They want to be nominated as a person… I think we need to shift traditions to fit the students,” Zack Merrihew said.

However, this system may present new challenges, such as making it more accessible for students to openly campaign for positions on the homecoming court. If this were to happen, the individual who wishes to run on their own would be easily overlooked. Additionally, allowing nominations without barriers could turn the homecoming court into more of a popularity contest than it already is.

“I do not think people should campaign to be nominated. It sets a horrible example, it shows we enjoy picking people based on who they appear to be. Presidents runs campaigns, not people in homecoming court,” Monaco said.