The selection of the homecoming court is a well-established tradition that holds great significance. 

The homecoming dance tradition has been around since the twentieth century, originating around the 1930s. Originally, those elected for homecoming court were seniors recognized as role models for schools. The court consists of several boy and girl candidates who are voted on and selected by students.

So, what’s the actual purpose of homecoming court? While many think homecoming court is  no less than a popularity contest, the tradition has notable importance. The court is a special part of homecoming where students get to choose those who they think will reflect their class the best, or who deserves to be an honorable representative.

“I personally think that homecoming court is important because it gives everyone an opportunity to model what a true high school student is. The best part of homecoming court is anyone and everyone can be voted in. Not one student has to feel like they don’t have a chance,” said junior Siyona Shah.

While homecoming court offers an opportunity for representation and “modeling,” some might say that the tradition sticks to outdated stereotypes and is gender-exclusive. The dichotomous view of gender which categorizes candidates into explicitly male and female pairings of kings and queens provides no room for neutrality and open-mindedness of other gender roles in our society today.

In the future, it’ll be extremely important to make the court gender-neutral in order to continue, respectively and mindfully, honoring the homecoming tradition. With that being said, changes are important and necessary, but that doesn’t mean we should eliminate the tradition of the court completely. 

To minimize the “popularity contest” aspect of homecoming court, there are many ways voting can be modified to be more inclusive of everyone on campus and to give everyone the chance. For instance, by including school staff in voting, some students that might’ve not received votes otherwise will get the opportunity to be included.

“We could incorporate teacher votes because they know students more personally. While deciding, they could consider how good of a student the person is,” said senior Jenna Huff.

Generally, with modifications and reinstated rules, homecoming court can become an even more meaningful tradition. The homecoming court is extremely important to homecoming and the tradition should continue to be honored for what it represents among students and for the school.