Between the football game, dance, Powder Puff, spirit week and other festivities, the traditions of Homecoming week are greatly celebrated and anticipated. However, are all of these high school traditions still right for our students?

Despite Homecoming Court originating as a welcoming event for alumni, the student body sees the maids and escorts as representatives of our school. So the question is, why is the nomination process for girls and guys done differently? While the tradition of homecoming should be maintained, the court should be modified in order to make it inclusive and truly representative of our school.

With the current voting system, all girls are not given an equal opportunity to be nominated for the court, making what should be a fun tradition competitive and superficial. If you don’t have tons of students willing to vote for you, you don’t have a chance to be on the court. And when there are only 10 spots per Homecoming and more than 600 girls in the running, it’s impossible for everyone to have an equal opportunity at becoming a maid. Furthermore, since there’s no rule against girls being nominated multiple years, it is entirely possible that someone could be on the court more than once during their high school career, meaning even less opportunities for the rest of their class. Homecoming should be a time to celebrate the school community, with the court being representative of the variety of students in the school; however, this cannot happen when so many girls are left out simply because they’re not popular enough.

However, because boys are nominated instead of voted for by the student body, their nominations provide a more fair system. Chosen based on merit by coaches or teachers, boys cannot be on the court more than once, meaning students will see 40 different boys on court throughout their four-year high school career. While some girls could easily slip through the cracks and not even get a chance at Homecoming Court, a variety of different boys can be chosen throughout their four years of high school, with the focus of nominations on more meaningful traits such as character and work ethic instead of popularity.   

Although boys are given opportunities such as Mr. Longhorn and cheerleading in the spring pep rally, these opportunities are not seen as equal to being voted onto the Homecoming Court. The truth is, Homecoming, and in turn Homecoming Court, outshines school festivities in the spring, undermining what could be equal opportunities. Without the chance for boys in winter or spring sports or other club activities to be nominated or voted for by the student body, the court cannot truly represent the range of passions and interests that West has to offer. Basically, keeping the current voting system projects our school as one that values fall activities above student attributions, and that is not the image we should be creating for our school. If guys were both nominated by their teachers and voted for by classmates, a much more diverse group would be chosen to embody our school values each fall.

Since they are seen as representatives of the school, the maids and escorts must stand for more than winners of a vote or coach recommendations. The students honored with being part of the court should demonstrate the Longhorn mission, whether they are passionate, intelligent, dedicated or just simply kind. The students who give up their personal time to contribute to West should be rewarded for their work and dedication to making our school a better place. The students who are respected by their classmates and esteemed by their teachers and coaches should be the ones representing our school on Homecoming Court. In order for this to happen, both boys and girls must be nominated by their teachers, then voted on by the student body. This way, the students nominated for court know that their accomplishments and dedication to their school are what set them apart from everyone else instead of more superficial things like beauty or popularity.

Homecoming is a time when the school can unite and praise the excellence of the student body. The Homecoming Court should be an extension of this celebration, an opportunity for accomplished and spirited students to be recognized. To continue this fun tradition and keep it lighthearted, the voting system must change. With teachers nominating both male and female students and the student body voting on those candidates, the voting process of the court can make this opportunity equally available to all students and create a court that will truly represent what it means to be a Longhorn.