Most people are familiar with the Homecoming court scene. A common plot in movies is when the unexpected girl wins Homecoming Queen, creating the perfect high school ending. Similar to the movies, Manheim Township participates in this homecoming festivity. The court of MT consists of 11 girls who were chosen by their peers to represent the senior class throughout the Homecoming festivities. One of these 11 girls will be crowned Homecoming queen at the Homecoming football game, just like in the movies. However, what the Homecoming Court means to the student body is sometimes different from its film representation.
Simply put, Homecoming is a tradition, and it has been for quite some time. The court is meant to showcase students who represent the spirit of the student body and school.
“Ultimately, the point of the Homecoming court is people get nominated not just because of popularity, but because of what good they actually do for the school, for the moral, and who they are as people,” said Dylan Kranch, an English teacher at the high school and the advisor for student council.
While stereotypically the Homecoming court members are known to be popular and well-liked amongst their class, they are also involved members of the school community. Many participate in sports as well as various clubs and are known to be good students. However, a common question that gets brought up is whether or not the Homecoming Court always represents the diversity of our school to its fullest extent.
“We have 2,000 people in the building and you’re having 11 kids represent, so I really wish we had some way of having better diversity on the court,” said Lance Wagner, a social studies teacher at the high school.
While it’s true that the selected court does have attributes that stand out to their class, do they truly represent every aspect of the school? Township has a wide range of people based on interests, religion, race and other defining characteristics, so it’s curious that there is so much similarity amongst the Homecoming court. Along with this, it does consist of many well-liked and known seniors. As a sophomore, I am familiar with every one of them, despite not being in their grade, and I’m sure many others would say the same.
All this being said, I don’t mean to take away from the honor of being selected for the Homecoming court or criticize the current Homecoming court. However, I believe that the court has become predictable in the sense that there are stereotypes that the court is associated with and many members fit this stereotypical mold.
The tradition of Homecoming court is something that I find to be fun, but I recognize how some people don’t share this same enthusiasm for it. The competition and selectivity of it can create a tense atmosphere, which deters people from fully supporting the long-standing tradition. Ultimately, the student body should have the ability to choose based on their preference, and not feel pressure to vote for who is “campaigning” the most. These aspects of the Homecoming court seem to put a damper on the excitement and experience of the tradition.
The selection of homecoming court and queen is always something exciting for people to follow during homecoming season. However, during this time, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the inherent flaws that are a part of the tradition.
