On September 19, homecoming nominations were revealed during the morning announcements. A total of 22 names were announced, with 10 juniors and 12 seniors running for royalty.
The 12 seniors running will be competing for the position of queen or king, while the ten juniors running will be competing for the position of princess or prince.
Those nominated are first chosen by teachers, and then the winner out of the nominations is decided by a student vote. Nominees were told they were up for nomination during a meeting in the counselors’ office.
“At first, I was a little shocked and a little embarrassed for some reason, but then I saw some of my friends were nominated too and was excited.” said Ava Simpson, 12.
Olivia Simms, 12, said she was surprised and nervous at her nomination, but quickly changed her mind when she thought about how fun it could be.
“It’s a really unique opportunity that I didn’t think I’d ever have, and it’s cool that I get to do it with my friends,” Simms said.
Having friends on the court also helped alleviate some of the pressure of running, according to Elijah Voskamp, 11.
“I’m excited to be on there with some of my close friends because if I lose, I’ll have some great people to celebrate,” he said.
Of course, not all the pressure of winning vanishes.
The path to winning court is intense for some of the nominees, with campaigning ramping up in the week before.
Students can find posters lining the halls with faces of court nominees. Nick Krapfl, 11, said that campaigning is one of the most exciting parts of being on court.
Voting for homecoming court opens Monday and closes Friday, the day before homecoming.
Once all votes are in, nominees will have to stand on the learning stairs in the Commons to be crowned during homecoming. During previous years the cafeteria filled with students, eager to hear who would win the nominations.
Students and court nominees will both have to wait until the crowning to find out who will be named court royalty.
