Provided by Emily Sutton Photography

Meme Merchant and Brandon Frear take the joy ride after being crowned HOCO king and queen.

When it comes to homecoming court, it seems to be the same people who win every year. Many students want a chance at it, and when it becomes a popularity contest, it’s not as fun to run. All students have a chance to run, but it shouldn’t be the same students who run every year. If a student wins homecoming court one year, they shouldn’t be able to run in other years to give others a chance, so other students feel more included. When you’re included it makes it more fun and enjoyable.

Being popular doesn’t mean that people should vote for you, and students should pick their other classmates to run as well. Some students like to vote for the popular kids in court, but students don’t want to be pressured into voting for that person. Sometimes, students will post an online link on their Instagram story to encourage other students to vote for them. This could cause their followers to feel pressured into voting for them. Students who are trying to run and aren’t popular might feel that embarrassment because of the fear of being made fun of if they aren’t chosen.

Feeling left out or embarrassed because of popularity isn’t how students should be treated. Sometimes students will repost Instagram stories and possibly make fun of their classmates for it. There has been a lot of cyberbullying, especially with students making fun of their classmates or giving students a hard time about it. Sometimes students will make voting a joke, which will possibly hurt someone else. When you’re voting for someone, it should be a serious thing because you’re voting for someone who actually wants to win and not play games. Homecoming court should be a fun activity, not a competition.