Hoco Royalty: What is the Homecoming Court?
How Do I Get Nominated for Homecoming Court?
How you get nominated for homecoming court can vary by high school, but the idea is that the individuals are trying to win votes to become homecoming queen or king (with the runners up filling out the court as homecoming royalty). At some schools, any student can nominate himself/herself for homecoming king or queen, while other schools require nomination by peers or by a committee of faculty members. Homecoming court nominees usually have to meet a set of participation requirements first. Some schools might require you to maintain a certain grade point average, have good attendance, and/or have a good disciplinary record. Also, a lot of schools only allow seniors to run for king and queen. Check your school’s requirements to see if you qualify to run for homecoming court this year!
How is Homecoming Royalty Chosen?
Once the nomination process for homecoming court has settled, the initial group of participants is narrowed down to a handful of students with the highest number of nominations (the exact number can vary by high school). These final homecoming court nominees will be announced, then they will have some time for campaigning to earn a final vote from their classmates. Depending upon your school, sometimes the homecoming king and queen are announced at the football game, and sometimes they are announced at the homecoming dance! The runners-up become the rest of the homecoming court (also known as homecoming royalty).
How Do I Become Homecoming Queen (or King)?
If your heart is set on becoming the homecoming queen or king at your high school, then here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself and increase your chances of winning the title.
- Know the Rules: Does your school require good grades, near-perfect attendance, a clear disciplinary record, or participation in certain clubs or service activities? Find out in advance and do your best to lay this groundwork before homecoming seasoning rolls around.
- Make Connections: If the homecoming court gets selected by a committee of faculty members, consider taking time to speak with each of the staff members to express your interest. It’s a good chance to get your name out there and ask if there are qualities that they are looking for in a member of the homecoming court. Does your school require nomination by peers? Then let your classmates know you’re interested. Talk to your friends, teammates, and club members and ask them to spread the word to nominate you. Take to social media to post about your goals. You could even go old-school and post flyers around the school encouraging your peers to vote for you!
- Be a Queen or King: Even before the homecoming festivities, be all that you think a homecoming queen or king should be. Make promoting school spirit a passion by throwing yourself headlong into school-sponsored events and service-oriented activities. Find ways to listen to and support your classmates, whether that be through tutoring, student council, or another opportunity to be a bridge between students and faculty. Putting yourself out there like that may well earn you all the votes you need to win homecoming queen or king. If not, you’ll still have made so many new friends along the way, and you’ll be a queen or king in all the ways that matter most.
If you are running for your high school’s homecoming king or queen this season, then good luck! If not, be sure to show your support and cast your vote!