With Homecoming week approaching, students and faculty have been sharing their opinions on coronation, many taking to Twitter.

English teacher Emma Bireline, 2007 Homecoming Queen in Exira, holds an opinion about Homecoming Court. “I think my experience was ultimately negative, despite winning the illustrious crown. I thought that it was a really chaotic week for my friend group.  There were a lot of negative and hurt feelings. I would say it wasn’t an experience I would want to do over again.” 

Bireline said, “It’s a great experience for the eight guys and eight girls who are elected, but I don’t really think it’s a great experience for the rest of the school.”  

One tradition here at AHS is when the crown is held over all the candidates’ heads, the crowd cheers to indicate their choice. “I think it would be kind of traumatizing to me if someone held the crown over my head and no one clapped,” said Bireline. “The thing is the majority of the student body really likes it.  Even though I think it is cruel, maybe it is just an important tradition that students really value.” 

Bireline wants people to know that even if you don’t make court, “Don’t let it define your worth. Because I was the Homecoming queen and look at me now, I obtained a degree that just brought me back to high school.”

Sophomore Reese DeArment observed coronation her freshman year and said, “I think that it can be kind of sad because some people get fewer cheers and some get more. It could really make someone’s self-esteem plummet.” Many students think there should be a criteria for becoming a candidate. Senior Kynzie Steffens is one of these people.

Steffens has changed her opinion about coronation over her years at AHS. “My freshman year I thought it was really cool, but now that I’m older and have seen all of the stigma surrounding it, it kind of makes me sad there is no criteria. It’s just a popularity contest,” Steffens said.  

“If someone really wanted to be on court and didn’t make it, it’s a diss from your whole grade,” said Steffens. Like Bireline and DeArment, Steffens thinks the tradition of holding the crown of the candidates’ heads is “public embarrassment. There is no good reason beside tradition for that to be happening, but some traditions aren’t meant to last forever.”

Although some people feel negatively about coronation, others enjoy the tradition. Teacher Michelle Behrends said we should keep the tradition. “Both of my kids were on the Homecoming court in high school and it was meaningful to be a part of the tradition.” She feels that AHS doesn’t vote for the most popular, but rather the kid who well represent the role.

Para-educator Michella Bartholomew said the school should have coronation, but it should be changed. “If they have the title of Homecoming Queen, what should the student do to represent that role? They should be given a role so it isn’t just a popularity contest.”