<p>Wow and this is all for the football game? Do they do any kind of build up for say state championship academic competition? Or the high school musical? Is this mostly a Texas thing? Southern? Midwest? Toledo, is that where you live so they do this in Ohio also?</p>
<p>Is it just a beauty contest or popularity contest? Would the same kids be voted for Court as are voted for Student Council Government? </p>
<p>I will say that part of me is really glad that local customs still exist, what with national chain stores and cable/satellite television the differences in parts of the country are diminishing so it’s nice that there are still hometown customs throughout the country.</p>
<p>amtc - I can’t speak for other regions, but it IS big in the south. But then, high school football (and the accompanying groups - cheerleaders, band, dance teams, etc) is much bigger in the south than in other regions, so it’s probably tied together. Here - everyone gets into it…students, parents, alums. </p>
<p>As for who is selected - I think that is going to vary by school. At our school, since the Homecoming Court is chosen by the student body, there is probably some element of popularity, but there are also some other dynamics at play. There may be 10-12 girls nominated for 5 spots on the Court. Since not all students vote, large student groups (like the band) often get their nominee chosen. From what I have seen with the girls, there is generally 1 or 2 cheerleaders, 1 or 2 good athletes, and at least 1 from the band. Last year’s HC queen was a cheerleader and the HC king was the captain of the football team (and also the class president and a scholar). This year’s queen is a star volleyball player and the king is the is the drum major for the band.</p>
<p>In our HS and area the court is selected not only based on popularity but equally based in extra cirriculars. The kids nominated are well liked by the student body but also tend to be involved and well rounded students which are liked by the administration as well. </p>
<p>More often than not the football team and cheerleaders make up the king and queen but the nominees can be from other sports, drama, choir, academic excellence, etc.</p>
<p>It isn’t all about the football game. It is called Homecoming because that is when alumni come home to see friends and remember school spirit. They have a big alumni tent with “tailgate” like foods on school property. During the week, the grades have contests for hall decorating, dodgeball, powder puff game, spirit, float decorating. The seniors always win, no matter what. </p>
<p>Here, HC King and Queen is not a beauty contest. Anything but that, it is usually a well liked person. This year it was a choir and drama girl and the only boy cheerleader who is way into music/drama boy. Definitely not the cheerleader and football player type. They also have Freshman rep, sophomore rep. etc.</p>
<p>At our school, in Southern California, we have Homecoming. The game is on Friday and the dance is on Saturday. The Homecoming court consists of a prince and princess from each of the freshmen, sophomore and junior classes along with 3 of each from the senior class. The king and queen are crowned at halftime. They are voted on by the student body. We also have a “spirit week” which is the week prior to the big game against our cross-town rival.</p>
<p>Maryland public and co-ed private high schools still do the king and queen. In my hometown in Iowa, there is a king and queen, parade, and week-long festivities. When I was in high school (you know, 100 years ago), they had Mr. Spirit instead of the king. The boys competed as beauty pageant candidates–complete with bathing suit and evening gown competitions, which was something else. That was way more fun that the king thing. My brother, Mr. Spirit 1974, still has GREAT legs.</p>
<p>At my kids’ school (and the other schools here in the Maryland suburbs of DC) it’s still a thing, with the king and queen. As to that, I have to say that I was pleased to see that the kings and queens have been kids who were “well-liked” as opposed to “popular” in the sense of being glamorous.</p>