Written by Acacia Bernier, Staff Writer
Once the top ten nominees are chosen, the focus is all on them. But what are the thoughts and feelings of the other homecoming court members?
One of the most exciting times during October is the selection of the nominees for homecoming. This is when two seniors from each club, and the exception of a junior escort if necessary, are chosen to represent the group with the chance to be elected to homecoming court. All also carry the duty to be a part of the homecoming parade and procession at the football game the same night. About 35 of our clubs participated this year, making for a very diverse and representative array of young people to become part of the homecoming legacy. However, after the homecoming dance, when the top ten nominees are selected, the focus becomes hyper-fixated on the outcome of who will become king and queen. However, it is still important to highlight the thoughts and experiences of some of those nominees who make up the majority for they are truly just as crucial to homecoming as the top ten are.
When asking what their reaction was to being selected, the most apparent narrative consisted of surprise and excitement. For example, Lana Harriman (12), who was one of the nominees representing the Asian Student Union (ASU), revealed how her immediate thought was that as a nominee, “people would actually hear [her] name for once,” making the experience one of excitement and curiosity. It is undeniable that as a student at such a large high school as Poly, there are few chances to get individually recognized as a regular student. Unless you are a spectacular athlete, an academic prodigy, or a musical genius, it is rare to get acknowledged in such a way. Lana went on, saying that it was truly a “good achievement” that “not everyone” gets to do. Addie Ballantyne (12), one of the nominees for Choir, expanded on how while the nominee selection process is limited in some aspects, it is still very representative in the way that “it’s not the most popular people” at school, but moreover the most appreciated and valued seniors in the clubs. This stark difference is what makes the nominee selection process well-liked by most; however, this is not always the case.
In an interview with Liana Chrysostomou (12), a nominee for Marching Band, she revealed that she was “not really” in favor of the homecoming nomination process, for she had gone through a unique circumstance in her group’s selection. The club had three girls running for princess canidates, two of them being a part of the winds ensemble and herself in the percussion section. While votes were split amongst those two girls in the winds, it was Liana who got the majority in the end. Her reaction was that she believed she did not “deserve” being chosen, most likely leading to her slight opposition to the selection process. However, it was apparent that this did not take away from the satisfaction she felt as a nominee.
Liana had always sensed that she wanted to “leave some sort of legacy” at Poly, and becoming a nominee provided her that opportunity–something that she “never” thought would be afforded to her. This same touching sentiment was showcased in an interview with Will Tavaglione (12),
Nominee for Turning Point USA, Tavaglione stated that he was “happy” and that he had the opportunity to do something at school that he will “actually remember” from his senior year of high school. While this in part had a degree to do with his nominee partner being his ex-girlfriend, he also retained that being a nominee is a unique experience that made his experience at Poly that much more memorable.
Unfortunately, not all nominees’ stories are presented here, but it is obvious from the many stories told that being a homecoming nominee is a heartwarming experience for a diverse population of students at this school. It gave many individuals not usually in the spotlight the ability to shine. Let us continue to recognize all the exceptional students at this school, each and every one!