Each fall, PVHS bursts to life with school spirit as the excitement of homecoming and all of its events inch closer. Between dress-up days, carnivals, the assembly, football game and the dance itself, the wide range of festivities allows people to be involved with school spirit. Nothing, however, embodies school spirit more than the tradition of homecoming court.
Homecoming court draws major engagement and is an anticipated tradition of the week. PV students use Infinite Campus to elect candidates. Votes are then counted, and the students with the most votes per class join the court.
For freshmen, sophomores and juniors, the top candidates will be named as homecoming court attendants. For seniors here at PV though, the competition is more fierce. The top 5 males and females are allowed on the court and on a later vote the top person becomes Homecoming Queen/King. Additionally, an elementary prince and princess is nominated from one of the six elementary schools in the district.
This process brings a wide range of different emotions and energy to homecoming week. Senior Vella Batdorf, a member of this year’s court shared, “Being in the Spartan Assembly, I witnessed firsthand a lot of the excitement that homecoming court attendants had at the assembly, and all of the other events within the week, the energy of the school during homecoming week at PV and thanks to social media.”
Much of the excitement comes from a recent shift on how students campaign and how hyped homecoming is on social media platforms. This raises the stakes of homecoming court races across the United States. The once small tradition has now become an online campaigning race where social media plays a crucial role in how candidates are perceived and selected.
Like presidential races, success is defined by campaigning strategies. For Alex Jones, he began campaigning the traditional way, asking friends to vote for him, but he quickly realized that more was needed in order to stand a chance in the race. His friend Alayna Arndt made an instagram post to help him out with the race, “It featured lavender marriage as a slogan, and until voting ended we continued to post every day.” Clever campaign methods were a strength for Jones. His campaign technique made him a top contender for homecoming king.
The evolution of the homecoming court has definitely grown beyond in person campaigning. It is now about digital showcasing. Social media now allows each candidate to appeal directly to potential voters and showcases their personality and creative side. This shift not only changes student campaigns but also amplifies school spirit in new ways.
Reflecting on her experience, Batdorf says, “I hope more people see this and want to run for homecoming court because it’s really so fun and it was probably the highlight of my school year so far.” Her words capture the true spirit of the tradition, spirit that goes beyond the competition. At the core of all the homecoming events, it’s all about the celebration of the school and the community that brings Spartan spirit to life.
