When you think of Homecoming what comes to mind? Most likely a king and queen, right? At Farmingdale High School, the Student Government Association (SGA) wanted to make a change for the homecoming court. Instead of a king and queen, the decision was made to choose the most spirited students from each grade. There was absolutely no limit for our homecoming court; it could go from two people to ten. For voting, any student could nominate him or herself and get chosen based on school spirit. This way, people who did not even want to be nominated did not have to be. And everyone who wanted to be nominated could have a chance. 

This year by far was the most spirited Daler homecoming. This change happened when the SGA proposed the change at a homecoming planning meeting with the Student Council. Mrs. Megan Grant, the co-advisor of the SGA, said that the students communicated to her that the concept of a king and queen was “an antiquated concept in our modern culture of gender fluidity.” And upon further discussion, the SGA discovered that some of the students who had been nominated for homecoming court did not enjoy the experience.  Grant states, “They were embarrassed to be called down in front of everyone, especially if they didn’t win the crown.”

This year, students nominated themselves for the new Most Spirited Daler Homecoming Court. Grant says, “They joined a Schoology page, wrote about what makes them a Daler, and then posted pictures of themselves dressed for each day of spirit week.  They crowned the Homecoming Court in their first ever outdoor Pep Rally on the football field.” Most feedback about the court was positive, and the students who won were able to proudly display their Daler spirit. It doesn’t matter who you are, anyone could have been in the homecoming court for Pep Rally 2021. 

* Picture courtesy of Lifetouch