Homecoming seems outdated

The tradition of nominating a homecoming king and queen will return to the university for the first time since the 1990s. In theory, the idea of nominating two worthy seniors fosters a sense of unity among the campus. In practice, this will most likely not work. With Delaware’s constant growing student population, the idea of nominating two people seems far-fetched: where will they come from? Not only is the university too large to narrow down two students for the prize, but also the idea of homecoming king and queen feels outdated.

Accordingly, potential kings and queens have to complete a slew of criterion to even be considered for the process. On top of a minimum of 100 signatures from other students, homecoming hopefuls have to write an essay, film a video and prove an active involvement in at least one club or organization. 

Students have to jump through hoops to be considered for the nomination. This is too much to do for a first year of the award, especially when the Office of Alumni Relations is having trouble finding people to step up for the position. There’s no doubt that the application process is overwhelming for the first year. It makes sense to have a lengthy application process once the idea of a homecoming king and queen builds decent credibility. 

It’s no secret that the university should attempt to revamp our homecoming. Students are often comparing the university’s homecoming to other large state schools like Penn State and the University of Maryland. For a university this size, homecoming isn’t big at all—the stadium feels emptier and students are more inebriated.  

Having a homecoming king or queen only taps into the nostalgia of the high school tradition. Not only will it be difficult finding people genuinely interested in the position, most of the student body will not be fixated on who’s the next king or queen. The university needs to look at what other schools are doing to spread enthusiasm for homecoming, rather than creating hurdles for students.