Prom can be seen as a magical time or has been described by High School Musical as “the night of nights”. The election of prom court has always been a tradition at BG. Being a part of BG’s Prom Court is a huge stepping stone for some.

“When I found out I was elected for homecoming court it was one of those cheesy moments when you can’t make yourself stop smiling,” senior Teagan Nelson said.

Prom exists as more than just a simple dance. It survives as a representation of the outstanding seniors, and has evolved into a voice of seniors  since they are the ones that decide who best represents their class. BG needs to progress, and needs to evolve from our ideas of stereotypical prom king and queen, but the removal of the Prom Court is the wrong way to go.

Prom is different from homecoming because candidates are chosen and voted on by their peers, but the rhetoric still stands as being a confidence booster for the students. This creates an environment in which anyone can be nominated, whether you’re that emo kid in the corner or the class clown, as long as someone nominates you, you have a fighting chance.

One of the most popular complaints about prom is that it refuses to recognize all students, and rather only chooses a select few.

“Being a prom king and queen in the movies is the highest point of the movie,” senior Bhuvan Venkatesh said. “Usually, the hero wins but everyone else doesn’t.”

Being a hero is often defined by your actions in movies. We all love to hate the status quo as being the so called rebels of our generation. However, distancing ourselves from nominees and bashing them is pointless. Asking why everyone isn’t able to make court undermines the actual nominees’ accomplishments and erases the reasons why they were nominated.

“Courts are a cool thing to acknowledge seniors by reminding us that we did play a part at BG and teaching freshman that people can be liked for who they are, not what tv makes stereotypical roles out to be,” Nelson said.

Stereotypes tend to fly around high school, dictating roles in the social norms of BG. Prom Court offers an incredible opportunity and acceptance of several people and changing social norms.

Prom is an iconic event special to the American high school experience, as are the roles of the prom court. The sheer tradition of the event is reason enough to keep the event running. Senior students have a choice in who they choose to represent their class for prom, and the idea of having anyone is not far fetched. At Sanford High School, both Christian Nelson and his boyfriend were voted for prom king and queen.

We cannot disband the tradition of prom court because of the simple belief in that only the prettiest and most popular win. The significance of the title overrides any tangible rewards. Through a simple ballot, the student body has the opportunity to use their voices to speak out in support of issues through those nominated to represent their class.

The social change may seem tedious for some, but imagine conditioning the “role model effect” into becoming substantial. Through the usage of Prom Court, BG can spread a message of diversity being celebrated and thought of as becoming a social norm.

“It’s natural to look up to seniors, so the court kind of became role models and a symbol of the senior class for me,” Nelson said.

By reestablishing old traditions and fusing them with the same voices that have led our generation to making changes in the threads of society, BG can renew what some think to be an overrated high school milestone with new life. And all the while, uniting both generations for a significant end to one’s high school career.