Homecoming is the biggest, most anticipated, school-wide event of the year in American schools. But the most exciting aspect of homecoming is the nominations for court. Homecoming court entails a group of senior students that represent the class for the event. Senior students are nominated through a voting process onto the homecoming court, after which they compete for the crowning of homecoming king and queen. This year’s Seminole High School’s (SHS) male homecoming court has quite the diversity. The court ranges from star football players to IB and even ROTC students. 

SHS senior Trevon Dixon “has always dreamed of being on homecoming court growing up.” 

He expresses much excitement and passion.

“It would make me feel like the king of the school. Becoming homecoming king would mean everything. It would be one of my dreams coming true,” shared Dixon. 

Dixon would love a taste of the satisfaction from being crowned homecoming king. Dixon has waited years for this moment. To campaign for his momentous victory, Dixon took a creative approach by “getting some lollipops and handing them around.” 

This helped Dixon get his name out there, earning him recognition and hopefully some votes. 

Guard member of Pride of the Tribe and SHS senior Kelian Triggs has a different motivation, no less prominent. He did some research on Seminole High School and realized there were no gay homecoming kings from our school ever. This is what motivated Triggs to run for homecoming court. Triggs is looking to represent and be the first gay homecoming king of Seminole HIgh School. 

For Triggs’ campaign he is “telling people [his] purpose for running, making posters, and being a people person.” 

Triggs has been working hard to get his name out there because becoming homecoming king would mean a lot to him. Kelian shared that if he were to be crowned king he “would be in shock and feel like [he] just made history at a school to be the first gay homecoming king.” 

He further shares that: For the LGBT community that is huge. It would be a very hard earned moment that would finally get recognition.”

Health Academy senior and another nominee Malachai Daley, said that he “wanted to be on homecoming court because [he] want[ed] to get all dressed up and walk across the football field for [his] last year at Seminole.”

During the homecoming football game, the homecoming court walks across the football field during halftime, after which the crowning of homecoming king and queen occurs. Daley sees this ceremony as an incredible experience and his main reason to run for homecoming court. 

In order to campaign for homecoming king, Daley “pass[ed] out a poster and t[ook] pictures of people holding the poster and ma[de] a TikTok with [his] partner Jamiya Cox. 

For Daley to be crowned king “it would mean that [he] would be representing [his] school and his class.”

Daley’s inspiration is to walk across the field, but that is not the case for all of the court. IB senior and SHS soccer player, Emiliano Benfanti shared that being on homecoming court and winning “is not a major goal of [his].” 

Being an IB student and athlete, Benefanti stays busy, taking away priority from contests such as homecoming court. Therefore, to campaign, Benfanti kept it simple by “telling [his] friends about it and repost[ing] a couple snapchat stories.” 

Benefanti shares: “I had to go to Goodwill to get a couple suits because this is the first classy thing I have ever done.”

Though Benfanti takes a more casual approach to the homecoming court, he still sees the whole competition as a lot of fun and is excited for the dance and game. 

Seminole’s star football player, Darren Lawrence, aka Goldie, also had a modest approach to his homecoming court nomination. Lawerence shared that when he found out he was nominated for homecoming court he “didn’t care that much.”

 Lawrence is focused heavily on his future in football, leaving him with little to say or express towards homecoming court. 

Lawrence explains: “I know I’m famous and I just don’t really think it’s a big deal.” 

To many that see homecoming court as a high honor, Lawrence brings a different, humbling perspective.

IB student, and leadership parliamentarian, Justin Stephens, says “I feel like homecoming court is really fun. And I’m in leadership so I’ve seen the past leadership kids be on homecoming court so I thought it would be really fun to do.” 

SHS Leadership has a history of student members making their way to homecoming court. The hard work put in by these incredible kids to help run SHS does not go unnoticed by their peers. Stephens modestly admitted that winning homecoming king “wouldn’t be a dream come true, but seeing all the homecoming stuff on tv looks so nice and if that were to happen to [him] that would be amazing and wonderful.”

Pride of the tribe drum major and track runner, Antonio Mcvay, shared that “the past two drum majors have both been on homecoming court and they both won homecoming king so [he] wants to carry on a lineage.” 

This puts tremendous pressure on Mcvay to win the title of homecoming king and carry on representation for the drum majors, and band as a whole. 

Mcvay “feels great getting nominated for homecoming court. It’s [him] trying to carry on a legacy of drum majors.” 

To campaign, Mcvay “told a bunch of [his] friends, and they helped [him] make a poster and post [online] a bunch.” 

A friend of Mcvay’s was homecoming king in previous years, and having his friend see him become king as well would mean a lot to him. 

Being on homecoming court was “a last minute decision, because why not go for the experience senior year” states Health Academy senior and nominee, Joel Rivera. 

Though a late decision was made, Rivera made his way to court which “felt pretty cool and unexpected.”

The homecoming court is a position many high schoolers strive for. Although Rivera may not have planned out his nomination and campaign like others, he thinks becoming homecoming king  “would be cool, and a nice way to end off senior year at seminole high.”

Like Rivera, SHS soccer player Juan Pablo Ruiz thinks becoming homecoming king “would be pretty cool, and [he] wouldn’t be expecting it.”

Being on the homecoming court means you get to wear a court sash and stand out among the crowd during homecoming season. It is a glorifying position that many students on the court find to be a lot of fun. 

Ruiz “feels really good getting nominated.” 

He can not wait to have fun at homecoming this year being on Seminole’s 2022 court. 

“It feels great getting nominated for homecoming court because it shows how much my friends support me,” says SHS soccer player and IB student Eric Zhu. 

Homecoming court is about the student body. The people nominated for homecoming court represent the students of Seminole High School. Therefore, earning your spot on court requires the support of your peers to all come together and recognize certain people. 

“The people on the homecoming court are super amazing people,” shared Zhu. 

This makes being on homecoming court “a really cool experience that not many people get to go through.” 

Just being on the court is fun when you are representing a senior class of over 1,00 people. This makes Zhu feel like he is “not expect[ing] to win, but if [he] did, [he] would be beyond shocked.”

Despite their varying motivations and inspirations, all of these students are phenomenal and deserve a spot on court. Wish them luck, and cast your votes for them now!