High Schools Getting Rid Of Homecoming Queens and Kings?

Are high schools doing away with the tradition of crowning a homecoming queen and king?  Well, at least one already has.  Chelsea High School in Michigan has decided to end this tradition because it promotes "unnecessary competition" as well as makes a contest whose qualifications are pretty much pretty and/or popular.

Many of the girls who have competed for the Homecoming Queen title over the years have reported various forms of bullying as a direct result of the competition.  Authorities at the school decided to replace this outmoded beauty contest with an Excellence Award in which a student will be highlighted by his cohorts for some particular achievement(s).

I'm sure the school is getting mixed responses regarding this decision.  As a parent, I certainly don't want my kid bullying anyone, but on the flip side of the coin, I hope she can understand how meaningless the words of most people are.  I think most of us have a handful of people that we hold dear to us whose opinion truly matters and can affect our feelings.  No one else's should.  A tough lesson to truly grasp at high school age, but a very valuable one.  This is not what's taught these days.  The "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" mantra has been dismissed in favor of the complete opposite "Words hurt."  Trust me, the "sticks and stones things" is just as true now as it ever was.  Why?  Because the point behind the saying is that with words, you have a choice..with sticks and stones, you don't.

As for having a contest based on beauty or popularity, I agree that it does seem a little shallow; however, none of those things go away just because you don't have a contest focused on it.  There will always be kids who are considered more attractive than other kids, which typically goes hand-in-hand with the popularity thing.

I know that a high school in Michigan doesn't affect your life here in Billings, Montana, but how would you vote if the issue came up for District 2?

Oh, one other thing:  Football (and every other sport) is "unnecessary competition".