Basketball homecoming took notes from football homecoming this year and brought something new to the table. With a newly instated “Homecoming Royalty” title, the court has officially opened to all genders with a classic tiara for girls and a Spartan green crown for guys. What does this mean for the school?

There have been many reactions surrounding this change, both positive and negative. On one end, the argument is that this is finally a fair way to run homecoming. On the other end, people argue that this takes away a right that was given to girls through Title IX. 

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that has been in place in order to protect female rights in public education, and while the law itself does not explicitly state that it exclusively applies to females, that is the purpose it has historically served. 

Other arguments against Homecoming Royalty include how it opens the floor for people to take homecoming less seriously. This brings the discussion back to how Homecoming Royalty is meant to bring about equal opportunity for all genders. 

Out of about 100 White Station students, teachers and faculty, 78% voted that they prefer “Homecoming Royalty” over “Homecoming Queen.” Whether people view this is a step forward or a setback for White Station, we can all agree that further change is coming.