Homecoming is right around the corner and the competition for King and Queen has already begun, except it is not the same as you might remember.  This year there has been some significant changes to the voting method, as much of the selection process is now done by teachers.

As expected with any change, there is much debate over the value of the new system. Many who oppose the teacher voting system often use democratic process and tradition as being reasons enough not to change.

Despite what some claim, the new teacher voting system actually is beneficial in multiple ways. Among these are the efficiency, quality control and lack of school disruption.

The new system is much more efficient than the previous method, as you don’t have the hassle of scheduling a voting date, setting up a voting location and collecting votes of the students. Now, many will argue that this removes the liberties of the students, but often times many students simply do not care, leading to wasted time and effort.

The most obvious improvement is the quality assurance granted by having the teachers select the nominees. If it is not already obvious, by having the teachers select nominees, students who are more academically successful and of high character are more likely to win. With a greater chance of these students winning, this can lead to a better school image and potential to inspire other students to succeed.

With the teachers quietly selecting nominations, this eliminates students from campaigning and vouching for people’s votes. This will lead to less class disruptions, allowing classes to focus more in the time leading up to homecoming.

“I feel that it gives a more proper representation of our school,” teacher JoAnn Marty said.

Now, it is impossible to dispute the traditional values from freely voting for whomever because it is entirely subjective from person to person. However, there is one simply irrefutable argument in favor of former elections–free candy. Despite the complications of typical elections, almost everyone can agree that they enjoy when candidates give out free food.

While students didn’t get to nominate their peers, they will get to vote on the candidates selected by teachers. The winners will be announced at the home football game on Friday, September 29.