It’s that time of the year again, and the junior class students of Quartz Hill are bustling more than ever. This year’s event consists of a total of 25 contestants for Prom Court, and the competition seems close with positions for only 6 boys and 6 girls. It is true that Prom Court voting highly relies on popularity, which definitely plays a big factor in the voting process. However, what really stands out every year are the motives behind why people run for Prom Court and the campaigning process.

It is no secret that many of Quartz Hill’s students are divided into cliques, and it may bias the votes of the junior class tremendously. In this case, the Prom Court election balances out for the better, as it is harder to distinguish the “popular kid” at school. As a result, the greatest determining factor in the election is the campaigns that the candidates set up for themselves.

Quartz Hill High School has made sure to reel in as many people to run for Prom Court by advertising discounted tickets to those who make it. This tactic seems cheap, but the campaigning process itself can be fairly pricy. This trade off ultimately balances the process so that anyone who truly wants to win will succeed if they are willing to create a good campaign.

Students like Kaleia Ashley and Trevor Sexton took the initiative and began campaigning the day after the informational meeting. The couple seems to be generally excited about the campaign, as Kaleia stated, “I am not doing this for the discount.” The discount does seem like a nice bonus, but students like Kaleia and Trevor really seem to run with the intentions of winning the title of Prom King and Queen.

Since couples cannot run as one entity in the election, it is also important to address that there is no guarantee that a couple will win the title of Prom King and Queen together, let alone make Prom Court at all. Candidate Giancarlo Michael is running with his date, Karinna Plata. However, knowing that the elections do not secure a spot for the couple, he stated, “Prom Court in general looked like a great experience, and I wanted to make high school as memorable as possible.” Rather than solely focusing on his date, Michael intends to make the most of his prom experience.

Whether it is for the discount or to flaunt a successful relationship, all candidates seem to want to run for Prom Court, so they can have a fulfilling high school experience.