CLAREMORE, Okla. — Claremore High School administrators say their homecoming is one of the biggest in the state.
For years, the football team has controlled the vote of homecoming court.
But now, instead of just the football team, some students want everyone to be able to run and vote for who becomes king or queen.
"It's about making a change, making something new. Not taking away anything, but adding onto. Because it gives everyone the opportunity to be a part of something, be a part of the zebra family," Alayliun and Lakyn said.
"We feel that changing the tradition that we have had for a millennium for Claremore High School is breaking tradition. We feel that the majority of alumni that comes back, it's a sense of nostalgia when they come back," Dylan and Chet said.
Claremore High School Principal Kerri Garroutte supports the students who want change.
"We love this tradition here, we love what they do and what we wanna do is build on that, because here at the high school, a lot of our students are disconnected, and not really thinking they are a part of homecoming," Garroutte said.
Garroutte says they plan to keep all homecoming festivities and traditions the same-- they just want to change the voting process.
"Homecoming should be our whole school and all of our students feeling like they are a part of this school," Garroute said. "So we are looking at the proposal of making an all school homecoming. Where all students can be considered for representing the king and queen position."
Someone against the change has created a petition called 'Make homecoming great again'.
It now has more than 700 signatures, and now Claremore students and alumni stand divided.
"We would want to be on court, but we would want to represent one of the clubs that we're in. Then you have the opportunity for your school to vote to represent them as a whole. That would be an amazing experience," Alayliun and Lakyn said.
"Even though we all want what's best for the city and the school and the community and the alumni, teachers, parents, the students, everybody. We all want the best, but we don't want it to hit our homecoming," Dylan and Chet said.
Claremore administration will decide a plan and present it to the school board for a final decision.
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