EDITORIAL BOARD
Fall 2017
Every fall, students are asked by several Miss Homecoming hopefuls for their vote.
Begrudgingly, students stop for a brief spiel, promise their vote and leave — oftentimes without giving a damn about what they heard so long as they got a donut out of it.
Miss Homecoming elections shouldn’t be written off as a mere popularity contest that only affects you through annoying concourse encounters.
The candidates often have serious platforms, and as such, a real opportunity to help effect positive change on our campus.
In the past, they’ve tackled huge problems like clothing those who can’t afford clothes, mental health and inclusivity.
Along with taking direct actions like supplying clothes to people, their platforms serve as a means to elevate important discussions.
In 2015, Miss Homecoming Taylor Wesley used her role to combat mental illness.
On top of raising $2,800 in three days for Auburn University’s Mental Health Resources, her campaign successfully made mental health something students could more openly talk about.
Perhaps not coincidentally, our University soon after overhauled our mental health services to allow more people to receive help, shortening wait times and making life a bit easier for our students going through mental health troubles.
Wesley’s campaign is just one of many.
This year, our candidates are addressing issues like the terrible state of sexual education in Alabama, sexual assault, food insecurity, the isolation of international students and stressing the importance of taking care of the elderly.
To trivialize the role Miss Homecoming plays does it a disservice, and so we encourage you to thoughtfully cast your vote for whomever you think would create the most positive change here at Auburn.
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