During Homecoming Week, I attended every single lunch activity. They were entertaining and funny and everyone looked like they were having a great time – but as I looked up at the twelve students on stage, a wave of bitterness consumed me.

I couldn’t help it – I was jealous. I had never felt any desire to be on Homecoming Court, but now I could see the appeal – the food.

Every day I watched the Homecoming princes and princesses compete in those lunchtime games, and every day they had a new, free meal – Sol Food bistec sandwiches, Amici’s pizza, World Wrapps, Comforts. And on Saturday night, the whole court went out to dinner at Left Bank before the dance, and got a forty dollar meal – each.

At first I thought it was just jealousy that was making me so mad about this. After all, these twelve students had been chosen by the student body to represent our school – why shouldn’t we shower them with excessive and expensive food for one week out of the year? Homecoming is a fun tradition, and sometimes it’s good to splurge.

But then I realized what was bothering me. Last year, the administration got rid of the Academic Achievement Luncheon because it created a “physical separation” between high- and low-achieving students. I wasn’t really upset at the time, but now it seems hypocritical. If inviting a large number of students to have lunch in the quad once a year is a “separation of students,” then what exactly is picking the most popular seniors and parading them around the gym while the rest of us cheer?

Furthermore, what kind of message does it send that the administration will happily pay hundreds of dollars on food for twelve students, but is unwilling to order salad for the many students who excel academically?

For a week, we celebrate twelve seniors as royalty. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of us are peasants. There are always going to be separations in high school – some students work hard academically and get good grades; some work hard athletically and make the varsity sports team; and some participate in a lot of activities and get nominated for Homecoming Court. These divisions are always going to exist, because everyone has different strengths and interests and excels at different things.

But the administration can’t pick and choose which divisions they want to celebrate and which they want to prevent. It’s hypocritical for the school to encourage a “physical separation” based solely on popularity but discourage one based on academic achievement. Redwood is made up of all kinds of students who excel at all different things, and our administration needs to support everyone – not just the nobility.