On Feb. 6, Huntley High School held the 11th annual Mr. HHS competition. The contestants had to prep, campaign, and practice for the last couple of weeks in the hopes of winning two Prom tickets and a free suit from Men’s Warehouse. Throughout the last 11 years, Mr. HHS has allowed boys to win Prom tickets, but why is there no Miss HHS?

There have been no events allowing female students to win free tickets to Prom or to have fun in front of their peers. This shows that there is inequality between genders at Huntley High School. 

When talking to students about the matter, many agreed that they want Huntley to offer Miss HHS. 

“I think there should be a Miss HHS. There is a Prom king and queen, but why not a Mr. HHS and Miss HHS,” junior Mary Margret Hayes said. “I feel like girls would sign up, and it would be different than other schools.”

It is understood that not all students would be interested in performing in front of their peers. If Huntley offered Miss HHS and students declined the offer, then they would not have to offer it again. But there have been no events for females to try. 

“I don’t know why we don’t have one other than there is a Miss Huntley and Miss Lake in the Hills, so I think that the interest is most focused there instead of here,” said Rebecca Davison, teacher and director of Mr. HHS. “Also, with it being with the boys, it’s more like a novelty. I think people like to see what the boys can do.”

It is understandable that Huntley High School would not offer a female pageant because of Miss Huntley and Miss Lake in the Hills, but the school should still offer an event for female students to be able to win the same prizes as their male counterparts. 

“Miss HHS is something that the Student Council can look into,” Davison said. “I guess it is just assumed, which I guess it is a bad thing, that if a boy wins his date is going to go with him, so it is like she did win a free ticket to prom.”

It is unfortunate that female students do not have the same opportunities to compete and win tickets. The female student body needs to bring awareness to Student Council to get an event planned where both male and female students can participate. It is in the hands of students at HHS to try to make change.