By Christy Shepherd
The long running controversy regarding the placement of Homecoming queen pictures is over – for now.
After weeks of debate, the Student Advisory Council finally voted not to pass the presented proposal to remove the pictures from the Wilkinson Student Center.
When approached with the issue, administration asked advocates of the proposal to initiate their proposition through SAC.
The proposal suggested the portraits be moved to a location that better represents the historical context of the portraits, such as the Alumni House.
The proposal also suggested the pictures be replaced with alternative pictures such as those that honor past recipients of the exemplary man and womanhood awards or pictures of commendable women from the Women”s Resource Center.
SAC representatives made alternative suggestions concerning the keeping of the queens” pictures to address some of the issues brought up by advocates of the proposal.
For example, one suggestion was to include a plaque listing the accomplishments of the women.
One of the oppositions to the proposal was the clarification of the exact location to where the portraits would be moved. The suggestion of moving the pictures to the Alumni House was not completely feasible due to the lack of wall space in the building.
Although SAC did not pass this proposal, advocates of this issue said they are thinking about trying again.
Sponsor of the proposal, Sharla Dunroe, said, “It”s not that I don”t think the women were great. I do. They were service-oriented and pillars to the church and the university, but they were still queens.”
President Spencer W. Kimball said honors such as queens are given undue emphasis and are superficial.
Twenty percent of the Homecoming queen contest focused on poise and appearance.
Dunroe said she thinks portraits of women who were not judged on appearance should be displayed in the Wilkinson Center instead as examples to students.
“Displaying the queens” pictures is a remnant of that queen contest,” Dunroe said.
Until a new proposal is instigated and passed, those remnants of BYU”s history will remain lining the halls of the Wilkinson Center.
