Georgia Southern University’s University Programming Board (UPB) will implement a new scoring system for this year’s homecoming court candidates.

Participants in this year’s homecoming court have to gain more than the popular vote to be crowned.

Candidates will be evaluated under 230-point grading system. Only 50 points of the runner’s overall grade will be based on popular vote. In previous years, the popular vote was the primary basis of election.

“We want the homecoming court to be well-rounded. It is important that, along with the popular vote, that the king and queen are able to articulate and speak well,” Chatise Smith, spirit and traditions chair for UPB and sophomore public relations at GSU, said.

Along with the popular vote, candidates will gain points based on their GPA, their level of community service, an in person interview and participation in the various activities that go along with homecoming week.

“[Homecoming Court is] one of my favorite college experiences,” Garret Green, 2011 homecoming court king, SGA president and graduate student at GSU, said.

Along with the implementation of the homecoming court grading scale, “The Magical World” themed homecoming will host comedian Lil Duval on Nov. 5 at Hanner Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m. free with an Eagle ID.

Lil Duval is a regular on MTV2’s “Guy Code” and “Hip Hop Squares”.

UPB strived for greatness this homecoming, this may be the best one yet, Smith said.

Student participation is also an important factor for UPB.

“We want everyone to come to our events,” Khyra Walker, UPB member and junior public relations major at GSU, said.

UPB tried to incentivize this year’s homecoming events with different prizes and giveaways, Walker said.

Homecoming week begins Nov. 4 and kicks off with “Paint the Boro Blue”.

Students can vote for homecoming court nominees starting Monday, Nov. 4 on MyInvolvment.