CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Two of these students will be crowed 2020 Marshalltown Homecoming King and Queen Friday. Due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Aug. 10 derecho, the coronation will be held shortly before the Friday night football game.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic and the Aug. 10 derecho has created a different year, Marshalltown Community School District officials are doing their best to give the student population a normal Homecoming.

Valerie Corson, a Marshalltown High School counselor and co-advisor of the Student Senate, said the 2020 Homecoming is very unusual. There is no parade or no float building activities this year, no Powder Puff games or Homecoming dance.

“The traditional coronation of the king and queen will also be different this year,” Corson said. “We are not doing anything that encourages large groups. That leaves the football game, and people can’t go to that unless they have a ticket.”

She said a lot of focus has been placed on the Friday football game, which will be the biggest aspect of Homecoming Week and will be live-streamed. Corson said the Student Senate wanted to keep the traditional script used in the coronation ceremony, in which the candidates are referred to as “sirs” and “ladies.”

“They wanted to hold on to that medieval time feel,” she said.

Not only does the Student Senate have to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but they also had a time-crunch due to the Aug. 10 derecho, which postponed the start of school to Sept. 8.

“This is only the second week of school,” Corson said. “This whole planning has been a balance of what to change and what to keep. They are trying to keep it normal in an abnormal situation that they cannot control.”

One of the beloved traditions of Homecoming has been Spirit Week in which students can have dress-up days, such as pajama day or school color day. Since Homecoming coincides with pictures, Corson said the Student Senate decided to postpone Spirit Week.

“In the hybrid model, pictures are being taken Monday through Thursday,” she said. “We didn’t want students dressing up for Spirit Week and also getting their school pictures taken. The Student Senate modified the Homecoming theme to Bobcat Pride, so all students were encouraged to wear red and blue this week.”

Students can rest assured they will have the opportunity to show their crazy and unique sides when Spirit Week is held in October. Corson said the official dress up days have not yet been determined. Also, the postponed Spirit Week will also contain a time in which the driveways of athletes and seniors can be painted‚ another tradition that was delayed.

Those were two traditions Corson said the Student Senate did not want to give up.

“The general consensus among the Student Senate is that they are losing a lot, but are desperate to keep as much normalcy as they can,” she said. “I feel for our students ‚Äî especially the seniors. There is nothing normal ab out this year.”

HOMECOMING COURT:

The 2020 Homecoming King and Queen coronation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, at Leonard Cole Field, ahead of the 7 p.m. Homecoming game, when the Bobcats will face the Fort Dodge Dodgers.

Fourteen students up for selection as Homecoming royalty this year include:

Queen candidates: Maggie Augustine, Emma Bair, Milagros Barajas, Holly Braga, Avery Case, Anna Diiorio and Natalie Duncan.

King candidates: Brendan Bates, Ethan Benscoter, Malik Haynes, Noah Hermanson, Eli Thiessen, Carson Williams and Sergio Zaragoza.

WATCH ONLINE:

The 2020 Homecoming King and Queen coronation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Friday at Leonard Cole Field, ahead of the 7 p.m. Homecoming game, when the Bobcats will face the Fort Dodge Dodgers. They can be viewed live at www.citylinktv.com/channel/marshalltown-kdao-online/.