Going to homecoming is one of the first high school events a student will experience. This year though, thanks to a global pandemic, instead of having a usual dance. Homecoming looked a lot different. No dresses, no dancing, and of course, no close contact.

The plans for homecoming were modified several times. It started out with the actual dance getting cut,  then after a new plan was drawn up, the activities like giant Jenga and inflatable bouncy houses were removed. That left the event with a parade, a live Dj, and free treats with lunch. 

Lakota West Principal Ben Brown gave us some more information on why homecoming looked the way it did. He explained that the decision to cut a lot of homecoming activities was made by the Butler County Health Department and the Executive Team in Lakota. Mrs. Miller, the head of the student government explains that she and the other staff “ just wanted to provide a boost in morale for students. We wanted to try and deliver something (for students) to enjoy”. 

As students walked into school, giant balloons in the shapes of cacti and ice cream cones appeared. Some students even dressed in their best Wild West attire, which if you couldn’t tell from the giant cacti balloons, was the theme. The day continued like normal until XH where students were let out of classrooms into the main hallway to enjoy the performance from the drumline and the cheerleaders. Dj Bobby G blasted 2010 pop music and announced the part everyone waits for,  Homecoming Court finalists.   Senior Queen and King this year was Cole Cronk and Evy Best.  It was a pretty short party, though, since right after that we just went back to class with minutes to spare.  At lunch, anyone with a ticket was allowed one free ice cream, which in my book is always a good thing. It almost felt like the last day of school party.

To a lot of students, Homecoming this year was sort of disappointing. I mean coming from a huge dance to a small parade was a downgrade. The only similarity between this homecoming and the last was the music. On a more positive note, at least we had a homecoming where we could all enjoy some time together. Really though, we did the best with what we had.  Corona has altered every situation and homecoming was just one of them.