2020 has been greatly dragged down by the pandemic throughout the world. Though the 2020-2021 school year has also been altered by to COVID-19, LN has decided that homecoming should not be another canceled plan. Due to social distancing restrictions and capacity levels, there will be no dance this year. However, there are many other in school and out of school activities that administrators are encouraging virtual and hybrid students to participate in.

“We wanted to keep the same school spirit we’ve had in past years despite the unfortunate circumstances. We still want every Wildcat to be proud of the red and green,” PAC Junior Class Secretary, Evan Knott said.

There are different activities planned each day of the week. The week started on Tuesday, Sept. 8 which was LN Spirit Day. Students (both virtual and in person) wore red and green apparel to show LN pride.  One male and one female student will be awarded best dressed for the best LN spirit wear and will earn points for their class.Penny Wars, which is a fundraiser for the LN Dance Marathon began Tuesday. Buckets were set up in the cafeteria for each class. Dollars and silver coins are negative points towards a class and pennies are positive points. The class that earns the most points will be awarded the Class War Trophy by Principal Brett Crousore at the Kickball Championship game on Friday. 

Another activity is door decorating which encourages staff and students to decorate their doors with as much neon as possible and upload pictures on Instagram or Twitter under the hashtag #LNHSHomecoming2020 to earn points for their class.The doors will be judged and the top 3 will get a prize. 

“Students can decorate their bedroom door, their front door, they can even submit a virtual door as long as they have permission and they use the hashtag,” sophomore assistant principal Ayanna Williams said.

Wednesday, Sept. 9,  is Twin Day, so students and staff are encouraged to dress in matching outfits. The Penny/Class Wars will continue through the week during all lunch periods. The first of 4 kickball games will  begin Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the football field. The games will be freshmen vs. juniors and sophomores vs. seniors. To sign up to play, you will need to contact the Class War Coaches through email depending on your grade. The team coaches are JT Burns for Seniors, Sean Ohman for Juniors, Andrew Schroeder for Sophomores and Jacob Aven for Freshmen. Each class also has a different team color. Freshmen will be neon pink. Sophomores will be neon yellow. Juniors will be neon blue, and seniors will be neon green.

The Homecoming Court was announced last week. The candidates for queen are juniors Charlotte Harkins, Sarah Moran, Jada Radford, Taryn Rogers Armbruster, and Olivia Weisiger. The candidates for king are juniors James Bailey, Logan Castro-Chavez, Evan Knott, Owen Quinn and Xavier McQueen. Voting for king and queen will take place Wednesday and Thursday through Canvas and the crowning will happen at the beginning of the football game on Friday. 

“Students are encouraged to vote for Homecoming King and Queen because it’s important for the voice of the student body to be heard,” Williams said.

On Thursday, Sept. 10, the theme is College Go Wear, therefore students and staff should dress in their best college gear.  Penny/Class Wars will still continue as well as Homecoming King and Queen voting on Canvas. Submissions for the Door Decorating contest will also still be judged and the best dressed for College Go Wear Day will be awarded.

Friday, Sept. 11  is the day of the homecoming game. The theme for the day and the game will be Glow in the Dark to represent how important it is to shine even in dark times. Wildcats are encouraged to get geared up in their brightest and most colorful neon apparel. The rest of the kickball games will take place Friday starting at 2:30 p.m. First, grades 9 and 11 will play and at the same time grades 10 and 12 will compete. Next, the winner of each of those games will play each other then the winner of the third game will play LN’s staff team. Safety is a priority for staff and students during these events.

“We will ensure that every participant is six feet from each other or wearing a mask when they aren’t,” Knott said 

Since the seating for these games will be free but limited, masks are required and social distancing rules are still strictly set in place. As these games are first come, first served, it is recommended to arrive as early as possible.

“If students are on the field, then no, they will not have to wear masks, but while waiting or on the sidelines, masks are required,” Williams said.

At the game, the Homecoming King and Queen will be announced as well as the winners of the Door Decorating Contest. There will also be a trike race between the Class War coaches and a video presentation by administrators. Because there will be no dance, there will be a dance off on the field after the game. Only students that attended the game will be able to participate until 11 p.m. while masks and social distancing restrictions are still required. 

“Homecoming at Lawrence North has always been about celebrating each other and we should still be able to do that even through the pandemic,” Williams said.