This year’s homecoming week was one for the books. With a team effort to decorate, a cancelled parade due to flooding, and a win against the Central DeWitt Sabers, homecoming was definitely unique.

In past years, hallway decorating was scheduled on the Saturday before homecoming week. This year, however, decorating consisted of a three-hour time period during the day on Tuesday. All students signed up to participate in activities such as sidewalk and board painting as well as hallway and teacher door decorating.

“Many students that wouldn’t have helped decorate in the past, got more involved this year,” teacher Abby Osborne said. “That’s why we decided to decorate during the day.”

Students enjoyed having time during the school day. “I liked how we actually had time to do door decorating instead of coming in on the weekends,” Miranda Axline (12) said. “We could be as creative as we wanted to be.”

Foreign exchange student Paula Andres Rodriguez had never received the chance to decorate her school in Spain for sporting events. “I liked it because we had a day off class to paint with friends and have fun,”  Rodriguez said.

Even though the annual homecoming parade was cancelled, it didn’t stop students from getting involved in the community. Many West Delaware students took time out of their day to help local businesses and homes sandbag during the flood, and their efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

“I thought (the students’) effort was awesome,” Mike Morrison, assistant principal, said. “I was amazed by the willingness of our students to help their community.”

For the first time in recent memory, the freshman game was cancelled due to the field conditions. “Cancelling games happens so rarely I don’t remember the last time it has occurred,”  Morrison said. “Coach Winkowitsch and myself felt that an extra two hours of drying time would be beneficial to the field.”

To end the week, students showed school spirit during the homecoming football game. Defeating the Sabers, 28-0, the Hawks showed their dominance during the game. “We didn’t play as good as we had wanted,” senior Nolan Lyness said. “But it felt good to get a win on Brown Field.”