Screams and boos resound in the campus gym on Oct. 20 during Homecoming Week. The timid homecoming princess candidates step forward to face their first initiation challenge, nervously eyeing the stacks of whipped cream pies on the table.

While one must eat fried cow tongue, another is given a six-month-old can of Spam. The Battle of the Stomachs has begun.

“It was an awesome competition,” Hillary Kell, ’05, said. “Watching all those girls eat the disgusting food was funny, and we got to throw pies at the losers!”

Although many of the items to eat were rated horrible at best, some were rather relieved with their choice.

“Having to eat the oysters was definitely the worst challenge,” Jennifer Vanden Hoek, ’06, said. “I’m glad I only had to peel the onion with my teeth.”

Other candidates were not so pleased with the challenge they received.

“I knew when my spin landed on ?Sweet Surprise’ I was going to get pied,” Heather Neel, ’07, said. “I braced myself for the first one, but wasn’t expecting the second one from behind. It was cold, and it was hard to get out of my hair when it dried.”

The competition didn’t end that day; future challenges still await royal hopefuls during the Queen Pageant on Oct. 20 and the King Pageant on Oct. 22.

“I’m looking forward to verbally slamming the other queen candidates,” Kell said. “It’s always funny to see who has the best insult.”

The senior queen candidates include Melissa Jimenez, Katie Jacobsen, Lindsey Martens, Ashley Tucker and Kell.

The winning Queen and Princesses will be announced during halftime of the Fresno Christian Homecoming game against Liberty High on Oct. 22. The Homecoming football game will be at Clark Intermediate School in Clovis.