Typically, the princess pageant marks the beginning of homecoming week, but due to conflicts this year, the pageant was held before homecoming. The princess pageant took place in the FC Gym, where the princesses competed in a series of challenges while partnered in a team, Oct. 13.

As students filed into the gym, the teams of princesses mentally prepared themselves before the competition began. Each team consisted of one junior, a sophomore and a freshmen. The first event that took place was an obstacle course.

The princesses made their way through a three-legged race, the consumption of an onion covered in caramel, and finally a team member who spun around a baseball bat who then attempted to shoot a free throw.

This event’s winning group was comprised of junior Kristen Rosenthal, sophomore Amanda Menes and freshman Sabrina Henderson.

The audience may agree that watching the princesses chow down on an onion covered in caramel was entertaining, but according to the princesses, it was the worst part of the pageant.

“The hardest part of the pageant was eating the onion,” Jenn Smith, ’15, said. “They told us it was going to be caramel apples it wasn’t; I just took it for the team.”

Although the carmel-covered onion was the worst part of the pageant, sophomore Chloe Duerr was expecting to consume more gross food.

“I thought I was going to eat something gross and nasty like they usually do,” Duerr said. “I’m more nervous for homecoming, but I’ll be happy when it’s all over.”

Following the task of the three-legged race, one princess from each team had to do push-ups into a plate of avocado scrub to completely cover their face. Afterward, the girls gave a make-over to a teammate and dressed the other in a toilet paper dress. The winning team of this event was junior Maddie Yee, Duerr and Smith.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Duerr said. “I knew it was going to be food or something, the part that was the most fun was the dress. I had great dress-makers, and I was happy to be their model.”

Proceeding the “makeover” stage of the pageant, the candidates had to partake in a hot dog eating contest. Each princess was given eight hot dogs and to eat as many as possible in a three-minute time limit.

“The hot dog eating contest was not what I expected,” Yee said. “I didn’t think they [leadership] would do something like that. I don’t like hot dogs, so by eating the onion in the beginning it was a major setoff and I didn’t want to do it but everyone else was doing it so I just tried my best.”

According to junior Brandon Porter, the hot dog eating contest was the highlight of the pageant.

“I thought it [pageant] was fun watch,” Porter said. “It was less disgusting then it has been in other years. My favorite part was the hot dog eating contest because it was really funny to me. I felt like the makeover one was boring, but the hot dog one was just the most fun to watch.”

Although the pageant was held later in the week, according to Yee this year the even was organized compared to years’ past.

“I thought it was a lot more organized this year compared to last year,” Yee said. “Overall I think it was really well organized and was a lot of fun for all of the princesses and I think for all of the freshmen it was good for them because it was their first time. Good job to all of the princess nominees and well done, leadership.”

The king pageant will be held in Ground Zero at 2:15, Oct. 14.

The 27th annual homecoming will take place on the North Field at 6:45 p.m.

For more information about homecoming, read the Oct. 12 article, Freshmen desire first homecoming victory and the Oct. 11 article, Eccentric pageant ignites queen rivalry (VIDEO).

Mary Hierholzer also contributed to this article.

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