With their matching Nebraska masks and gifts, seniors Cooper Grabenstein and Lauren Kubat congratulated each other from a distance outside Wick Alumni Center on Saturday.
Although the setting was different from previous homecoming ceremonies because of coronavirus restrictions, that didn't stop the University of Nebraska-Lincoln students from being crowned royalty and photographed in front of the large "N" outside the alumni center.
"I just appreciate the university and all the effort they put in having an event for us with the pandemic and everything," Grabenstein said. "It was really hard and difficult to even have something and they've had good communication with us and they've helped to still honor us even though it's a pandemic."
UNL celebrated this year's homecoming king and queen during halftime of Saturday's football game against Penn State.
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"We couldn't do a lot of the normal events and traditions, but the way that they were able to change and reshape what we did was really admirable," Kubat said. "I'm happy that they still had an appreciation for the tradition."
Grabenstein is an agribusiness major on the banking/finance track. He is a member of FarmHouse fraternity, the Black Masque Chapter of Mortar Board, the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council, NHRI Leadership Mentoring and Navigators Bible Study. He is the son of Todd and Tricia Grabenstein of Smithfield.
Kubat is an accounting major and management minor. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, the Clifton Builders management program, Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska and UPC Nebraska, as well as a Nelnet intern. She is the daughter of Barry and Michelle Kubat of Omaha.