Flashy colors and upbeat music served as the highlights for about 300 people attending the CaribFest parade on Friday night.
“I just love the atmosphere here, man. I went last year, and loved everything I saw, but this year is much bigger,” Gerald Ezendu, a junior in nursing said.
Tim Torres, a sophomore in chemistry and biology, said, “It was good to see all the people and all the diversity. It was good to see the community together.”
Sponsored by the Caribbean Student Organization, the parade started at 5:30 p.m., about 30 minutes later than scheduled, and finished about an hour later. The queen showed up late, which put the flag waivers on edge.
Tameka Stanley, a grad student in education said, “I don’t know where she is man, we’ve been waiting a while.”
While they were waiting to start, dozens of students were still getting their faced and bodies painted outside Pierce Residence Hall.
“I loved being able to paint my face, and I love all of the music. It had an upbeat, and positive feeling,” said Ashley Valdez, a freshman in pre-med.
Students also reacted to the cultural awareness this event brought to the campus.
Kenyah Abul’aleem, a freshman in general business, said, “I love seeing all of the culture and spirit that goes along with it. I don’t always feel like there is enough school spirit on this campus, but events like this give me hope.”
The brightly colored costumes, full of sequins and feathers — or sometimes not much, were also a big attraction.
Aireanna Chavez, a freshman in athletic training said “I like the paint, but separate from that, I love the costumes. They bring so much culture to this event.”
Other students that came to show support for the organizations and loved it.
“I like everything about it. The atmosphere, the colors and the flags that are being waved,” said Ezendu.
Even though the performers, particularly the 10 girls waving flags, made it look it easy, it took months of preparation to get everything ready.
“We have been practicing for a month, and we took 10 hours of each week to prepare,” said Stanley.
The organization of the event, including building the sound equipment and selecting the music, also took a long time.
“Building the float took a while to finish because of the intricate detail put int0 it. We started working on it in late June,” said Donna Lisa Nelson, a senior in biology.
Nelson said it was worth it to see the turnout and to help raise money for Dominica, which was hit by a tropical storm earlier in the year.