As the sounds of drums and horns echoed across campus, followed by the sight of brass instruments glistening in the sun, the Golden Thunder Marching Band lead the charge for the small army of floats, signaling the beginning of the homecoming parade Oct. 28.
“I love how homecoming is about tradition no matter where you go,” Blair Berend, radiology freshman, said. “With the parade being one of the many traditions at MSU, it’s always exciting because we, as cheerleaders, get to interact with the fans who are so supportive. Being able to see them get excited about the festivities makes our job so much easier and so much fun.”
However, many students took their school spirit into their own hands, as several fraternities and sororities teamed up to create their own floats.
“Showing off my MSU spirit in the parade was really special to me. Back home I was never able to be in one of them because I wasn’t in any organization,” Jessica Hernandez, nursing freshman, said. “So, being on one of the floats and being able to express myself was definitely something to remember. I love MSU and I’m happy that I was able to express that in the parade.”
Though several student organizations created their own floats to join in on the festivities, some students felt there was just as much fun to be had in simply watching and enjoying the parade.
“Parades are just fun to watch, there’s no getting around that,” Haley Kelley, nursing freshman, said. “I came from a small high school, so we never really did something like this, so I just think it’s really cool that students can show their spirit in this kind of way, as well as offer everyone else a really fun opportunity to come hang out and cheer on the Mustangs.”
Mario Ramirez, assistant director of the office of student development and orientation, said that hosting the parade on a Friday afternoon, rather than a Saturday morning, worked well, as many students, faculty, and staff, were able to come out and cheer on the mustangs in numbers they haven’t seen in quite a while.
“We were actually a little surprised at how many people around campus came out,” Ramirez said. “It was really nice to see the size of the crowd. It was bigger than it had been in recent years, that’s for sure.”
As well as offering students, faculty, and staff, an outlet to show their spirit, the Office of Student Development and Orientation held a contest for the best float during the parade. The criteria for the floats were incorporation of the homecoming theme, adherence to safety guidelines, creativity, and judge’s preference. The winner in the Greek category was the team of Sigma Kappa and Kappa Sigma, while the winner in the student organization category was MSU Cheer.
