Homecoming parade brings alumni back to campus

Taylor McCreary management senior and Jose Zambrano Graphic Design sophomore hold the Homecoming Parade banner on October 27, 2018. Phone Photo by Stephen Gomez

Some 50 people attended the homecoming parade Oct. 27. but the annual event that allows campus organizations to create a float and try to beat the others in a creativity competition was mostly attended by alumni.

“It’s a student competition,” Ruby Arriaga, student involvement activities coordinator said, “students participate in homecoming competitions so their organization can get extra points, but it’s also something fun to do for the students. That’s why we had free food over here, to get the community involved as well.”

Colonial Church provided free food for the event, which helped attract some 20 students to the parade.

“A lot of the students who graduated last year ended up coming back this year,” Arriaga said. “It was really a homecoming because they were coming back home to MSU.”

According to Tatum Hines, undecided freshman, homecoming is about having pride in school and show that by attending the homecoming events and being involved in the different activities that are during the week.

“It’s the most important game of the year,” Casey Albrikes, biology and chemistry sophomore, said. “It’s a time where we get together with the alumni and we get to see all the MSU spirit and traditions.”

According to Albrikes, he would like to see more events in between the bigger ones so there is always something for students to do throughout the week. He wants to see more students involved in events around campus and having more events will help show students how important school spirit is.

“Winning isn’t everything,” Caleb Kiser, marketing freshman, said. “The overall experience of making a float with my fraternity and trying our best to put on a show for the crowd and the judges is why I love being involved here at MSU.”

List of organizations with floats:

  • MSU Cheer
  • Kappa Sigma Epsilon & Alpha Phi
  • Alpha Psi Omega
  • Baptist Student Ministry
  • Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Nu & Tau Kappa Epsilon
  • PRIDE
  • Catholic Campus Ministry
  • Organization for Hispanic Students
  • Black Student Union & University Programming Board
  • Sigma Lambda Alpha
  • Chi Omega & Kappa Alpha