Parade offers spirited alternative to tailgating

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Students looking for a pre-game alternative to tailgating Saturday
can show school spirit by cheering on floats.

Local businesses and Registered Student Organizations will be
showing off floats at the Homecoming parade, which begins at 10 a.m. in
Lot 22 in front of the Towers and travels down Washington, Main and
Broadway streets.

It will end in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Parish, 305 S.
Franklin St.

“There are about 60 entries in the parade, but we are anticipating
more,” said Katie Lamp, Alpena junior and parade chair. “There are
always a few more that show up.”

The participants in the parade will represent themselves with
decorated cars, walking units and the floats. Campus and community
groups in the parade include local businesses, civil services,
residence halls and various RSOs like On the Fly Productions and Sigma
Alpha Epsilon social fraternity.

There are about 20 to 25 student organizations in the parade.

New this year is an all-inclusive float contest in addition to the
perennial Maroon Cup competition.

“There is the Maroon Cup for RSOs so we thought we would include the
businesses more,” Lamp said. “This year we are going to be doing a
float contest that will include all entries.”

There will be five categories in the new contest: Best float, best
car, best walking unit, most creative and most school spirit.

Lamp is hoping people can hold off on tailgating for about 45
minutes to an hour or long enough to attend the parade.

“I think there will be a lot of creative floats,” she said. “We’re
hoping for a really good turnout.”

Ryan King, Lake Odessa sophomore, hasn’t been to a Homecoming parade
but said he hopes to make this year’s his first.

“I’ll be on Main this year, watching the parade go by,” he said.

Marysville senior Karrie Baldwin has been to several homecoming
parades and said she knows how much fun they can be.

“All the people walking down the street and the sports teams — it’s
fun to watch people you recognize and it shows school spirit,” she
said. “And I like the candy.”