Ohio University’s new Homecoming parade route did not deter current students and alumni from watching as it zigzagged from Factory Street to Park Place.
More than 70 groups walked in the Saturday parade — almost all that registered, said Amanda Roden, co-chair of the Homecoming parade committee and OU student trustee.
The Homecoming committee was concerned the parade re-route would cause a smaller audience, but some students were impressed by the turnout.
“I wasn’t sure what to think at first, because when we started walking there weren’t too many people, but then once we got closer to Court Street there were a ton of people,” said Sean Thomas, a freshman studying chemical engineering who sang with The Singing Men of Ohio in the parade.
Even if some audience members did not like the new parade route, many alumni were drawn to the parade out of tradition.
Larry and Linda Smith, two OU 1971 alumni who married during their senior year, have come back for Homecoming since they graduated. They said this year’s Homecoming parade was their favorite so far, even though the floats were not as “extravagant” as they used to be.
A group of five faculty members chose banner and float winners based on several categories, including creativity, use of material and relation to this year’s Homecoming theme, “Better than the Best Ever.”
For Homecoming banners, OU’s International Student Union won first place, the OU student chapter of the American Meteorological Society took second, and third place was a tie between Greek Teams 5 and 6.
In the float category, the Athens County Children Service took first, followed by The Athens News and Passion Works Studio, respectively.
“All the feedback that I’ve gotten has been great,” said Roden, a junior studying Spanish. “I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t have asked it to go any better.”
dk123111@ohiou.edu
