They had a gay ol’ time
After countless hours of float building and preparations,Saturday’s Homecoming parade featured a variety of creationsto get the public, participants and players pumped up for themidday game against Fresno State. The 2003 SMU Homecoming Paraderolled down Hillcrest Avenue and eventually turned on to BishopBoulevard, as onlookers were entertained with the themed event.
Led by the SMU police, notable university figures such asPresident R. Gerald Turner, Vice President of Student Affairs JimCaswell and SMU Board of Trustees chairman Gerald Ford all made anearly appearance and Dr. Caswell served as Grand Marshal for theevent.
Major General Craig McKinley, class of 1974 and Marshall Terry,class of 1953, were both present as honorary alumni along with E.G.McMillan, alumni homecoming chair for the weekend.
The theme “Let the Good Times Roll” was the basisfor the float competition this year.
Fraternities and sororities spent many hours the previous weekpreparing their floats for the competition, unveiling such designsas a riverboat, a pink Cadillac and New Year’s Eve in NewYork City.
Residence halls participated in the competition as well.Shuttles displayed “Rollin with the Squirrels” and Boazshowed off their “High Rollers.”
But in the end it was Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Kappa Alpha whostole the show, winning the float competition with their HarleyDavidson theme. Not only did they have a float featuring alarger-than-life motorcycle, but they also featured the Pikes ontheir classic fire engine as the Junk Yard Dogs, a Dallas areaHarley Davidson motorcycle club, escorted the Kappa’s downthe Boulevard.
“It was a lot of fun,” junior Kappa Kappa Gammamember Meredith Sirchio said. “I kept wanting the guy[driving the motorcycle] to go faster.”
Britt Moen of Kappa Kappa Gamma was elected homecoming queen,and Dustin Odham of Pi Kappa Alpha was elected homecoming king.
SMU students and faculty were not the only participants in theparade.
Carly Bender, reigning Miss Majorette of Texas and Highland ParkMiddle School eighth- grader made an appearance in the parade alongwith Erica Kuntz, an established baton twirler and reigning LittleMiss Garland who took the trip around the Boulevard in aconvertible.
The Junior Mustang Cheerleaders pepped up the crowd before thegame, and Dallas area elementary school students who won the SMUhomecoming art contest were rewarded with a bus ride in theparade.
