Students, alumni make homecoming their own
Brock Sisney
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Front Page
The sun shone bright for the 2009 Homecoming Parade and marching band reunion Saturday morning, and stayed bright during the afternoon, showing no signs of the dreary, rainy weather that Southeast Kansas has seen recently.
The parade started on time at 9 a.m. and ended about 80 minutes later.
President Steve Scott and his wife, Cathy, saw their first parade as university president and first lady. Outstanding Alumni winners and the 2008 and 2009 King and Queen winners rode near the front of the parade.
Several floats demonstrated the theme of Stories and Legends. The audience caught a glimpse of Snow White, Rapunzel, Gus and the Chocolate Factory, the Yellow Submarine and the Wizard of Oz, as well as a gorilla chasing around a tiger.
Gus rode a Suzuki Katana motorbike. The Fort Scott Trolley's driver rang the trolley's bell. The Kansas City Gorilla Club entered a three-fourths scale 1901 Oldsmobile.
International students from Brazil, China, India, Japan, Jordan, Korea and Taiwan marched in the parade and displayed their national flags. One float starred Pecos Gus and Hispanics of Today.
The Ash Grove, Mo., marching band lived up to its name of the Marching Pirates, by wearing pirate hats and the occasional bandanna. Other bands included Girard Middle School and Girard High School, Pleasanton High School, the Frontenac Marching Raiders, the Strafford High School Flaming Arrow Marching Band, Joplin High School, Pittsburg High School and the marching band at Pitt State.
The dancers of the Jody Phillips Dance Company paid Michael Jackson tribute by dancing to a medley of his songs. This was a break from the area rock station vehicles that blasted "Welcome to the Jungle."
Twenty-one horses and one mule closed out the parade, 15 horses were ridden by the Crawford County Saddle Club and six horses were ridden by Heartland Twisters out of Chanute.
Jason Landrum, president of SIFE and homecoming king candidate, said that he felt privileged to be involved with the entire homecoming experience.
The parade started on time at 9 a.m. and ended about 80 minutes later.
President Steve Scott and his wife, Cathy, saw their first parade as university president and first lady. Outstanding Alumni winners and the 2008 and 2009 King and Queen winners rode near the front of the parade.
Several floats demonstrated the theme of Stories and Legends. The audience caught a glimpse of Snow White, Rapunzel, Gus and the Chocolate Factory, the Yellow Submarine and the Wizard of Oz, as well as a gorilla chasing around a tiger.
Gus rode a Suzuki Katana motorbike. The Fort Scott Trolley's driver rang the trolley's bell. The Kansas City Gorilla Club entered a three-fourths scale 1901 Oldsmobile.
International students from Brazil, China, India, Japan, Jordan, Korea and Taiwan marched in the parade and displayed their national flags. One float starred Pecos Gus and Hispanics of Today.
The Ash Grove, Mo., marching band lived up to its name of the Marching Pirates, by wearing pirate hats and the occasional bandanna. Other bands included Girard Middle School and Girard High School, Pleasanton High School, the Frontenac Marching Raiders, the Strafford High School Flaming Arrow Marching Band, Joplin High School, Pittsburg High School and the marching band at Pitt State.
The dancers of the Jody Phillips Dance Company paid Michael Jackson tribute by dancing to a medley of his songs. This was a break from the area rock station vehicles that blasted "Welcome to the Jungle."
Twenty-one horses and one mule closed out the parade, 15 horses were ridden by the Crawford County Saddle Club and six horses were ridden by Heartland Twisters out of Chanute.
Jason Landrum, president of SIFE and homecoming king candidate, said that he felt privileged to be involved with the entire homecoming experience.
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