This year’s theme for the Homecoming Parade is “Wildcat Dynasty.” Despite the forecasted cold weather, the parade will begin Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Judge Ely Blvd. and EN 16th, eventually making its way down Campus Court.
Other Homecoming events on Friday evening have been moved or postponed due to a predicted cold front and rain, Craig Fisher, director of alumni relations and annual projects, said. The Homecoming Carnival will move to the Scruggs Gym inside the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The petting zoo has been cancelled, and children’s carnival tickets have been reduced to $3. JamFest will move inside Moody Coliseum. The Firework show has been postponed to 8:40 p.m. Saturday.
Samantha Adkins, assistant director of Alumni Relations, was responsible for helping name the parade’s theme.
“This year, with us moving to D-1 in athletics, it was kind of like we have this dynasty of being in D-2 athletics for so long and that history,” Adkins said. “But then we were also thinking that the word ‘dynasty’ also recollects a lot of ideas for different people given which era you were in at ACU, and for those who were at school in the ’80s, the TV show Dynasty could be a funny idea. Duck Dynasty is a big thing right now and especially last semester we were thinking about it and how it fits in with our students’ mindsets pretty easily.”
The Homecoming parade coordinators want to make the parade new and exciting each year, so they decided not to base the parade off of the Homecoming theme. Adkins said the theme was mostly centered around ACU moving to Div. I athletics, but “Wildcat Dynasty” encompasses other themes such as “royalty” as well.
“I haven’t seen any Duck Dynasty things pop up, but, honestly, I was a little surprised by that. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be some kind of a twist to it that I’m not expecting,” Adkins said. “There are some people who are doing a specific type of sport, and there are people who are doing a more historic athletic moment and some who aren’t doing the athletic fit at all and using more of the royalty perspective. There should be a lot of fun ideas and silly things.”
Physical Resources is working hard to not only make the campus look good for Homecoming, but also brighten their float with flowers for the Homecoming Parade. This year, Physical Resources has decided to be a part of the parade.
Scott Warren, director of landscape and grounds, said the landscape and grounds employees have been working on a float. Warren’s boss came up with the idea to have a float in this years’ Homecoming Parade.
“We work in a department that is mostly behind the scenes,” said Warren. “It’s just letting people know a little bit more and just getting our face out there.”
“We have a larger Gator,” Warren said. “It will be pulling a smaller trailer that will probably have one piece of equipment on it surrounded with plants, and then plants in the back of the Gator with maybe some banners.”
The landscape and grounds employees’ kids will be participating in the parade by passing out candy near the float with their ACU shirts on.
“It’s our first effort, so we wanted to make sure it was something we could manage,” said Warren, “But we are excited and hopefully it turns out well.”
Four different dance groups will also be participating in the parade this year; Omega, Sanctify, Shades and Sophisticats will join in the festivities.
The dance groups will be joined by the royalty from the Coming-Home Court of 2003 and this year’s Homecoming Court in the parade.
The first place winners for the men’s social club, women’s social club and one other organization will be announced at the Homecoming game after Mark Jackson announces the Homecoming Queen. For those who can’t attend the game, the results will be Tweeted out through @OverheardACU, Students’ Association and the Optimist.
