This year an old tradition was revived for Whitworth Homecoming: a parade. For many students Oct. 3 was a new experience, but the Homecoming parade was once a yearly tradition among the Whitworth community. The Associated Students of Whitworth University (ASWU) came up with the idea of a Homecoming parade after looking in old yearbooks from Whitworth’s past.

“The goal is to give the whole campus opportunities to be involved,” ASWU executive vice president Chase Weholt said.

The parade included 10 floats decorated by each dorm community and off-campus students. From a pirate ship to a camping scene, the dorms were creative with their decorations.

President Beck Taylor and his wife Julie were also a part of the Homecoming parade. They rode at the back of the parade in a convertible chauffeured by Ballard and McMillan resident director, Matthew Baker.

“It’s a reintroduction of an old tradition,” Taylor said.

Taylor was excited about the addition of the homecoming parade as a way for students to be more involved in the Homecoming festivities, he said.

“It’s great to see alumni and current students,” Taylor said.

Some alumni were on campus for Homecoming after being away from Whitworth for decades.

“We love seeing old friends,” said Beth Wentworth-Strickland, class of 1985. The parade was a great way to welcome Whitworth alums back to campus.

“This was a really cool idea,” senior Cass Busch said. “It’s cool to see different people take on decorating their float.”

Students and alumni voted for their favorite float after the parade, which proceeded along the loop road and ended in front of the Hixson Union Building. Each person put a voting slip in the box of their favorite float to vote for the best one. Junior Bailey Vallee helped hand out slips.

“This creates a cool activity for alumni and students to be a part of,” Vallee said. “There is a sense of camaraderie.”

The vote resulted in BMac’s pirate ship taking home the win as the crowd favorite float.

The parade took the place of a Homecoming dance which had been put on for several years. Instead of the dance this year, the committee decided to create an activity that any student could be a part of.

“Not everyone wants to go to a dance,” Weholt said.

The parade allowed students to celebrate Homecoming creatively and inclusively, Weholt said.

Contact Melissa Voss at [email protected]