Homecoming at the University of Idaho was a huge success for a number of reasons.
Connor Bunderson | Argonaut – The UI Homecoming parade attracts Moscow community members both big and little.
The men and women who ran floats and cars are all people who help keep the university and community running. This included the wonderful fraternities and sororities on campus who have been competing and the last competition of the week was the float competition in the parade.
The judges named Pi Beta Phi and Pi Kapa Alpha as the winners and as far as energy and theatrics go, they deserved it. Their float was beautifully done with lots of participation from members.
However, if one based their decision just off of the floats, Alpha Kappa Lambda and Alpha Gamma Delta would have won for their fantastic balloon display.
The float was covered in balloons, flags, and Olympic insignia. The most striking features were a painted cut out of Joe Vandal on the front and back, accompanied by the five Olympic rings created entirely with balloons. As far as aesthetics go, they should have been chosen for the win.
In second place for a well done float, a dash of comical theatrics and the true Vandal spirit would be Sigma Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho. They had a comical weight lifting display where the mighty Vandal overpowered the puny Trojan, however it wasn’t enough to leave a lasting impression.
The float had more of a game day feel than an Olympic one, lacking decoration with only one set of Olympic rings in front and winners stood in the back to make room for the weight lifters in the middle. It was a great display, very neatly presented, so they deserved their spot in the ranking.
As far as Vandal pride, energy, creativity and a dash of comedy goes Phi Kappa Gamma calls for a shout out to the metal men on display.
It takes more than some trophy men to win unfortunately, but they did get the most laughs. The idea itself wasn’t bad and the energy was great, however they didn’t have much of a float to stand on.
Every float was unique but each team followed a central theme of black and gold. Every fraternity and sorority deserved some recognition for their work. Given the time allotted for their float construction, the parade was extraordinary and it should make Vandals excited to see what happens next year.
Mary Emert
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