Homecoming parade wears a cape

   It is time again to bring out the float materials and prepare for the annual homecoming parade. This year, students will parade in speedos and masks as they celebrate homecoming with a superhero theme.

Laurin Villanueva, senior nursing major and historian for the Texas Nursing Student Association, said she will be participating in the parade and hopes that families and students show their school spirit.

“Our plans for the event are to work as a group and combine our ideas to create a fun, family friendly float that shows off our school spirit and collaborates with the theme this year of superheroes,” Villanueva said. “The superhero we were given was chosen from a bag blindly. We chose Mr. Fantastic.”

Villanueva said she hopes that their float can incorporate Mr. Fantastic and the organization of TNSA.  
“The significance behind the float is to take part in UTEP’s school spirit during homecoming week and let students know that the school of nursing can have a little fun outside of the long hours of studying,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva said she feels very proud of what their organization will be preparing and of all of the hard work that everyone has put together in making this a special event for the entire family.

“It feels great to take part in such a big event on campus,” Villanueva said. “As soon as we had the okay to start the design on our float we were very excited and couldn’t wait to start drawing up our ideas.”

Alejandra Garcia, junior nursing major and vice president of external affairs for the Student Alumni Association, said she is proud to represent the idea of will through their superhero Green Lantern. The Association partnered with the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority to create the float.

“The design of the float has flourished from the ideas of all our members, from the suggestion of a Miner Pick to adding enlarged comic strips to our float,” Garcia said. “We hope that the people seeing the parade not only appreciate the effort we put into our work, but be inspired to proudly raise their picks at the sight of our float.”

Garcia said she is looking forward to the homecoming parade since it gives the opportunity to learn and bond with other organizations and see how creative they are.

“The power of will being represented by the Miner Pick that will be in our float and that will resemble the UTEP Pick located at the roundabout,” Garcia said. “Our Miner Pick will definitely put a twist to this year’s homecoming parade.”              
The Student Government Association, which doesn’t really have a superhero, will do a mix of all the superheroes and create something eye-catching, said Alexzandra Lozano, senior biology major.

 “(It) will hopefully really capture people’s attention,” Lozano said.

Lozano, who has experience being in the parade last year as Homecoming Queen, said she hopes that people come out and support the parade and see all the hard work that all of the organizations put into their themed floats.

“There is so much effort that goes into these floats that will reflect on the day of the parade,” Lozano said. “Not many students here at UTEP come out to events and I hope that they come to the parade and pep rally to also see alumni from their school.”

Lozano believes that in some way everyone at UTEP can be a superhero in their own way.

Yvette Lopez, freshman pre-pharmacy major, agrees with Lozano and believes that students should get involved.

“It is important to see all the organizations UTEP has to offer and that students could get involved as well,” Lopez said. “There are a lot of opportunities that one can take and use it well to their advantage.”

Lopez said she feels the theme can resonate with students.

“As a college student we are beginning that base or background that will make us heroes of the future,” Lopez said.

The parade will be at noon on Oct. 19 and will begin near Oregon and Glory Road.

Oscar Garza may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.