Floats, music, community and tradition typically make up the homecoming weekend, but this year, the annual homecoming parade won’t be a part of the festivities.
TCU Director of Student Activities Kim Turner said there are too many “key scheduling conflicts” preventing the parade from happening.
“In light of numerous conflicts related to the parade time, TCU is taking a year off from the homecoming parade in 2016,” Turner said.
Typically, during TCU’s homecoming parade, the streets around campus are lined with students, families and alumni waiting to watch TCU’s various organizations represent themselves.
“A majority of the organizations that build floats for the parade would be unable to participate in the 2016 parade due to traditional family or philanthropy events that occur at the same time,” Turner said.
Among those who helped build a float for past parades is Chi Omega member Emily Scharlach.
“It’s a little disappointing for us because I remember making the float my freshman year and it was a great time to get to know other freshmen in my sorority,” Scharlach said. “It makes me sad for the current new members because they don’t get to have those same memories.”
Other students who have participated in past homecoming parades have expressed similar feelings about the event being canceled.
“Working on the floats with my Delta Gamma sisters is such a great bonding experience and it’s unfortunate that the new members won’t get to attend the parade,” Delta Gamma member Natalie Stephens said.
TCU’s homecoming weekend will still be filled with plenty of events for students and Frog fans.
A Pep Rally and FrogFest will take place from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Campus Commons. TCU women’s volleyball plays SMU at 6:30 p.m. in the University Recreation Center and TCU women’s soccer plays Austin Peay State University at 7:00 p.m. at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium.
These events will showcase some of the groups, such as the TCU Marching Band, that Frog fans would normally see at the homecoming parade.
“It was communicated to us that it had been canceled, so we made the necessary adjustments in our calendar. We will still be there for the Pep Rally that night,” Director of Bands Bobby R. Francis said.
TCU has not announced if there will be a homecoming parade in 2017.
The decision for the 2017 homecoming parade will be made “with input from students, student leaders, and event staff,” Turner said.
