Daily Egyptian Rock Star

A few SIUC students had their own homecoming celebration by enjoying Kegs and Eggs while they watched the homecoming parade pass by their house on University Avenue.

Students, alumni, and residents of Carbondale participated in the yearly homecoming parade tradition Saturday morning by decorating floats, waving to spectators and catching candy.

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Eric Voss, a senior in history, said he and his friends tapped a keg and started frying eggs at 7 a.m. Midway through the parade, Kegs and Eggs party goers were catching candy from passing floats and returning the favor by throwing back burnt toast.

Others at the parade said they were in attendance to have a good time, see the local bands, participate in a community activity and score free candy.

Donna Wright, of Carbondale, said her daughters were in the parade and she was thrilled to see them participating in city and University activities.

However others, like Jim Morris and Ryan Durocher said they found the parade annoying. Morris, a senior in accounting, and Durocher, a senior in biology, said they were awoken by the fire truck’s sirens as the trucks rolled by their University Avenue house.

That’s how I knew the parade started, Morris said.

Jennifer Layton, graduate advisor of the Student Programming Council, said the theme of the parade was Hollywood and it consisted of 29 high school bands, 22 cars, 18 floats and 6 marching units.

Layton said first, second and third place prizes were given to groups with the best float.

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Chris Lupien, a junior in radio and television and a Sigma Phi Epsilon member, said the Sigma Pi fraternity took first in the float competition with the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity taking second and the Sigma Phi Epsilon’s winning third.

Float themes ranged from Batman to E.T. with a variety of Hollywood glitter and dancing in between.

Sally Sorensen, a senior in psychology and a member of the Psi Omega Chi sorority, said she likes participating in the homecoming parade because it is exciting to see how creative the other Greek houses can be.

We get to do our thing and watch everybody else do their’s, Sorensen said.

Stephanie Walker, a senior in German and a Alpha Gamma Delta member, said the parade is a good way to get out in the Carbondale community and participate.

Doug Osinga, president of the College Republicans, said the parade was a way for his group to get their name out and let people know they are around.

We could not let the College Democrats be in the parade and not do it ourselves, Osinga said.

One College Republican puffed on a cigar as he walked along side the College Republican parade car.

A few Kegs and Eggs party goers joined in the festivities by bringing up the rear of the parade train as it was coming to the end of its route. The keg and eggers were banging pots and pans while chanting cheers as they marched down the parade route.