Argyle Brings New Tradition with ‘Parade of Champions’
©The Talon News | Annabel Thorpe
Golf carts replace floats and the old parade tradition for the Ring of Champions, Argyle’s newest event. From homecoming celebrations, students walk the field before community members. (Annabel Thorpe/The Talon News)
September 21, 2016
In order to increase community spirit and improve old tradition, an alternative to the Homecoming Parade, the ‘Parade of Champions’, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 21 in the football stadium.
“It’s going to look like the opening ceremony of the olympics when all the countries come in and parade around,” principal James Hill said. “They have their banners and stuff, and they all get recognized. It’s kind of like a parade inside the stadium.”
After the walk through is complete, other organizations, including the band and cheerleaders, will take the spotlight.
“Some groups will be staying on the track to perform during the pep rally,” cheer coach and Spanish teacher Laura Truebenbach said. “Other groups will go up to the stands and be spectators.”
The rapidly growing student and community population played a key role in the decision to stray from tradition.
“When you’re at a school of 500 kids doing a parade in a school parking, it makes a lot of sense, but when you’re getting close to 900 [students], it’s a little bit different,” Hill said.
Students also influenced the decision to create the ‘Parade of Champions’ with numerous accounts of negative feedback on the usual parade.
“I thought the parade was stupid because we saw all the floats come through while they were going to line up,” junior Shealyn McNulty said. “[With the changes], we don’t have to look at [the floats] twice.”
In addition, one of the biggest issues with the traditional homecoming parade was the lack of a proper staging area.
“It takes a lot because you have all these floats and kids and parents running around, so it becomes very chaotic,” Hill said. “Our kids don’t really want to do it, and it’s gotten to be chaotic, so we really just had to try something new.”
While students are open to the ‘Parade of Champions’, some are reluctant with the idea of change.
“I think it’s good to try new things and build new traditions,” junior Grace Dison said, “but breaking old habits is like losing a part of the school’s history.”
Teachers are optimistic about creating new traditions.
“I really think it will be alright,” basketball coach and algebra II teacher Russell Perkins said. “More kids will be able to get involved, and any time you get more kids involved, it’s got a chance to be a better thing.”
The concept will lessen the preparation needed for the event, as well.
“All of the community groups are involved in it, and it’s not as much effort for them to put together a float and everything,” Truebenbach said. “They’re still showcased, so I feel like that’s a really big positive.”
With hopes of the ‘Parade of Champions’ being a success this year, it will continue and become much larger in the years to come.
“I like school spirit, and I like seeing the whole community come together with spirit,” Hill said. “Next year we’ll make it more of a carnival type setting with games, and every organization can have their own game as a sort of fundraiser.”
