'100 miles of hate': MTSU homecoming floats follow theme for 'Winner's Circle'
Working in a dimly lit barn Wednesday afternoon, Middle Tennessee State University student Maya Bickett sits cross-legged as she hunches over a wooden platform atop a 16-foot trailer.
The Alpha Delta Pi sorority member alternates laying down a swath of glue with one hand and pressing hundreds of little balls of crepe paper onto a board with the other.
She’s surrounded by nearly a dozen other MTSU students who are putting school spirit into action building a float for the annual homecoming parade set for 10 a.m. Saturday along East Main Street.
“Homecoming is a big celebration and it’s a way to get together and share our Blue Raider spirit,” said ADPi member Chloe Bastone.
ADPi has collaborated with Sigma Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities this year to create their group's interpretation of the “Winner’s Circle” theme for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. homecoming game against Western Kentucky University.
“I came up with the design,” said Anna Wrather, an ADPi member and co-chair of the float committee with Bickett. “It’s a race between our mascot (Lightning) and the (WKU) Hilltopper.”
The center is of the float is a dirt road paved with “pomp” that represents the “100 miles of hate” between WKU and MTSU, since the two universities are approximately 100 miles apart from each other.
Lightning is busting through a flower-covered horseshoe reminiscent of a Kentucky Derby “Winner’s Circle” theme.
Sororities and fraternities earn points through various homecoming activities — from fight song performances to games and homecoming floats — for a chance to win the competition.
Throughout the past few weeks, students have spent thousands of man hours working on varying aspects of the float, with hundreds more to go before Friday morning judging. But this week has been crunch time, with dozens huddled around the float into the wee hours of the morning every day.
“We were here last night until midnight,” Wrather said “With everybody’s schedules, most everyone can’t be here until 9 at night. So we’ve had a lot of late nights in the barn.”
“Time management is something that’s helped me a lot,” Bickett chimed in.
This school year is extremely special for the students because it’s the first “normal” one since the pandemic began.
“We’ve only had half a year of true college life,” Wrather said.
In 2020, the homecoming float was a decorated cardboard box. The following year, homecoming festivities were drenched by pouring rain. Wrather said their float fell apart at one point.
Working on the float is more than just a competition, Bickett said.
“It’s about school spirit and making memories,” said Josh Rhoads, a Sigma Pi member, “and to say I contributed to something like this is pretty cool.”
The experience is something Bickett, a junior, has wanted since beginning MTSU three years ago.
“You only have four years of college and I wanted to experience everything,” Bickett said.
MTSU homecoming events
Interested in MTSU’s homecoming festivities? Here’s a list of upcoming events.
● Festivities kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a mixer that is open to the public at the MTSU Alumni House, 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd. There will be music, souvenir photos, inflatables, MTSU gear for sale, free food and activities for all ages. Everyone is invited to stay at the spot to watch the parade. Be sure you bring chairs and blankets.
● The parade steps off at 10 a.m. at Maney Avenue and continue down East Main Street before taking a left on Middle Tennessee Boulevard and ending at Greenland Drive. Best viewing of the parade is before Faulkinberry Drive.
● Tailgating will be going on in Walnut Grove, the green space located on the west side of campus just east of James Union Building. There will be numerous free and fun activities going on including a photo booth, inflatables, mechanical swing rides, carnival games, face painting, and arts and crafts
● A campus parking map showing those buildings is available at http://bit.ly/MTSUParking. The community is invited to set up at any spot in the grove or anywhere on campus.
● Take the family to watch Raider Walk at 12:15 p.m., when fans cheer on the football team as they head to the field for the game, which kicks off against Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers at 2:30 p.m. Until 11:59 p.m. Friday, tickets can be purchased for $10 using promo code ALUM2022 online at https://am.ticketmaster.com/mtsu/buy#/.
Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU homecoming float themes, activities head toward 'Winner's Circle'
