Monday, October 19, 2009 10:21 PM CDT
New EIU Homecoming parade route a hit with spectators
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — Imogene McClanahan said she cannot recall an Eastern Illinois University homecoming parade ever passing her home before during her more than four decades of living on Division Street.
McClanahan said when she heard the parade’s new route this year would include Division, she decided to hold a yard party to give her family and friends front-row seats. She tended a card table topped with coffee and pastries for a yard full of company Saturday morning as they awaited the parade’s arrival.
“I am real pleased with the new route,” McClanahan said with a friendly smile.
The parade traditionally goes north from campus on Seventh Street, rounds the north side of the courthouse square, and heads straight back to campus on Sixth Street. This year the parade concluded by going south on Sixth to Polk Avenue, west on Polk to Division, and south on Division to EIU’s O’Brien Stadium.
Charleston resident Eric Davidson, who is an associate director for EIU Health ServiceS, said changing the ending point of the parade was a good move by the city and university. He said the parade entries could disburse easier from O’Brien Stadium than at Sixth and Lincoln Avenue.
Davidson and his wife, Jill, both EIU alumni, walked five blocks over from their E Street home to Polk to watch the parade with their three children: Emily, 5, Timmy, 2, and Abby, 7 months.
“Emily was basically hopping, skipping and jumping the whole way here,” Davidson said.
The Davidsons joined many other families who sat on lawn chairs,
blankets, curbsides and block retaining walks along Polk and Division. Jill Davidson said changing the route really helped bring the campus and the rest of the community together.
Mattoon resident Louann Shoultz and her daughter, Felicity, 15, set up lawn chairs at Morton Park along Division. Shoultz said they turn out every year to see the parade and its marching bands. She said they usually watch from the Charleston public library on Sixth Street, but decided to try the park this year because it is part of the new route.
“I think they are trying really hard to make the parade more family friendly,” Shoultz said.
Carpentersville resident Michelle Ochs said she appreciated that EIU students set up a bounce house and other children’s games at the park, adding that her 3-year-old daughter, Maria, had fun bouncing before the parade.
Ochs, a member of the EIU Alumni Association board, also was accompanied by her husband and fellow alumnus, Mike; their 1-year-old daughter, Cecilia.; and Ochs’ sister, EIU sophomore Kim Braddock. They accumulated a large collection of candy even though they were near the end of the parade route.
“I think there was just one float that was out of candy. We are having no trouble,” Ochs said.
Decatur residents Jason and Michelle Bovyn, both EIU alumni, arrived just in time at the park to watch the parade with their children: Kaylee, 9, Kerrigan, 6, and Khloe, 7 weeks. Bovyn said they usually watch the parade uptown, but appreciate how easy it was to find a parking spot at Morton Park.
The parade was not running low on candy or energy by the time it reach the park, Bovyn said.
“The energy is still there. People are still whooping, hollering and screaming out ‘Go Blue,’” Bovyn said.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 238-6861.
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Ken Trevarthan/Staff Photographer -- Eastern Illinois University marching band alumnus Tom Seib (Class of 1974) of Hot Springs, Ark., sings with the current Panther band as they perform a pre-game number outside of O' Brien Stadium in Charleston on Saturday afternoon before the Homecoming game.
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slap63 wrote on Oct 19, 2009 7:09 AM: