Albany Student Voice

Hours before the football players take to the field, Golden Rams fans will show their support for Albany State University during the annual Homecoming Parade. The parade starts at 9:30 on Saturday morning, Oct. 27, but it won't be the same as last year's parade.

Albany Attorney Gerald Williams, chairperson of the Homecoming Parade Committee and proud ASU alumnus, hopes to revamp the parade's image. Williams, who began his reign as chairperson in 2005, said the Homecoming Parade Committee is in the final stages of the parade lineup and plans to have a fit for every entry and every volunteer.

The parade is routed on Pine Avenue spanning from the intersection of Madison Street and Pine Avenue to Washington Street and Pine Avenue and then up to Roosevelt Street.
Spectators can look for the best seats for the parade between Monroe Street and Jackson Street. Vendors will be lined up and down Pine Avenue with foods, drinks, balloons, toys and all of the favorites from cotton candy to candy apples.

So far there are 100 entries, including 31 car entries, 34 floats, 2 horses and 17 walking units including cheerleaders, mentor groups and tumblers. There will be 11 bands, including those from ASU, all Dougherty County high schools, two middle schools and Greenville High School from Greenville, Ga. The musical performances will also include a New Orleans brass band known as Black Men of Labor.

Among the many issues the homecoming parade committee faces, Williams said the biggest problem is the lack of decorations on the floats. "The decorations on the floats have always been lacking," he said. "We can do so much better. Students these days don't like to decorate. They think a streamer here or a balloon or two on a car is decoration."

Williams said the homecoming parade is ASU's opportunity to show the city of Albany its potential. "If we're not festive ourselves in our own celebration, how can we ask the city of Albany to be festive," he asked. ASU Homecoming Parade Committee member Lynn Decuir is in charge of organizing volunteers for the parade. She said she has gone to the Albany community and ASU's faculty and staff, but still needs more volunteers for the parade.

"We're really going to need to students to help us out," Decuir said. "We only need volunteers throughout the route to keep the crowd entertained and help the parade move along smoothly." Anyone interested in volunteering with the ASU Homecoming Parade can contact Decuir at 430-3976.

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