Wayne State students and community members celebrated Homecoming with various traditions such as the Homecoming Royalty Coronation, pep rally, bonfire, athletic games and more on the week of Sept. 22.  

On Sept. 27, the annual WSC Homecoming parade strutted down Main Street, giving the community a chance to celebrate. 

“It’s just a good time for the community to get together and celebrate,” community member Megan Raulston said. “The college brings a lot of people from other communities, whether it’s students, or teachers, or even people from different countries.” 

The decades-old tradition allows for the college and community to come together and celebrate WSC students and faculty. The parade featured local school bands, businesses and organizations, as well as campus clubs, homecoming royalty and sports. 

“Wayne State is a great place. It draws a lot of people from surrounding towns and they have so much to offer and it just makes me so happy.” Dawn Baue, WSC mom, said. 

For some WSC students, Saturday was a first-time event, but others were already familiar. 

“It’s nerve-wracking, but also so exciting,” said homecoming queen Azania Kumalo.  

“This is my first parade. Unfortunately, I am not a part of band or any other of those wonderful activities,” homecoming queen Robynne McMaster said. “I am extremely excited to watch from inside the parade and not just the outside.” 

“This is my 3rd parade… I feel like the cheerleaders this year are getting a little bit more recognition,” Mataya Wilcox, a WSC cheerleader, said. 

This year’s parade featured 28 floats with a little under half of the entries belonging to the college. Despite a successful Homecoming Parade, Cody Westerhold, the dean of students, is always searching for ways to better the tradition. 

“Parades are sort of a dying art. I don’t think parades have all that prestige that they used to have,” Westerhold said.  

“I enjoy the parade and all the people that come to watch, it’s fun. Go cats,” Wilcox said.