Cal Poly students from both San Luis Obispo and Pomona are in crunch time as they work on the finishing touches for their Rose Parade float.
Teams from each school have been working on one half of the float, which was joined togetherin late October when San Luis Obispo students drove their half down to Pomona.
The float's theme this year is "Shock n' Roll: Powering the Musical Current," and will feature "massive stingrays at a rocking swim party on a coral reef with a trio of eels providing their current to electric guitars, a keyboard and turntable."
Matthew Rodarte, Cal Poly Pomona's Rose Float President, said the students tried to challenge themselves this year.
"We've decided to go against a long-standing float-building philosophy. That is you either have many small elements or a couple of really big ones, and this year we decided to go with a lot of really big elements," said Rodarte.
The students are also challenging themselves by trying something new, that could hopefully help them in their future careers.
"We are going to be using an animation system that is done by professionals, that will better prepare our students for any career or if they choose they want to do this in the world after the float," said Rodarte.
Cal Poly's Rose Float is the only student-designed, student-built and student-driven float in the parade. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Rose Parade Float President Quinn Akemon is proud to represent not only Cal Poly, but all college students and the California University System.
"Something I have always really appreciated is the tournament of roses and the rest of the float builders in this parade they don't treat us like students, they treat us like float builders, so we face a similar amount of pressure knowing that the thing we are building is going to be on international television at the end of it all, but the great news is, since we are all under a similar amount of pressure there is a lot of support from the program," said Akemon.
Cal Poly students have built floats for the Rose Parade since 1948, making this year the 75th entry for the school. Over the years, the teams have won more than 60 awards, including the 2023 Extraordinaire Trophy.
"To me, this is everything, this program, this team, they are my family and this is my home. and to be the president, and not just the president, but the president for the 75th Cal Poly Rose Float is near and dear to my heart," said Rodarte.
The float will make its way down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on New Year's Day for the Rose Parade.
