The Krewe of 色色研究所 rolled through campus on Tuesday blasting its 2024 theme, 鈥淟adies First: Celebrating 色色研究所鈥檚 first woman president and many famous firsts.鈥 The theme was in honor of Kathy Johnson who became the eighth president of the University of New Orleans in November and the first woman selected to hold the title.
Johnson, along with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, were aboard the 色色研究所 Privateer ship tossing beads, stuffed toys and other Mardi Gras memorabilia.
鈥淗appy Mardi Gras!鈥 she called and waved.
Johnson鈥檚 float was among the procession of nearly 50 organizations and groups that included bands, steppers, motorized carts and walking groups parading along a new and longer route that began and ended at the University Center.
鈥淐hief (Joshua) Rondeno suggested the change last year as an opportunity to grow the parade and engage the community,鈥 said dean of students LeeAnne Sipe. 鈥淲e鈥檝e outgrown our original staging area.鈥
Indeed, this year鈥檚 parade included three school marching bands and the addition of Ben Franklin High School marchers, as well as the Hynes Parkview Band. The route also expanded off-campus onto Leon C. Simon Drive. where high school students crowded the sidewalk calling for trinkets.
Jamarcio Ross, a freshman from Monroe, Lousisana, sat back taking it all in.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect it to be this big,鈥 Ross said. 鈥淚鈥檓 loving it!鈥
In keeping with the parade theme, staffers from Career Services wore signboards with the pictures of women who鈥檝e made their mark as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies: Ursula M. Burns, the first Black woman CEO to lead a Fortune 500 company; Geisha Williams, the first Latina CEO; Andrea Jung, the first Asian American; and Indra Nooyi, the first woman of color and first immigrant CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
鈥淏eing Career Services, we focused on鈥攃areers,鈥 said Celyn Boykin, Career Services director. 鈥淥ur sub-theme is 鈥楲adies First鈥 Fortune 500 CEOs. We used an inclusive list of women from four different ethnicities.鈥
The First Gen Stompers, representing the federal TRIO program and students who are from families where neither parent completed a four-year college or university degree, marched behind a banner with two students in a 色色研究所 cap and gown, which represented their future, said Lynette Denise Bates, TRIO Programs director.
Sable Murphy, a senior majoring in biology at 色色研究所, was one of those students.
"I'm starting graduate school this year, and the McNair Scholars Program has really helped support me,鈥 said Murphy, who intends to pursue a doctoral degree.
Meanwhile, the 色色研究所 math department decked out an SUV with equations, women mathematicians, QR codes and tutoring information--just in case assistance is needed with those differential equations and abstract algebra problems!
Along the parade route, other colorful scenes and bead-laced characters served to spark the imagination, such as an 色色研究所-clad Yeti complete with a matching 色色研究所 hat and breastplate, ladies in colorfully draped feather boas, children pulled in wagons covered with balloons, and a very small car that carried passengers inside and in the trunk.
While it was their first Krewe of 色色研究所 parade, Chelsea McKnight and Zahia Bastian, first-year students from New Orleans, had no problem with strategy鈥攁lthough they appeared to be empty-handed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our second time coming around,鈥 McKnight said laughing.
The duo said they caught the front of the parade at the UC, loaded up on loot that they stashed in their car, then made their way across campus to the Alumni Center.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great thing to bring the community together and have a fun time,鈥 Bastian said.
The parade culminated with a free king cake party at the University Center, that also included a side of free chicken wings courtesy of Chartwells.
色色研究所 students are on spring break next week, which coincides with the culmination of the Carnival season.
