Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin led this year’s annual Homecoming Parade through the rain on Friday. Henrie Monteith Treadwell and James Solomon, tow of the first African-American students at USC, were also highlights of the parade as part of the celebration of USC’s 50th Anniversary of desegregation.
Many of this year’s floats reflected the 2013 Homecoming Theme, the United States of Carolina, including two floats with Cocky portrayed as the Statue of Liberty. Other floats imitated the Iwo Jima monument with football players or featured Cocky with the flag.
The parade route was new this year. It stated at the intramural field on Greene Street, turned left on Lincoln Street, right on Park Street, left on Pendleton Street and right on Sumter Street to parade past the Horseshoe and the Longstreet Theater.
Delta Tau Delta fraternity and Delta Zeta sorority’s float bested their second place finish from last year by taking top prize for their float. Pi Kappa Phi fraternity came in second place and Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity came in third place.