Skip To Content
Filter search
Cal Poly Pomona
  • LIBRARY
  • ONLINE SERVICES
  • DIRECTORY
  • MAPS
  • CALENDAR
  • About Cal Poly Pomona
  • Cal Poly Pomona Overview
  • Visitor Information
  • Campus Maps & Tours
  • News
  • Events
  • Administration
  • Annual Security Report
  • Campus Safety Plan
  • Admissions
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • Graduate Admissions
  • International Admissions
  • Continuing Education Admissions
  • Military & Veterans Admissions
  • Financial Aid & Scholarships
  • Student Accounts & Fees
  • Outreach, Recruitment, & Educational Partnerships
  • Academics
  • Colleges & Departments
  • Majors & Degrees
  • University Catalog & Academic Schedules
  • University Library
  • Research
  • Academic Resources
  • Registrar
  • Campus Life
  • Student Services
  • Student Activities
  • Recreation & Fitness
  • Health & Wellness
  • Housing & Dining
  • Diversity
  • Calendars & Events
  • Campus Safety & Emergency Info
  • Athletics
  • Visit Athletics Website
  • Alumni
  • Visit Alumni Website
  • Giving
  • Why Give
  • Ways to Give
  • Where to Give

PolyCentric University News Center

Main Menu
  • About Our University
  • Admissions
  • Academics
  • Campus Life
  • Athletics
  • Giving
  • Expand/Collapse Menu
Browse: Home / 2011 / December / Rose Float Perfectly Placed for High Visibility

PolyCentric

University News Center

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
    • Submissions
    • Contact
    • Department of Strategic Communications
    • PolyCentric
  • News
    • Browse by Topic
    • View All Stories
    • In Memoriam
    • Archives
  • Achievements
  • Announcements
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Social Media Directory
  • Events
  • For the Media

Rose Float Perfectly Placed for High Visibility

Posted on December 30, 2011

Rose Float Perfectly Placed for High Visibility

Artist's rendering of the 2012 Cal Poly Universities' rose float, "To the Rescue!" for the Rose Parade on Jan. 2, 2012.

Sixth place isn¿t always a bad thing, especially when it comes to the Rose Parade. The Cal Poly Universities¿ float will have major visibility before, during and after the 123rd annual Tournament of Roses on Jan. 2 because of its sixth-place position in the lineup.

¿To the Rescue,¿ will make its way along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena minutes after the parade¿s opening ceremonies ¿ a time when viewer interest is at its peak.

¿This will be a wonderful opportunity for the universities to showcase what they can do,¿ says Ron Simons, associate vice president of special projects at Cal Poly Pomona, who worked on floats as a student 50 years ago and has remained close to the program ever since. ¿The Cal Poly Universities¿ rose float will be staged right next to the Wrigley Mansion before the parade, where the media will be conducting their pre-parade shows and interviews. It will be great for visibility for the universities.¿

The float will also be among the first to arrive at the post-parade area along Sierra Madre and Washington boulevards, giving the public an up-close-and-personal look the student volunteers¿ showpiece.

¿The process of creating the rose float spans over a year, starting when the Tournament of Roses team sends hints about what the next year¿s theme will be,¿ Simons says. ¿After the parade itself, the Cal Poly committee begins the theme submission process, along with breaking down the rose float ¿ recycling some parts and reusing others. The rose float build is really a six-month process involving scores of volunteers. The Cal Poly Universities¿ rose float is a great organization to be a part of because it gives students the opportunity to learn skills that they wouldn¿t learn on their own.¿

The float is one of five classified as self-built and is the only one produced entirely by students and alumni. Ever since Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo entered the parade in 1949, the floats have displayed technical and artistic innovations. Previous entries have won numerous awards, including last year¿s Fantasy Trophy and Viewer¿s Choice Award for ¿Galactic Expedition.¿

¿The biggest challenge is carrying over volunteers from year to year,¿ Simons says. ¿But every year we get a lot of new freshman or transfer student volunteers. Thousands of student hours go into creating the float, and it is always a labor of love. It¿s an addiction¿ it sucks you in.¿

Posted in News | Tags Pasadena, Rose Float, rose parade, Tournament of Roses

POPULAR

  • CLASS Dean Iris Levine

    CLASS Act: Dean Levine Sets High Bar for Herself and Others

    301 views / Posted January 11, 2021
  • Graphic with illustration of Martin Luther King Jr.

    MLK Day Celebrations Include Student-Centric Volunteer Opportunities

    103 views / Posted January 14, 2021
  • Expanded Early Exit Program Info Session

    30 views / Posted January 5, 2021
  • Travel Health Orders

    22 views / Posted January 5, 2021
  • Mansion Lane Closure Update

    21 views / Posted January 5, 2021

Picture of the Day »

Toy Drive

Toy Drive

Cal Poly Pomona in the News »

College students reflect on their first semester experiences

Mailani Matsuno, who is taking classes from her home in Guam, interviewed about her reasons for studying from home and adjusting to the time differences between home and her classes.…

Honoring California architecture students through scholarship at the 2020 2×8 Virtual Exhibition


NMSU student research outlines problems in private immigration detention facilities


Out of work during the pandemic, Riverside woman starts charcuterie business, Mel’s Boozy Bites


10 rock stars with impressive college degrees


Tags
Pasadena, Rose Float, rose parade, Tournament of Roses
About Cal Poly Pomona Feedback Privacy Accessibility Document Readers

3801 West Temple Avenue,Pomona, CA 91768

©2018 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

All Rights Reserved