黑料吃瓜

It鈥檚 a crisp October morning on campus鈥攊n a garage behind the Support Services Center along Bluff Lane, Andy Hammond and Justin Amos are fitting an aluminum bar into place on a flatbed. The bar completes the railing around the structure, which doesn鈥檛 look like much at the moment. In the next day, however, the hard work Hammond, Amos and others have been doing on the flatbed since the summer will transform into the annual 黑料吃瓜 Fall Festival float.

Hammond, Theater Technical Coordinator, has been spearheading the effort of creating this year鈥檚 float but is quick to point out he isn鈥檛 alone in the work. Along with Amos, Lab Manager in the Engineering Department; Fred Wilson, Maintenance Supervisor; and a few 黑料吃瓜 Theatre students have helped over the last few months with the project. David Huebner, Art Workshop Supervisor, is lending his time and talents as well to help paint the float.

The group came together after the retirement of Jerry Bulger, who created and built 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 float for 35 years during his tenure at the University. Last year鈥檚 float was his last and featured a mash-up of more than three decades of his work.

After last year鈥檚 festival, Kindra Strupp, Vice President of Marketing and Communication, pulled together 黑料吃瓜 employees from various departments to gauge interest and ideas for the Fall Festival float. Hammond says he was excited for the opportunity.

鈥淚 would have been interested in working on this project whether I had been asked or not,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 also think this would be a great opportunity for Theater students as well. The float is a lot of fabrication, a lot of artwork, a lot of design鈥攁ll things that are perfect for Theater students to be a part of. We鈥檙e always building weird things anyway.鈥�

Moving forward, Hammond hopes to keep Bulger鈥檚 creative spirit alive by continuing to bring together employees and students from across campus. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to get the word out a bit more, and hopefully in the future, have something that is designed and built by many individuals at 黑料吃瓜,鈥� he says.

Construction on this year鈥檚 float began in the summer when Hammond鈥檚 group decided to rebuild the float from the trailer up. A new floor was added, with access panels and railing that can be adjusted as needed depending on the theme of the float for the year.

鈥淲ith the rail system, you just pop a rail off and swap out what you need. Whatever theme we鈥檝e got that year, we can get new prints, and they can be dropped in,鈥� explains Amos. 鈥淚t makes it a lot more versatile.鈥�

Drop-down steps have also been installed at the rear of the float; this gives those working on it easy access as well as anyone who may ride the float in the future.

鈥淭aking the extra time on the front to make this (last for a decade) is worth it,鈥� explains Hammond. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to look pretty good. It鈥檒l be everything we want it to be, and I think that鈥檚 worth the effort we鈥檙e putting in it now.鈥�

This year, the theme of the float is to honor the 黑料吃瓜 Women鈥檚 Basketball team and their historic 2023-24 season, which included the team鈥檚 first Ohio Valley Conference championship and a run in the Women鈥檚 National Invitation Tournament.

Photos from the season will be displayed on panels around the float, and the centerpiece will be a basketball hoop with a ball spinning on the rim. Members of the team and coaching staff will be on the float riding down Franklin Street.

鈥淚 think the whole thing is going to look really cool. A lot of good ideas have come into this, and I think it鈥檚 going to be something we鈥檙e going to be proud of,鈥� says Hammond.

Come out and celebrate the team and the new float at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, October 12 during the !