Fall is here, and Miami Palmetto Senior High kicked off the season with a car parade celebrating fall sports.
Although fall sports are typically celebrated with a pep rally, the Panther Prowl car parade, originally scheduled for Oct. 3, was postponed due to the weather, leading Student Council to transform the car parade from its usual Homecoming theme into a fall one.
Each year near homecoming week, each class decorates a car based on a given theme and drives it around the school during the last block of the day. The students involved in this event are the class boards, as well as 12 other student volunteers.
The cancellation of the pep rally planned for Oct. 17 to celebrate the Greater Miami Athletic Conference football game allowed the Student Council to brainstorm a larger parade, including all the fall sports teams and the classes. Using leftover props that were not used for the original car parade, each fall sports team was able to represent itself by decorating its own car, just like the classes.
This parade consisted of each class car being decorated based on the theme they decided on, and the sports team decorating their cars with banners and balloons representing their respective sports.
Nathan Katz, a sophomore on the varsity football team, was part of the car parade his freshman year while representing the Class of 2028. This year, he had the chance to participate in it again, this time representing the football team.
“My experience was amazing walking around school with my whole team, and the rest of the sports made me feel a part of a great community. It was different from last year because a lot more effort was put into the cars, and people were much more excited this time,” Katz said.
Sophomore cheerleader Victoria Andre saw growth in the crowds and noticed that students were much more spirited compared to previous years. As a cheerleader, Andre attends many school events, including sports games and pep rallies, giving her experience that allows her to notice which events are hits and which are not.
“People were definitely more motivated to show up and participate, and just a lot of people wanted to see their friends and support them,” Andre said.
Including the fall sports in the parade made it more inclusive and spirited, featuring a wider range of participants and encouraging more students to attend.
“I enjoyed the inclusion of the sports, and I think it should be continued in future years,” sophomore and car parade participant Benjamin Debowsky said.
