CAMPUSES MORE THAN 200 MILES APART BUILD A DREAM TOGETHER

By Greg Toumassian Contributor

The Cal Poly Rose Float’s return to Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day marks the 66th chapter of a long history of creativity and innovation.

The award-winning university entrant, now with 47 trophies claimed by students, got its start in 1949 with just a $258 budget. Cal Poly students pieced together what would become an oversized rocking horse, illustrating the “Childhood Memories” theme of that year’s parade.

Since then, students from both Cal Poly Universities – Pomona and San Luis Obispo – have been coming together to engineer, build, finance and decorate the float from start to finish, and this year is no exception.

The program is funded by the student government and the university.

Sense of excitement

In “Bedtime Buccaneers,” a young brother and sister sail through seas of imagination in search of bountiful treasure on a bed they make believe is a mighty ship.

What will set this float apart are 1,600 animated vialed flowers creating the illusion of a dynamic floral surface that appears to flex and shift, mimicking ripples traveling across the surface of water.

It’s a technical feat that interim Cal Poly Rose Float Program director Greg Lehr points to with a grounded sense of excitement. With 24 Rose Parades under his belt, Lehr knows anything can happen on the big day.

“There’s not a textbook on how to do this,” said Lehr. “You can only learn it by doing it.”

First in innovation

Cal Poly was the first to introduce a number of new technologies to the parade route over the years, including the use of hydraulic systems for parade movement, the introduction of computer-controlled animation, and the use of propane for cleaner burning emissions.

As one of the longest consecutive running entries in the parade – and one of the few self-built floats designed and constructed by students – Cal Poly has also racked up its fair share of awards, accolades and titles over the years, including the Bob Hope Humor Trophy, KTLA Favorite Float Award, Fantasy Trophy and the Viewers Choice Award – just to name a few.

“At Cal Poly Pomona, we are proud of the long partnership we’ve had with our sister campus in San Luis Obispo on the Rose Float,” said university president Michael Ortiz. “Together, our students have worked hard to establish a legacy of excellence and creativity over the years.”

Year-round effort at both campuses

Putting the float together is a year-round effort for both campuses. At one time, however, the partnership between the two campuses was put into question.

As former Cal Poly Rose Float advisor and liaison Ron Simmons recalls, the two universities once were one school with two different campuses. Simmons, with more than 50 years of experience with the program, said that changed in 1966, when reigning president Julian McPhee retired and the board of trustees decided to split the campuses.

“There was a big discussion right at that moment if the two campuses were going to continue to do this as a joint project, or would it just go to Pomona, which was geographically closer to Pasadena,” said Simmons.“But San Luis Obispo was very,

very adamant about wanting to continue, and they definitely came to the party ever since.”

Starting in January, a concept contest is held in which students from both campuses submit ideas and renderings for that year’s float design. The two campuses work together to create the final design.

In February, a new Rose Float Committee is put to the task of bringing the design to fruition. With 10 to 15 committee members from each campus, it’s these individuals who do the planning for design and construction.

Come the fall, construction picks up

Though the summer season slows for float con struction, it really picks up in fall. That’s when students from each campus sign up to volunteer or register for the Cal Poly Float lab program, where construction on the steel frame and moving parts is spread between both campuses.

Around the start of November, the construction process really switches into full gear. That’s when the “move down” takes place, and San Luis Obispo brings its portion of the float to Pomona on a flatbed truck.

Members of the float team meet every Saturday at Pomona’s open-air construction facility leading up to the Rose Parade.

Though it makes geographical sense that the Pomona campus serve as the final construction and assembly location before the trek out to Pasadena, it might come as a surprise that the campus known for its agriculture is not the main provider of flowers.

Most of the donations come from various vendors throughout the state that have been long-time supporters of the Cal Poly Rose Float, including a close partnership with the California Cut Flower Commission.