UTEP dropping yearly parade tradition

Is the end of a UTEP tradition?

For years the university has held a parade before its annual homecoming but it’s not on the line-up this year.

Archive video from 2010 shows Paydirt Pete atop a truck — UTEP supporters lined up on the street and even students dressed as bananas roamed the streets.

In 2014 the drum line was marching down the street before the big game against Old Dominion.

“Let’s go Miners! Let’s celebrate our 100th year,” screamed one parade attendee.

In 2015 the parade celebrated the Spirit of 1966 and last year cheerleaders, athletes and band members filled the street with local schools following not to far behind but this year UTEP doesn’t have a parade slated and ABC-7 asked why.

Catie McCorry-Andalis, dean of students and associate vice president for student engagement, sent ABC-7 this statement.

“After much information-gathering and reflection, we’ve decided that it was best to bring the excitement of this homecoming event to the center of campus and schedule it at a time when we can better engage our students. We plan to have a large-scale pep rally the Thursday of homecoming week that will bring in elements of the parade, such as participation from our student organizations and UTEP athletics.

Another big reason — the university now has the Centennial Plaza.

“We have evolved with our changing and ever-growing student body. In recent years, we have also made adjustments that are more compatible with our transformed and more pedestrian-friendly campus,” McCorry-Andalis said in the statement.

The UTEP website is slating this years homecoming events October 1-7.