Cal Poly’s Rose Parade 2024 Float Continues Legacy of Student-Driven Innovation

The Cal Poly Rose Float Program is gearing up for another dazzling appearance in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade 2024 with their latest creation, “Shock n’ Roll: Powering the Musical Current.” 

Led by a magnificent 16-foot purple stingray gliding over a vibrant coral reef, this year’s 55-foot-long float, Cal Poly’s 75th so far in the Rose Parade’s history, promises a rock ‘n’ roll party on the ocean floor, electrified by animated electric eels energizing musical instruments.

The Cal Poly Rose Float project, a joint effort between the campuses of San Luis Obispo and Pomona, has been a staple tradition since 1949. The program is a vivid representation of the Cal Poly philosophy of “Learn by Doing,” showcasing students’ hands-on experience in designing, constructing, and decorating the float.

“The Pomona Campus got involved right at the tail end of the year in 1948,” said Quinn Cameron Akemon, the San Luis Obispo president of the Cal Poly Rose Program. “With a budget of just over $200, they put together our first float for the 1949 parade, called Rocking Horse.” 

Akemon is a 4th year plant science and horticulture student at CalPoly SLO and plans to graduate in Spring 2024. She spoke about the dedication and challenges involved in creating a float for the Rose Parade, and highlighted the rising costs of materials like steel and flowers and the budget allocation towards these elements. Beyond material expenses, significant funds are directed to support student participation, covering travel expenses, accommodations, and meals during the extensive fall and December lab sessions.

Funding for the project primarily relies on community support and alumni contributions, Akemon said.

“We have been going for 75 years. That’s 75 years of alumni who pay it back into the program and do a lot of support for us,” she said. “So we always really appreciate that. And that’s something that all students really have as a part of their lifetime in Float. It’s not something that you just leave behind after you graduate. You still support and still participate in that way.”

The float project is not just about engineering and construction. It’s also a leadership development program that fosters well-rounded individuals. Students, irrespective of their majors or experience levels, find opportunities to explore various aspects of design, engineering, artistic endeavors, and leadership skills. Akemon highlighted the open-door policy of the program, welcoming students from all backgrounds to participate and grow within the float-building community.

Three groups are focused on producing the float as a year-round effort. First, the Rose Float Committee consists of 10 to 15 members on each campus who plan and construct the float. A new committee begins in their work each February, with Saturday meetings at the lab for the rest of the year. 

Second, the Rose Float Club, which in 1998 became an Associated Students, Inc. program, supports the committee’s efforts by raising funds, providing lunches in the lab, and helping during “deco week” in Pasadena. 

Finally, the Rose Float Alumni, some of whom have become float operators for other cities and corporations involved in the Rose Parade, meet three to four times a year to help during major campus events such as Homecoming and Poly Royal and during deco week.

For current students, volunteering in the project is something anyone coming into any of the two Cal Poly campuses should expect to do whatever he or she is pursuing academically. 

“It’s open to all majors and all experience levels. I’m a plant science major, but I’ve learned a lot about engineering and I’ve learned a lot about artistic design,” Akemon said. “Our core leadership team, what we call the leadership team, has 50 students across both campuses, so about 25 students per campus. And then outside of that, we have at least a hundred additional team members and participants, which are folks who have a slightly lower commitment level to the program, but are obviously so critical to what we have going on and serve as leaders within the program and with their peers as well.”

One of the challenges the program faces annually is that students have to primarily balance academic commitments with the demands of the program. With campuses over 200 miles apart, communication becomes key, with extensive coordination between the San Luis Obispo and Pomona teams. Akemon has to be in constant contact with her counterpart at Cal Poly Pomona, Matthew Rodante, plus there’s so much traveling and every single position on each campus has a mirror image on the other campus. 

“I am on the phone with him at least five times a week,” said Akemon. “So it definitely makes it really fun and exciting, and you have an extended family on another college campus.” 

Despite these challenges, the rewards are plentiful. There’s a sense of extended family and the opportunity for students to take their acquired skills and leadership qualities beyond the float-building project, enriching campus communities and their future endeavors, among other benefits. 

As the team prepares for the Rose Parade, the need for community support, especially with meal donations during December, becomes crucial. Cal Poly’s student team welcomes contributions and assistance, emphasizing the impact of community involvement in bringing the float to life.

“It’s when we really have a need for volunteers that kicks up,” Akemon said. “But I mean, you’ll know being in Pasadena that when we start decorating the Rose Parade, we have all sorts of community members, families, girl Scout troops, all sorts that come and help us decorate the float.” 

The Cal Poly Rose Float project is not just a spectacular float at the Rose Parade but also a testament to the enduring spirit of student collaboration, innovation, and dedication to the Learn by Doing philosophy upheld by the Cal Poly universities.

With every petal placed and every stroke of paint, the students of Cal Poly continue to write their legacy in the storied history of the Rose Parade, showcasing their creativity, skill, and resilience to millions of spectators worldwide.