This past year’s float, entitled Bedtime Buccaneers, was a playful riff on childhood pirate fantasies, and depicted kids, their toys and pets atop a bed-ship.
Aja Frost
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How does seeing a concept you designed come to life on national TV sound? What about $500, or two tickets to the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena?
The Cal Poly Rose Float is currently accepting submissions for next year’s float concept — at the end of March, Cal Poly Rose Float is planning on announcing the winner, who will have their choice between $500 or two tickets to the parade.
This past year’s float, entitled “Bedtime Buccaneers,” was a playful riff on childhood pirate fantasies, depicting kids, toys and pets atop a bed-ship. It won the Crown City Innovation Award for the “best use of imagination and innovation to advance the art of float design.” In addition, the Cal Poly float was “California Grown” certified for the third year in a row, as 95% of the organic flowers and greens “on board” were grown in California.
The 2015 theme for Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Parade is “Inspiring Stories.”
“We try to stick to cartoonish and light-hearted ideas,” Rose Float public relations manager and graphic communication junior Samantha Suyemoto said. “Because we’re good at building fun and interesting floats.”
The core committees from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona, who head the float-building process, are responsible for picking a theme. According to Suyemoto, they received about 100 entries for the 2014 float.
“We do a round of votes, so every time we narrow it down more and more,” Suyemoto said. “Usually we start out giving everyone three options for concepts they like, and then we go from there.”
As choices are eliminated, committee leaders make the final decision.
“They are mainly the deciding factors, but they’ll take into account what their team is saying,” Suyemoto said. “Eventually we’ll come to one. It’s a bit of a process.”
The tentative date to choose a winner is mid-February.
Applicants must turn in a graphic design or hand sketch with their contact information written on the back. All designs should be submitted to the Rose Float Office in the University Union (UU) (building 65), room 111F or the Rose Float mailbox in the UU Epicenter. Multiple concepts may be submitted, and everyone — not just students — is welcome to apply.