Homecoming Parade Observation

For this observation, I decided to watch the Homecoming Parade 2015. I chose to observe this event because I would like to understand its importance to gather multiple organizations related to Southern Illinois University, and for which, supporting the Saluki Spirit and Pride is deeply connected with the academic life of mostly undergraduate students. I have attended this event in two prior occasions. The first one was quite disappointed because it did not meet with my own definition of a parade. I am from a country where parades are big and important events, and which are seen as a representation of our culture and traditions. The first homecoming parade I watched was a brief chain of trucks full of students cheering in non-understandable
I was in the corner of College St. and University St. It is a good spot for this event; there is a big parking lot nearby where I was able to park, another good point of this spot is that some parts of the sidewalk are covered with grass which makes this spot more comfortable to sit on instead of sitting on the concrete sidewalks. I got to the spot I selected at 10:50, the parade was by starting, I could hear the bands playing in the distance. There are some groups of people close to me, there are some other groups in front of me, but it was not crowded. There was a group of six people on my left. There was a couple on my left, and another couple in front of me. Just in front of me, there is a laundromat, there are some people close to its doors and windows. I thought, they are in those spots because they provide a kind of shelter against the light rain that was falling at that
At this point, I am covered with the little edging of the laundromat window, but I am not able to observe the parade, neither to take any notes in this spot. I had one hand holding my notebook, with the other, I was handling to take notes. I was impossible to write anything under the rain, I decided to record the parade using my iPad, and use this video as notes to write my observation report. The rain was getting heavier; anyway, I took my chair, put my rain poncho, moved closer to the street, and took my iPad to record the parade. My notes were getting messy because of the water; I regretted my decision of observing this event, I knew it was going to rain on Saturday, but I though it is still a good idea to make my observation of this event. However, it was not a cold rain, it was quite pleasant to feel the rain falling and seeing people happily watching the