With Homecoming week in full swing, sororities and fraternities at UT are in the home stretch of building their annual Homecoming parade floats. This year’s Homecoming theme is “There’s No Place Like Neyland,” and UT’s Phi Mu and Pi Kappa Alpha chapters have partnered to build a Homecoming float that leans into this theme by using Tennessee-style motifs from “The Wizard of Oz” to demonstrate pride for the university.

Phi Mu’s Homecoming chair and senior neuroscience major, Lily Edwards, and Pi Kappa Alpha’s Homecoming chair and supply chain management major, Cole Proctor, decided to tackle the homecoming theme of “There’s No Place Like Neyland” through incorporating references to “The Wizard of Oz” blended with allusions to UT on their float.

“I was really inspired by the movie poster for ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ so I wanted it to be like that road leading to Neyland,” Edwards said.

These references cleverly include a checkerboard road to Neyland Stadium in lieu of the yellow brick road to the Emerald City as well as Dorothy in a gingham orange and white dress as opposed to a blue and white dress. In an effort to show off Tennessee pride while getting creative with the theme, Edwards said the chapters chose specific references to the movie that would be clear for parade watchers to understand.

According to Proctor, the theme was easier to get creative with than in years past because it provided a way to connect UT to an idea outside of the university.

“I just kind of like the idea of the theme this year instead of, you know, basing it specifically on the University of Tennessee,” Proctor said. “I mean, it has to do with the University of Tennessee, but this year, you know, it kind of just goes outside a little bit with being related to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ compared to previous years.”

Edwards said that the hours of pomping bring members of both chapters into community with one another in celebration of the university.

“You really do get closer with the people not just in your chapter but in the other chapter that you’re partnering with because the main thing you’re doing is just sitting there doing this little monotonous task and talking to people, so it’s like a very chilled out like social event honestly,” Edwards said.

Proctor said that what is most rewarding about the process is seeing the end product.

“I like building it. I like seeing it go up,” Proctor said. “You know, starting from a flat trailer to the end product is kind of cool to see.”

From pomping to a fully crafted design, more than 500 Phi Mu and Pi Kappa Alpha members have committed to bringing together the iconic elements of “The Wizard of Oz” and UT’s favorite symbols on their float to display at the Homecoming parade this Friday.