CAL POLY’S ENTRY INTO PASADENA’S 2024 ROSE PARADE RECEIVED THE INNOVATOR AWARD. THE AWARD RECOGNIZES THE “MOST OUTSTANDING USE OF IMAGINATION, INNOVATION, AND TECHNOLOGY” AMONG THE 39 FLOATS FEATURED IN THE PARADE.
CAL POLY’S “SHOCK N’ ROLL” FLOAT DEPICTS ELECTRIC EELS POWERING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, A COLORFUL UNDERSEA CORAL REEF, AND SUNSET-GRADIENT OCEAN FLOOR, AND ABOUT 20 THOUSAND FLOWERS AND OTHER NATURAL MATERIALS TO PROVIDE TEXTURE AND COLOR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME CAL POLY HAS WON THE CROWN CITY INNOVATOR AWARD. THE FIRST WAS IN 2014 WITH THE “BEDTIME BUCCANEERS” FLOAT. THE SHOCK N’ ROLL FLOAT WAS FINISHED BY 60 STUDENTS AFTER IT WAS APPROVED LAST SPRING. CAL POLY’S FIRST FLOAT INTO THE PARADE WAS IN 1948, ASSEMBLED WITHIN 90 DAYS ON A BUDGET OF 258 DOLLARS.
