Even the gay pride unit was agreeable

The weather conditions for the MAHS Homecoming were absolutely perfect. The event reaches its peak on Friday of course. No need to even wear a jacket for the parade. And we're getting another parade today? On Saturday? For the Harvest whatever? Well that's nice. And it's also lucky. Lucky to have weather so summer-like. 

But you've probably noticed that a hot day in September is not like a hot day in July. I think one's allergies can kick up. 

The Harvest event is blessed this year. However, in contrast with our old summer Prairie Pioneer Days, there is risk in scheduling for any time but summer. A weather risk of course. Morris had a Fall Festival before the original PPD. Making the switch to summer was considered a blessing partly because the risk of uncooperative weather was addressed. 

 

A pleasant show 

I personally could not have had a more enjoyable time as I watched the 2025 MAHS Homecoming parade. I sat at my preferred spot which is close to SCMC. It's where my late mother and I once sat, so memories come back. I placed a lawn chair there. I seem to recall that in past times, that part of the parade route was congested with parade watchers like whole classes of elementary kids. 

Our beloved MAHS

My area was not at all congested this year. Has the audience for the parade become reconfigured? 

I couldn't help thinking for an instant that maybe a portion of our community is offended by the Gay Pride unit in the parade. I was wondering if this would happen again. Well, there it came. But, let me add with emphasis: this was a humble and unassuming unit that was really just identified by the gay pride rainbow symbol. The unit did not came across as in-your-face. 

You see, a big problem with gay activism has been their in-your-face nature so much of the time. It's like these people must aggressively assert themselves and always ask for more attention from the public. The gay unit in the Homecoming parade wasn't like that at all. I ended up feeling perfectly happy to see it. 

This wasn't like what the UMN-Morris student population once did, coming at us with a king and queen float in which the queen was a biological male. I remember showing up on the morning of the parade - there is no longer a parade, is there? -  to take some of the usual photographs. And so there sat the "king and queen." I acted like I didn't notice anything unusual. What was I going to do, express astonishment and chagrin about what UMM was foisting on the community? What was I going to accomplish doing that? 

I didn't wish to incur the wrath of the very judgmental pointy-headed UMM people who took for granted their power back then. And the legacy of all that? Well, no more royalty for the UMM Homecoming. And apparently no more parade. So it's a net loss - a blow to the kind of amicable relationship we'd like between campus and community. The latter was already kind of a struggle. 

So, UMM was giving us their offbeat and alarming "royalty" that year. And they ended up feeling good about that? Even with the subsequent crumbling of our traditions? How about bringing the parade and coronation back? I think a majority of the students would like that. UMM would just have to nudge aside the pain-in-the-butt troublemaking political elements. 

Yes, I know UMM has historically not wanted to stand in the way of such things. And yes I know UMM wanted to come across as "enlightened." A liberal arts campus would want to put itself forward as smarter than the outside community populated by "townies." Does UMM still accept that term within its internal glossary? Actually I think no. 

But UMM does not have the courage to bring back the old Homecoming traditions. 

And heavens, I'd like to express a sharp profanity over this year's schedule not even including a concert by the music discipline. But would it matter if I used a profanity? Does anyone listen to me? I will say this: there were kids in the MAHS parade units who recognized me and acknowledged me by name! I waved to them and they were most friendly in response. I am not a has-been! Bless the MAHS students. 

I smiled and shared a polite wave when the gay pride unit passed by. I had no problem with how this unit presented itself. No flag-waving zealotry or anything like that. Just a nice little reminder that this element does exist here as it does everywhere, and these kids wanted to celebrate the MAHS Homecoming. Well, bless them too. Just stay humble, respectful and modest, you kids. 

Someone tossed me a complimentary Tiger T-shirt. I wondered at first if it would fit of course. Everything went well for me on this day, Eureka: the shirt fit! It looked really nice. I wore it to the game Friday night. It's a plug for the "Fireside" restaurant. I'll have to make a point of dining there again. I mean, if they care this much about the MAHS Homecoming. 

Two of the MAHS Homecoming queen candidates were servers who I know from DeToy's Restaurant. The girls who work there are very responsible types - responsible especially for their age. It's no coincidence that they get chosen as royalty, because the most "popular" kids in school are really the most responsible. I read once that the most "popular" kids in school are those who understand "their behavior has consequences." So it's not arbitrary or capricious, lest you want to think that. 

The Tigers lost. I can't find any game details other than the score on this Saturday morning. The corporate media websites do not have photos from the coronation. I used to be very on top of this when I was with the Morris paper. I got forced out by an editor who thought I did virtually everything wrong in the sports department. With just a couple weeks left in the spring, he wanted me to dump all my systems in sports. 

I was supposed to make UMM sports the top priority over MACA. I was supposed to get quotes from players. Actually this fellow typed several pages of how things were going to be done, and then we were going to have weekly meetings to go over the whole sports section. And I guarantee you: the purpose of these meetings was not going to be to pat me on the back. 

Jim Morrison who was already gone from the paper said to me "why don't they have meetings about the rest of the paper?" Alas, the Forum Communications chapter in Morris media history ought to be remembered as a total nightmare. 

I could have continued covering the MAHS Homecoming for years and years with my typical enthusiasm. But, you can't always get what you want. As John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." 

Watching the 2025 MAHS Homecoming parade will be tucked away in my mind as a total jewel. And my T-shirt fits!

 

Addendum: I remember a new UMM student organization called "gay devil worshipers." I have brought this up a couple times in my blogging. A reader named Tim read what I wrote and responded:

 

I’m a UMM alum and “the silly satanist club” was a hate group. They would stalk Christian students, send students like myself death threats and rape threats and the school told me to ignore it. It wasn’t until the university saw enrollment drop specifically because of them that they actually addressed the situation head-on.

 

Well, Ski-U-mah. 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesoita - bwilly73@yahoo.com