East Lansing marching band participates in homecoming parade

Story by Liliane Klotz and Cielo Gutierrez • September 27, 2023

Instruments in hand, the ELHS marching band marches down Grand River Avenue on Sept. 22 as part of the MSU homecoming parade. As tradition, the over 100 marching band students participated in the parade, which was themed “Welcome Home Spartans.”

The ELHS Marching Band marched in the MSU Homecoming Parade in downtown East Lansing on Friday, Sep. 22 to welcome home MSU alumni.

For the second consecutive year, Isabel Antya (10) participated in the parade as a flute player in the band.

“I did the parade last year, but this year it was much hotter which was not fun in uniforms,” Antya said.

While she enjoyed this year’s parade, last year was much more exciting for her.

“Probably because it was my first year doing it,” Antya said.

Additionally, Ankhang Tran (10) attended the MSU’s homecoming parade as a bystander. While he enjoyed watching the band he also enjoyed seeing a lot of different floats.

“I liked the cars, like the old cars, the old classic cars and the Corvettes. The Corvettes came first. That was my favorite,” Tran said, “But then like these cool classic cars came out next.”

He saw this as a good time to not only enjoy the parade himself but to enjoy it with others.

“I really recommend going to the parade, cause after you get to hang out with friends,” Tran said.

About the Contributors

Liliane Klotz, Staff Writer

Liliane is in the class of 2026 and is a staff writer for Portrait. This is her first year on staff as a sophomore. Liliane's favorite thing about journalism is sharing stories that would other wise go unheard. When she's not in the newsroom, Liliane spends most of her time dancing and in her free time she enjoys crafting.

Cielo Gutierrez, Staff Writer

Cielo Gutierrez is in the class of 2026 and is a staff writer and photographer for Portrait. This is her first year on staff as a sophomore. Cielo's favorite thing about journalism is how different people's voices can be heard and how their stories can be shared. When she's not in the newsroom, Cielo plays the piano when she gets a burst of inspiration, it's very soothing for her.