The Student Senate External Relations Committee began efforts before Thanksgiving break to find a solution to poor student behavior at this year’s homecoming parade.

The External Relations Committee created a subcommittee that met once to find a solution to complaints heard by the administration and city officials of items thrown and obscene language directed at those marching in the parade.

No solutions have been specifically discussed, but members from the subcommittee will be speaking with Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council and the Residence Hall Association to gather ideas for next year’s parade, said External Relations chair George Lesica.

He said meeting with the three organizations will reach more students involved in the university.

“We’re going to talk to them because they represent the Greeks,” he said. “It’s a way to reach out to a large group of students who have something in common.”

Lesica said any future solutions will hopefully halt the behavior that was seen this year.

“We basically hope to eliminate the undesirable behavior that was present at this year’s parade,” he said. “Overall, what we hope to accomplish is a parade Eastern and Charleston residents could be proud of.”

He said a compromise between students and community is needed, but students will be most receptive to the least amount of change.

“Any solution we come up with has to be accepted by the people in the parade and the people running the parade,” he said. “There’s the student body…we prefer a very non-evasive approach.”

Inappropriate behavior at the parade has been a problem in past years, and one solution is to not hold the event at all, said Charleston Mayor Dan Cougill.

“I think the subcommittee thinks if we can’t find a solution there won’t be a parade,” he said. “I’m not going to try and guess at a solution. If more cops are a solution, then we just need to not have a parade.”

However, the homecoming parade is an event important to continue, Cougill said.

“The parade is such a big tradition here in Charleston,” he said. “All you’ve got to do is walk in the parade and look at the little kids’ eyes. God, they’re huge. And you just don’t want to take that away.”

He said the subcommittee will likely talk to other groups besides the Greek and residence organizations, including speaking with residents on Sixth and Seventh Street since those are the areas most complaints originated from.

“I’m pleased that the External Relations Committee and the university agree that this was not good,” Cougill said. “(The parade conduct) puts a negative impression of Eastern out there.”