The city of Charleston and Eastern’s Student Senate are working to ensure positive results from this year’s Homecoming Parade theme “The Good, The Bad and The Eighties.”

As the event draws closer, with participant registration deadline set for Tuesday, plans to tighten security are in the works.

Kyle Donash, sophomore political science major and senate external relations chair and city council liaison, said parade proposals will be announced to city council in the next couple weeks for approval.

Mayor Dan Cougill said he and the city External Relations Committee, which consists of council members Marge Knoop and Larry Rennels, plan to meet again with Eastern representatives to go over security proposals.

Charleston and Eastern want to avoid the problems from last year’s homecoming parade.

“Last year’s security wasn’t that good,” Cougill said.

The Oct. 12, 2002 parade was problematic for participants because of unruly spectators.

Participants complained of being hit with beer cans, lit cigarettes and candy.

Junior high and high school bands will no longer be participating in the event.

Newton Junior High School band director Steve Hardwick, an Eastern alumnus, said in April that female participants were harassed and his band will not be returning.

City council members addressed concerns with the parade by meeting with Eastern representatives to resolve issues with inappropriate behavior.

Eastern’s homecoming committee met with Deputy Chief Roger Cunningham last week and homecoming coordinator Chelsea Fredrick presented draft documents of parade plans.

“I talked to Kyle (Donash) before that and suggested Chelsea get the final stuff put together,” Cougill said.

A resolution is in the works.

“Right now what we’re doing is the parade committee, myself and the police have sat down and talked about what we expect,” Donash said.

He said the Student Life office is working to spread the word of what is expected out of this year’s participating organizations and members in the crowd.

The university is enhancing parade security to ensure those expectations are met.

“This year the University Police Department and Charleston’s Police Department are going to be using as many people as they can out on the parade route,” Donash said. “I will be out there as well as the homecoming committee and possibly additional student security along the route.

Interested parade participants can pick up applications at the Student Activities Office, room 201 of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. University Union or at the service desk.

To be eligible for parade participation those applications on must be in or before Tuesday.

City editor Carly Mullady can be reached at [email protected].