The Shepherd University Dance Team, portraying the tale of the “12 Dancing Princess,” twirls down German Street together during the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — For Shepherd University sophomore Joshua Molina, the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade was the crowning event of Homecoming week at the school.

The computer science major could be found wearing a cape and coronet, ready to march down German Street on Saturday morning.

“The parade gives us the ability to engage with the community in a way that we typically don’t get to do, outside of the college,” Molina said. “We are a collective, at this event. We are not just Shepherdstown, the town, and Shepherd University, the university — we are one whole. It’s something that I find really inspiring.”

The theme of this year’s Homecoming, “Once Upon a Time,” further enabled Molina and his fellow members of the Shepherd University Debate Club to connect with the community. The group decked themselves out in costumes, to represent “Puss in Boots” — the 300-year-old story about the magical adventures of a clever cat. The tale bears some resemblance to the club which, though small, have achieved remarkable success, with them recently winning the National Forensics Competition.

“It was less of a call back to fairytales, like Disney-wise, and more about honoring the original tales. We want to bring a whimsical mythically to Homecoming,” said fellow club member and political science major Brooklyn Gholston. “We all have our own story. We all have our own tale. The sororities and fraternities can tell that tale, by integrating their colors and an appropriate story with their float. For us debaters, who are a smaller group, we get to embody this niche story that not everyone knows, which was perfect for us, because debate is all about knowledge. We got to have fun with that, dressing up like cute little animals or royalty.”

A member of Alpha Sigma Tau, which portrayed the story of “Alice in Wonderland,” hands a toddler a piece of candy at the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Shepherd University Director of Student Activities & Leadership Rachael Meads served as the parade’s organizer and emcee. She said that a number of groups got excited about the Homecoming theme which — coupled together with the elimination of the Founder’s Day Procession for the first time this year and a recent clarification that the parade was open to groups outside of the Greek system, especially if they were celebrating a recent win like the debate club received — inevitably led to an increase in student participation.

“This is a bigger parade we have, this year, than we have had in the past,” Meads said, mentioning that nine new groups participated in the parade. “This parade is a Shepherd-focused celebration, with only groups that are connected to Shepherd. It’s not intended to be a big one, like many of Shepherdstown’s other parades, so this kind of growth is exciting to see.”

The "Beauty & the Beast" themed entry by Epsilon-Xi coasts down German Street, during the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The Ram Band fills German Street with music, during the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Rambo waves to the crowd, during the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The Shepherd University Ultimate Frisbee Team, referencing the tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” walks down German Street during the Shepherd University Homecoming Parade on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston