Parade of Favorites October 24

Each year the Conn Center fills with students, staff, faculty, and community members eager to see one of the biggest productions Lee has to offer – Parade of Favorites. With its history beginning in 1962, the event is an opportunity for Lee students to represent their clubs and organizations while serving the community and connecting with their peers.

Parade of Favorites (POF) was initiated by former part-time Lee professor Duran Palmertree. Palmertree was the sponsor of the university yearbook, Vindagua, and the competition was originally sponsored by the publication. The initial event consisted of private interviews, artistic performances, an audience vote, and a feature about the top five finalists in the Vindagua.

While the first iteration of the annual pageant was held at the campus auditorium in December of 1962, the event found its way to the Conn Center stage. POF has always featured representatives from campus clubs withnvaried participation throughout the years.

However, it looks a little different this year. Afternmeeting with faculty members and former directorsnof the event, Dr. Tony Lombard, director of student connections and engagement, decided to lighten the load on these student leaders.

“In the past, it’s been two people, mainly the director, who took on everything, and the assistant director, who handled the money, but last year both of those young ladies voiced to us how absolutely exhausting it was and how far behind they got in classes as well. So not only did we want to incorporate more students in this and get more involvement, we also wanted to kind of ease the tension,” Lombard said.

To accomplish this, Lombard and Glenda Free, administrative coordinator of student connections and engagement, began their search for four directors to manage POF – one from each class level. These students are Kiera Colson, creative director; Ella Hepp, operations director; Ellie Newton, logistics director; and Samantha Bucciarelli, hospitality director. Each manages a different aspect of the event.

Although typically thought of as a greek club event, the directors and participants were selected from many organizations across campus.

“This year we’ve really pushed to grab those others to make it more inclusive for the campus,” Free said.

The event is also inclusive for alumni of POF and Lee University, according to Lombard. Former contestants and escorts have been invited to speak about their experience in the competition. Some of these include President Dr. Phil Cook, Dr. Jason Robinson, Dr. Jeff Sargent, Provost Dr. Debbie Murray, and North Cleveland Pastor Amy McGlamery. Alumni Mr. Walter Johnson mixed the soundtrack for the show.

Lombard believes this event showcases the university’s heart.

“We’ve got a cross cut of so many things available, everything from Res Life to a peer leader to the Greek clubs to the choirs to the athletic department. We’ve got a little bit of everybody. So it’s really going to show a lot of what Lee has to offer,” Lombard said.

When asked how the event fits into the university’s mission of developing students to live responsible Christian lives in a complex world, Lombard notes the many parts of the show and their impact.

“This is entertainment, it’s fun. The service element is there. The spirituality is there, the academic element is there. You get to see people in a different light, and I really think that showcases what Lee is as a university. It’s not a beauty contest by any means. It encompasses all the elements [of our mission],” Lombard said.

For the service project, contestants are packing bags for the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home.

With POF right around the corner, Creative Director Kiera Colson is excited for a new chapter in this long-held tradition.

“We’re recognizing where we have been and honoring all the different things that make us who we are. And one of our goals is truly bringing back that classiness, the respect that comes with Parade or Favorites. It’s not just some passion show that we do on campus. There’s meaning behind it,” Colson said.

Lombard echoes this sentiment.

“What has stayed constant is the hard work by the contestants and their escorts, the unbelievably hard work by the directors and what they were able to do...Everything else has evolved to be an unbelievable production,” Lombard said. “They’ve really stepped up the level of excellence in everything that they’re doing.”

Colson is excited for the team’s hard work to come to fruition. “We’ve gone from planning and researching to getting things now, and before we know it, in a few weeks it’ll start flowing into the Conn Center and becoming real life,” she said.

The theme “The Crown and The Flame.” stems from Isaiah 61:3: “and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

“The heart of POF flows through the theme, and I had the honor of developing it and bringing it to life,” Colson said.

Contestants preparing for the show.

Photo credit: Aubrianna Brown

Join Colson and the numerous contestants for Parade of Favorites: The Crown and the Flame in Conn Center on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Students can follow @paradeoffavorites on Instagram for more information as contestants prepare for the event.