SLIDESHOW: The Sun Shines on the MainStreet Stride

The clouds parted and the sun shone on Friday’s MainStreet Stride red-and-black foot parade. Organizers say 50 entries and 1,275 people – representing everything from the UC Dance team international champions to UC Athletics to student organizations to university offices and departments – participated. Lucy, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s bearcat, perched on the shoulders of the UC Bearcat mascot through much of the parade.

Click here to view a slideshow of the MainStreet Stride.

The parade ended on Alumni Commons, the site of the inauguration of the incoming 2009 Student Government. UC Interim President Monica Rimai inducted the eight new student senators, incoming Student Body President Tim Lolli and Student Body Vice President Douglas Ealy.

Lolli said he was enthusiastic about taking office and was looking ahead to the great things that would be taking place at the university over the next year. He also encouraged the crowd to stop by the Sigma Sigma Carnival, which gets underway at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16, on Sigma Sigma Commons. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the carnival, part of UC’s Alumni Weekend. Admission is free, with sales proceeds from food, beverages and games supporting a future gift to the university.

Mike Thomas, director of UC Athletics, presented the MainStreet Stride Most Appreciated Award to the UC Bearcat Bands and Band Director Terren L. Frenz.

Thomas presented the MainStreet Stride Most Spirited Student Organization Award to Sigma Sigma, the UC men’s honorary organization that recognizes students who have made significant contributions to the university. Sigma Sigma is the oldest honorary organization at UC.

Thomas also presented the MainStreet Stride Most Spirited University Department Award to Student Life.

Mitchel D. Livingston, chief diversity officer and vice president of Student Services, presented the Most Creative Student Organization Award to RallyCats, UC’s school spirit organization. He also awarded UC Enrollment Management with the award for Most Creative University Department.

Representatives of Enrollment Management put some serious sole leather into their theme for the MainStreet Stride, showing off a large collection of used shoes gathered by the division to benefit the UC Rec Center’s “Share Your Soles” shoe drive for families in Mamelodi, South Africa. The shoe drive runs through the end of spring quarter. Details on collections are at this link: http://www.uc.edu/reccenter/programming/misc/shoe.html

UC Interim President Monica Rimai presented the President’s Choice Award for a University Department to Facilities Management, noting the department’s great work in the picnic setup for the MainStreet Stride. She presented the President’s Choice for Student Organization to the UC Bearcat, which was met with a roar of applause in agreement.

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