A gator and a wildcat will emulate Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker today.
The UF Benton Engineering Council has invested $2,500 in an intricate Star Wars-themed Homecoming float that will appear in today's 85th annual Homecoming parade.
The parade will begin at noon and run from Gale Lemerand Drive to Main Street on West University Avenue.
Jonathan Lenner, the parade director, said there are more floats than average this year, and the organizers have reached the maximum number of floats allowed in the parade because of time constraints.
"Student organizations and the community all put in amazing float designs and special community designs, and I'm really excited to see how they turn out," Lenner said.
This year's Homecoming theme is "Road to the Swamp," which he said is a play off the presidential election year when the candidates take a "road to the White House."
The Benton Engineering Council's float will depict a battle scene between a UF Gator and a Wildcat, the University of Kentucky's mascot, said Bentley Zephirin, the Homecoming director for the council.
The group has considered Star Wars as a float theme for the past four years, and the organization finally has enough money and supplies to tackle it, he said.
After revealing the Star Wars design, the organization was able to raise the number of sponsors from two to seven and recruit more engineering students to volunteer their time.
Zephirin said he believes this year will be the first an organization has used special effects in its float design.
The Star Wars float will feature mechanics, pyrotechnics, debris simulations, lighting effects, sound effects and mini blasts to simulate a battle scene.
"The most I've seen before is a fog machine," he said. "I think it will be a showstopper in the parade."
With such an advanced design, the group has taken precautions to ensure the safety of spectators and people riding the float.
They've placed the charges for the mini blasts in designated areas around the float and have put obstructions between the blasts and the crowd so no one will get hurt.
The Hispanic Student Association has also been hard at work on its rainforest-themed float for at least 50 hours.
Desire Colson, chairwoman of the special events cabinet for the association, said when people think of Latin America, they often think of tropical climates and bright colors.
The theme will try to display efforts UF has made to become more environmentally friendly, she said.
The organization has been forced to economize this year because people have been less willing to donate money and supplies, Colson said.
The group has been using papier-mâché, wood and chicken wire to construct the massive trees and flowers that will adorn the float.
Colson said HSA will set its float apart from the others participating in the parade by having the organization's dance team, Sabor Latino, performing traditional Hispanic dances in front of the float.
Meanwhile, the Building Construction College Council's theme for its homecoming float will combine the Homecoming football game and construction, said Carlos Lorenzo, president of the council.
A cement truck will pull the group's float.
Lorenzo said building a float gave students who are studying building construction an opportunity to use the techniques they learn in their curriculum.
Members also take pride in their tradition of building a float, he said.
By working together on the float, the students have become more of a family, Lorenzo said.
