A gigantic blue bus proclaiming the Los Angeles Rams as ‘World Champions’ slowly made its way through the area surrounding USC Wednesday morning. Because of the proximity to the school, students from all over the world joined the festivities.
The championship parade, which started at the Shrine Auditorium and ended at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, caused some teachers to cancel classes or transition to online so some students could attend. On Tuesday, the Office of the Provost sent out an email to the university about the parade and encouraged professors to move classes online, if possible.
The email noted that the street closures would present significant delays for those trying to access the campus. Despite some students and staff arriving early, walking further to get on campus or even climbing over barricades, many students said they enjoyed having the opportunity to attend the parade.
“When is the next time you’re going to be able to see a Super Bowl Victory Parade?” said business administration major Ryan Kzlowski. “So I decided to just come out and skip the class for the day.”
Business administration student Bridget Akrasi, after learning that one of her classes would be held remotely, decided to skip class to catch the parade as well.
“Well, I’ve actually never seen one in person, so I was like, ‘OK, like, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so why not?’” she said.
Biochemistry major Emily Hicox echoed Akrasi’s sentiments.
“When else are you going to be able to participate in a Super Bowl parade?” Hicox said. “I’m from Alaska, and nothing like this ever happens.”
Some students didn’t necessarily understand why the parade’s route was planned near USC as they were unaware the Rams called the L.A. Memorial Coliseum their home stadium for more than three decades.
“There was a lot of work done in a very short period of time to prepare for the impact that parade would have on campus,” said interim Chief and Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety David Carlisle.
With less than three days to prepare for the event, DPS had to ensure “all hands were on deck.” The city of LA also closed off many roads surrounding campus as well as rerouted buses to account for high traffic in the area.
Even still, many students took the chance to celebrate with other Los Angelenos.
“For me, it’s just like we live in L.A. It’s one of the greatest cities,” said business administration major Maria Barun. “And why pass up a celebration like this?”
Shefali Murti contributed to this report.