ordinance laying out the new requirements for special events such as the school's Homecoming Parade. The test? Well, if I were a teacher, I would say the grade
would be based on how adeptly Coronado's student leaders maneuver through the mine field of civic law in a liability-obsessed world... not to mention how skillfully
they coordinate with fund-raising efforts to cover parade costs that will be increasing roughly five-fold next year. But I'm not a teacher, I'm just an observer, so the test
I see is one of will. After years of letting the good times roll, spending a few hours here and there, dealing with the occasional authority figure, making a few phone
calls, creating some posters, and then kicking back to enjoy it all, do the Coronado student leaders love the parade enough to take on considerably more work than
they ever did before to keep a nearly 40-year tradition alive?
I actually feel a little silly as I sit here writing this. After all, it's only a parade, right? There are so many other important things in the world, even on the Westside. If it were to go away, would it be such a big loss? That's what I mean about a test of will. Die-hard alumnus Rick Johnson can donate the moon, sun and the stars - and to his lasting credit he seems willing to do so - and other school supporters might fundraise with great success, but if the students themselves are not ready to take on the added burden, the Homecoming Parade will not survive. Because ultimately it is a student event. I could gnash my teeth endlessly about the unfairness, how greedy lawyers are taking the fun out of our world, but nothing would change. In the end, it comes down to this: How badly do you want your parade, Coronado? Reality Check 101.
- K.J.