Westridge Students Participate in Annual Rose Parade​
Mackenzie B. ’20 and Emma R. ’20 smiling during the 130th Rose Parade, ready to shovel poop.
Mackenzie B., '20
By Jackie Y.
February 26, 2018
On Tuesday, January 1, millions of viewers gathered and tuned in to watch the 130th Rose Parade, an event that included several Westridge students. While students Micaela M., '19, and Lauren B., '19, rode on a float and waved to the crowd below as part of the Rose Court, others, such as Mackenzie B., '20, and Emma R., '20, enjoyed the parade from a different vantage point, walking behind the floats and picking up poop.
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Scooping poop is not the only unglamorous aspect of the Rose Court. The princesses started their day at 1:45 a.m. when they were taken to Spa Sante, the Rose Court’s official salon, to get their hair done. From there, they arrived at the Chairman’s house at 3:30 a.m. for breakfast, interviews, and makeup touch-ups, along with dressing for the parade. After giving interviews, the princesses strapped themselves into their seats at 7:30 a.m. and waited for the parade to start at 8:00 a.m.
“I saw my family cheering and they hung up a banner for me, which was definitely a highlight. A bunch of my friends also came out to support, which meant so much to me,” said Rose Princess Micaela M., ’19.
After the two-and-a-half-hour parade route, U.S. Marines escorted the princesses to the VIP tailgate section, which consisted of their families and friends, as the Ohio State and Washington football game commenced and their day concluded.
“I loved having the opportunity to represent my school, friends, family, and community on a global scale, as the parade represented the final culmination of all my efforts on the Royal Court,” said Lauren B., '19.
However, other Westridge students had a different perspective of the day. Juniors Mackenzie B., '20, and Emma R., '20, marched in the Rose Parade and enjoyed picking up poop from the horses.
Both Mackenzie B., '20, and Emma R., '20, arrived at Maranatha High School at 4:00 a.m., and after a few hours, walked to the Wrigley Mansion. Similar to the princesses, they ate a complimentary breakfast at the mansion before a group of horses was assigned to the two pooper-scoopers.
Mackenzie and Emma worked as poop-scoopers in the parade, and cleaned up the horse’s poop from the Los Hermanos Bañuelos Charro Team.
Mackenzie B., '20
"We were placed behind Los Hermanos Bañuelos Charro Team and were grouped with two pooper-scooper veterans. Our fellow pooper-scoopers showed us tricks the crowds would love, including riding the trashcan and galloping with the brooms and shovels,” explained Mackenzie B., '20.
“My favorite part of the parade was walking with Mackenzie and entertaining the crowd with her. There were children holding signs with “Go Pooper-Scoopers” and “We love you” that were really cute. We ran and high-fived them, which was definitely a highlight because they were so excited to see us,“ described Emma R., '20.
After the parade, the two girls enjoyed the rest of the day with their families. They received flowers from the floats and ate at In-N-Out for free. The pair closed the day with food, fun, and memorable times.
“I had always wanted to be a part of the parade since I have lived in Pasadena my whole life. The pooper-scoopers looked like they had the most fun, which I can tell you is true, and it became a dream of mine,” said Mackenzie B., '20.