Certain traditions hold a special place in our heart, serving as a bridge between our generations. One of these traditions is the Greeley West’s Car Caravan where, students from all clubs, sports, and activities within the school decorate trailers and ride from the high school all the way to District 6 Stadium to celebrate the West-Central football game. Students parade through the city, waving to people in the streets. This event not only fosters school spirit but it also strengthens our community. This year the Car Caravan is unfortunately getting altered.
The Greeley Police Department asked that there be no trailers and open-style vehicles in this year’s caravan. As explained by Student Council advisor Mr. Zach Armstrong, the Caravan had just gotten too big and took too long, altering Greeley traffic throughout town.
As we move forward, it is important to acknowledge the need for adaptation. Safety concerns have become apparent and the Car Caravan could lead to reckless accidents. Tennis coach and science teacher, Mr. Ryan Pace who graduated from Greeley West 18 years ago and also participated in Car Caravan when he was a student mentioned, “I know where they are coming from and it’s a safety issue, but at the same time I feel like you have to have some trailers and stuff in there to have the same experience. But with that being said, we have these restrictions and we can complain about them or we can make a change and make it awesome in a different way.”
In recent years, Car Caravan has had less participation, and not as much of a community surrounding it than when it first started. One reason could be that the “floats” had gotten so big, smaller vehicles were afraid to participate. Dance team coach and special education teacher Ms. Marrisa Gardener, who also participated in West’s Car Caravan as a student said, “Not only would our groups do it together [when I was in high school] but all of the other groups, sports clubs, and in school clubs had Car Caravans and we would compete against each other to see who had the best Car Caravan and that made it really intense so it was really fun.”
Change is often met with resistance, but it can be a force for good. It allows us to preserve the essence of our traditions while adapting to the needs of our time. The high school Car Caravan with its rich history and deep rooted significance is no exception, but we honor the past while paving the way for a brighter future. “You can be frustrated, but you can make those changes to make it your own. What the senior class needs to do is make it their own tradition. It’s going to be totally different, but let’s not let these traditions slip – let’s just evolve them,” said Pace.
One more thought: Greeley Central alumni really hate it and complain about it each year. There is no better reason to get involved and keep the tradition going.
