Homecoming 2026: Theta Chi, Phi Sigma Rho and Omega Phi Alpha Team Up for “Tangled”
During the 2026 Penn State Homecoming Parade, Homecoming Chairman Andrew Crowley was pre-interviewed as part of the parade’s live-stream broadcast. Andrew discusses this year’s Homecoming celebration and the work that went into making the event a success. The interview originally aired live during the parade broadcast. Unfortunately, there are a few brief dropouts in the recording due to technical issues with the live production.
Homecoming was a week-long project that brought together the creativity, teamwork and skills of Theta Chi, Phi Sigma Rho and Omega Phi Alpha. Working together, the three organizations chose Disney’s Tangled as the theme for their Homecoming float.
The design team came up with the idea of recreating Rapunzel’s tower from the movie, complete with her trademark blonde hair flowing down the side of the tower. The float also featured a grassy landscape and lake surrounding the base of the tower. When completed, the finished float stood an impressive 12 feet tall.
Another notable detail was the inclusion of all three organizations’ letters, carefully pomped across one of the side panels. Another panel incorporated Penn State’s celebration of its “1,000,000th degree,” adding a special connection to the University’s Homecoming celebration.
Building the float was a true group effort. Members from all three organizations spent hours pomping and constructing the various elements, with a pizza party providing a welcome break for volunteers. As the week came to an end, everyone came together for the final push to complete the float, followed by a celebratory bonfire.
One of the highlights of the week was Allen Street Jam, where members of all three organizations came together to celebrate and have a great time, despite the rain showers moving through State College.
The project also gave members of Theta Chi, Phi Sigma Rho and Omega Phi Alpha an opportunity to build relationships that extended beyond Homecoming week. Everyone had a great time working together, and the friendships and connections developed during the project will continue well beyond the float-building experience.
The Homecoming experience also brought some great recognition. Ryan Gibson of Theta Chi was interviewed by The Daily Collegian about the float and its theme. The broadcast interview was shared with the Penn State community and received more than 10,000 views.
As Ryan explained to The Daily Collegian:
“Our theme this year is Tangled; I actually really like it because it’s a good childhood movie, brings back good memories, and so we did Rapunzel’s tower from the movie,” added Ryan Gibson of Theta Chi.
