Flatbeds, wood, chicken wire, glue, little squares of colored tissue paper called "pomps" and a week of dedication.

"I don't think the community realizes how much work actually goes into the floats," said Brian Bertges, Interfraternity Council vice president and member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity, 234 Locust Lane.

For Homecoming week this year, more than 90 organizations worked to create about 60 floats based on specific themes to showcase during today's parade, Homecoming parade overall Allison Davis said.

Students continued to cut, wrap and glue to create their floats as cold drizzle fell Tuesday night.

Bertges said many organizations feel pressed for time during Homecoming week and have difficulty balancing their schedules, as he spray-painted feathers for costumes, watched Finding Nemo for inspiration for the theme of his
fraternity's float and tried to study for an organic chemistry exam.

He added that it is a team effort and every person needs to help.

"If you want to win, all the brothers have to be really involved," Bertges said.

Downstairs, Mark Trimbath (senior-architecture), was working on the design of the Finding Nemo float. Amid power tools, sheets of chicken wire and sawdust, a few of the fraternity's members worked on constructing the float's characters, which include moving parts such as a mechanical opening-and-closing shark's mouth.

Theta Delta Chi and Orchesis Dance Company paired up last year to win Homecoming and placed second in the float competition. Bertges said the duo's float is more elaborate this year and they will work constantly during the week to have it completed in time for the Homecoming parade tonight.

Floats are evaluated on whether or not they meet regulations and their presentation of the color scheme, theme and Penn State pride, said Jared Brown, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life.

"People work really hard all week," Davis said about the organizations involved in float-building. "They are all up all night pomping and getting ready."

"Pomping" is the process where small sheets of colored paper called "pomps" are stuffed into the individual holes of the chicken wire and secured with glue to decorate the float, said
Loni Chalfie (freshman-psychology), a new member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority.

Despite the complicated planning and creation of his fraternity's float, Trimbath said pomping is the most dreaded part of construction.

Janie Marcus (freshman-communications), another new member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, said pomping is very time consuming.

"We live to pomp," Marcus said jokingly.

Alan Marx, Theta Delta Chi treasurer, said of the $1,500 spent on the float, $700 was spent on pomps. The semester dues collected from the fraternity's members cover the costs of the float, Marx said.

Outside of Beta Sigma Beta fraternity, 255 E. Fairmount Ave., Gamma Phi Beta sorority was helping the fraternity members construct their joint float in the cold weather.

"The weather conditions kind of suck because it's so cold," Gamma Phi Beta Homecoming chair Janine Andrayo said, as her fellow sorority members pomped gray and white tissue paper into a section of the float on the porch.

Davis said the weather has not stopped organizations from building their floats.

"So far the weather hasn't been that great, but people are still working hard," she said.