Children dressed in Halloween costumes stood along the homecoming parade route Friday night holding signs that read "Bring back the old parade" while they waited for candy and other treats that would never come.

Morgan Sawyer, 9, held a sign while he watched the parade with his friends and family. Sawyer said he made the sign when his mother told him that there would be no candy thrown from the floats as there had been in past years.

"Candy is part of our culture," said Matthew Selfe, 9, who was standing with Sawyer.

The candy ban exists as a safety precaution to prevent children from running into the street to catch the candy.

Lion Ambassador Tricia DiGaetano (senior-advertising and public relations) said because of the security rule that banned candy throwing at this year's parade, she and other Lion Ambassadors felt bad passing kids on the parade route who expected to get candy.

"We felt kind of guilty," she said.

However, the candy ban was not the only new regulation at this year's parade.

DiGaetano said she felt bad her organization had to turn down some members who wanted to participate in the parade.

A new rule was implemented this year that limited the number of participants per group to 20 and stipulated that groups could only have one flatbed vehicle to cut down the parade's length.

Caitlin Goetz (junior-political science), a member of Orchesis Dance Company, said the new regulation seriously affected her organization.

"More than half of our company could not dance with us," she said.

The group met the 20-person limit by picking its senior members first, then moving onto other members of the dance ensemble, she said.

"Some people were really upset," Goetz said.

DiGaetano said she felt the parade was definitely shorter this year. It took the Lion Ambassadors about an hour to travel the entire parade route, when the group expected to spend two-and-a-half hours at the parade.

Homecoming Parade Overall Kristin Smead said in an e-mail message that all organizations were checked at the beginning of the parade to ensure they only had one flatbed and 20 walking members.

This year, 16 groups were eliminated as part of the parade's new rules, Smead said.

Smead said all violations were dealt with at the scene, and groups with more than 20 people at any point of the parade were written down. Although she would not comment on specifics, Smead said action would be taken after the infractions have been confirmed and the overall committee has decided the severity.

Smead said the parade committee was checking for rule violations on the parade grounds while security committee captains and members in the VIP tent checked for rule infractions on the parade route.

"This is my third year being involved in the parade, and it is the shortest parade in the past three years," Smead said.

The parade began at about 6:05 p.m. at Curtin Road and University Drive and ended with the Blue Band reaching the Information Sciences and Technology Building at 8:15 p.m.

Jill Morin (senior-communication science disorders), a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, said the parade's pace interrupted their choreography to the theme of The Newsies.

Morin said the group would begin its routine but would have to stop in the middle to keep up with the rest of the parade. She said half the fun of being in the parade is having the crowd watch and enjoy the dance the group created.

Morin said she understands the need to make the parade shorter but, at the same time, wouldn't want to restrict any organization.

"It's a hard call," she said.

Some student spectators said they also noticed the effect the new rules had on the feel of this year's parade.

"The fact that they can't throw candy and are set in a guideline takes away from the whole homecoming feel," Hanna Xu (sophomore-biology) said. "It takes away from the spontaneity."