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The University of Wisconsin’s Homecoming is taking on a new light this year with the Volunteer Campus Clean-Up Kickoff Sunday, as the planning committee prepares for a week focused on community outreach.
Activities for the 2012 Homecoming kicked off Sunday with the cleanup, a new event committed toward this year’s community service initiative, Homecoming Committee President Stacy Day said.
Sunday was designated Community Service Day, which, like the rest of Homecoming, is sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. It allowed student groups and other entities to help clean the campus in preparation for the week’s festivities, Day said.
The event, which was also done in partnership with the UW Business School and the UW Office of Sustainability, is the start of what will continue to be the week’s focus on community outreach and service.
Associated Students of Madison Press Office Director David Gardner said this year’s theme, which was decided with ASM’s input, was prompted by an effort to embody the Wisconsin Idea. It exemplifies the idea of the campus giving back, Gardner said.
According to Day, Homecoming’s community service focus was initiated by a re-examination of past themes, which she said have revolved around specific events instead of an overarching message.
Referencing past themes, such as “music,” Day said the committee tried to focus more on the “intangible” concepts that could be brought across to the student body.
“We don’t want the theme as much to structure events, but to structure the mentality of Homecoming,” Day said. “We really re-envisioned what Homecoming means.”
According to Day, in “straying away from the tangible,” this year’s focus will be used less to structurally back the traditional events, but rather provide an overarching message and add on additional programs.
Such programs include various community service drives, including a shoe and clothing drive and the extension of the annual blood drive to three days, Day said.
According to Day, by combining the traditional events with this new focus, the committee is attempting to turn Homecoming back to the roots of the Wisconsin Idea.
“We are really placing the theme to express Wisconsin spirit and pride, and get back to basics,” Day said. “I think people generally appreciate the commitment to the service effort and people genuinely appreciate Homecoming.”
In addition to representing the Wisconsin Idea, Gardner also emphasized the theme’s commitment to UW’s “Year of Innovation” and to ASM’s purpose of serving the campus community.
ASM, which is funding Homecoming in part, will also be involved with the community service component on specific homecoming initiatives such as campus safety, Gardner said.
According to Gardner, the work of giving back to the community is what “ASM is really all about” and strives to do “day in and day out.”
For the second year, Homecoming will also be working with the On Wisconsin Society, which honors community service efforts in undergraduates, according to Day.
ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky will be one of the students honored on the Camp Randall Stadium at the Homecoming football game against Michigan State Oct. 27, Gardner said.
According to Day, the Homecoming Committee has seen a great response from the community regarding the new focus and hopes for donations throughout the week.
The Homecoming Parade will be held Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.
