Before Halloween festivities sweep the campus, Homecoming takes over Langdon Street and the Library Mall. Floats are being put together and performances, such as the Wisconsin Singers, are put on for entertainment.
Homecoming represents the time for students to come together and celebrate their school as a united whole. But is this really how Homecoming has evolved? Does the week-long stretch of activities include the participation and involvement of everyone in the school?
There's no question that everyone is given the chance to participate in the activities that fill each day leading up to the big game. Whether students want to participate or not, at least they have the choice. But lately it seems as though getting involved is not as easy as it may seem.
Most of the floats that fill the streets during the parade bear letters of Greek fraternities and sororities. Despite the fact that homecoming is open to all groups and clubs, it appears the Greek system at the University of Wisconsin has taken the lead in the reputation of homecoming events. Having previously been in a sorority, I can say from personal experience that being included in Homecoming games and activities was a lot more open and engaging as a member of the Greek system. Since deactivating, the difficulties in participating in these same events have become more salient for me as a non-Greek.
Other visible elements in many homecoming events are the numerous clubs on campus. Being a member of a club also offers an array of choices in becoming involved with spirited celebrations. While this might appear to alleviate some of the problem with getting involved, it does not address the issue of how early Homecoming is in the academic year.
Students who have joined clubs and groups are still new to the system. It is still only the second month of school, and many of those who have put their names on club lists are still not affiliated with them enough to feel comfortable participating with them in Homecoming. And what about those who have not yet joined clubs? They still have no pathway leading them toward partaking in the weekly events.
Being such a large school, it seems almost impossible to offer activities without segmenting the students into smaller groups. By dividing the student body of at least 41,000 students down into more reasonable numbers, it helps to make the campus feel just a bit smaller for students. Despite the fact that there are good intentions in this plan, there are gaps that need attention. For those students who are not involved in clubs and are not members of the Greek system, there needs to be a way that they can get involved with homecoming events as well.
There needs to be another route that students who do not participate in larger groups can take in order to still have the chance to be involved with their school as a whole. Homecoming is supposed to be a week of activities and events to bolster school spirit and get every student who wishes to be involved participating. Without taking these steps, the future of Homecoming could become one filled with cliques and group associations. Let's keep this school tradition a tradition not only for the Greeks and clubs, but for every student who attends the university.
Estie Kruglak ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in communication arts.