The culmination of Badger Power Homecoming Week at the University of Wisconsin may be Saturday’s football game, but student volunteers say the week offers much more than another morning spent in Camp Randall Stadium.
Starting Friday, Oct. 11, the Homecoming Committee is sponsoring a variety of events ranging from community services such as blood drives and a Charity Ball to silliness, like Monday night’s Badger Games. All the events strive to unite students in their Badger pride, committee members said.
“Homecoming week is a chance for all students to get together and celebrate Wisconsin and being a Badger,” Greg Baumann, a senior on the committee, said. “It’s getting everyone together for a good cause.”
Baumann said he was pleased with the high turnout for the events, since the money raised helps fund two important causes: the Dean of Students Crisis Fund and student scholarships.
Committee member and UW junior Stephanie Koch agreed that turnout from the campus area has been excellent this year. She said the appeal the events hold for students comes not only from a desire to show off Badger spirit, but also to take some time away from textbooks.
“People can finally take a break from studying,” Koch said. “Students work hard; now they can come to our events and play hard.”
Having an entire week’s worth of events to plan gives students a lot of flexibility to reach out to the entire campus, said Becci Menghini, advisor to the Homecoming Committee.
“There are enough events that everyone should be able to find something,” Menghini said. “The students on the committee have done a great job of reaching out to the student body at large — the Greek system, residence halls, student groups and also non-affiliated students.”
But Homecoming does not only involve students, said Menghini; the alumni constitute an important portion of the Homecoming beneficiaries.
“It’s quite evident that the UW is amazing,” Menghini said. “Homecoming is about the alumni coming back to celebrate their experiences.”
She said another goal of Homecoming is to show current students “what being an alumni of this university is all about” and forging connections between the alumni and students.
Julie Murphy, a junior who works on the committee, agreed that the focus of Homecoming moves beyond the students.
“It’s really good to have events that involve the whole community,” Murphy said, citing Friday’s Homecoming Parade as one popular event that encourages community participation.
Murphy summed up the sentiments of committee members when she said Homecoming encompasses more than the big game; it is essentially about having pride in one’s university.
“Homecoming is not so much about the football game as it is about enthusiasm and school spirit,” Murphy said.
