The University of Wisconsin’s 112th Homecoming began Monday, Oct. 17.

In a UW Homecoming first, the celebration started with a kickoff concert at Shannon Hall on Thursday, Oct. 13, according to UW Homecoming committee president Jacob Carignan. Students waited in lines that stretched blocks to see Indie pop band Alvvays and Madison band Slow Pulp perform, Carignan said.

UW Homecoming serves as a big community event that welcomes back alumni. At the same time, the event acts as a spirit week to get students excited about being a part of UW, Carignan said. 

The UW Homecoming committee started planning for the 2022 celebration at the beginning of this year, Carignan said. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the lineup of events is completely in person.

“This year we are thrilled to have a ton of members, a ton of participation and a ton of huge events to really bring it back, ” Carignan said. “That’s our main goal this year — we have a few of them, but one of them is [to] remind people what Homecoming is.”

The official Homecoming week event lineup started with Cocoa for Hoco Monday morning. During this event, students could receive free hot chocolate at both Memorial Union and Union South, Carignan said. 

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Throughout the week, students have the chance to participate in the UW Homecoming Medallion hunt. By following clues on the Homecoming Instagram page, the first person to locate a medallion on campus each day will receive a prize, Carignan said.

A blood drive in partnership with the Red Cross will be held at the Nicholas Recreation Center on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On those same days, members of the community can put in their collective efforts to create a community mural at Memorial Union and Union South, Carignan said. 

Students can bowl, rock climb, play games and listen to a DJ during a new event at the Sett on Thursday, Carignan said. The Homecoming parade, which is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21, had over 50 signups and entries this year, Carignan said. 

“If there’s one thing that I want students to take away from [Homecoming], it is that they are a Badger and they’re proud to be a Badger and that 50 years from now, 10 years from now, this place will still be their home and we will still welcome them back with open arms,” Carignan said.

In addition to events planned by the Homecoming committee, UW established Multicultural Homecoming (MCHC) as an extension to Homecoming in 2013, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WAA) Director of Diverse Alumni Engagement Gia Gallimore said in an email statement to the Badger Herald.

These events provide both alumni and students of color with a chance to build community and strengthen connections with the university, Gallimore said. 

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The WAA Homecoming Planning Committee, which includes alumni, WAA staff and campus partners, began preparing for the 2022 Multicultural Homecoming in April, Gallimore said. Signature events taking place this year include the Multicultural Yard Show on Friday, Oct. 21 and the Multicultural Tailgate and Watch Party on Saturday, Oct. 22. 

The Divine Nine Plaza Kickback, a new event to celebrate the historic Black sororities and fraternities on campus, will take place Saturday, Oct. 22, at East Campus Mall, Gallimore said.

“As a predominantly white institution, MCHC creates space for alumni [and students] of color to build a tradition that is inclusive of their needs and desire to have community building spaces,” Gallimore said. “The events also provide an opportunity for the university to continue strengthening alumni [and student] engagement and their connection with the alumni association.”

For a full list of Homecoming events, visit the official UW Homecoming website or Instagram page, @wiscohoco. Multicultural Homecoming events are available on the Wisconsin Alumni Association website. 

Events are set to take place on campus until Oct. 22.