Tradition takes to the streets for UW Homecoming 2013
Members of the UW Marching Band perform during the 100th UW Homecoming Parade along State Street on Oct. 14, 2011. The annual parade is one of many Homecoming week activities sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
It’s time for a storied tradition to come alive on campus.
Thousands of alumni will return for the annual commemoration of Homecoming at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, set for Oct. 6-13, featuring a weeklong celebration of UW graduates, future alumni, and all things Badger.
Wisconsin pride will be on display across campus and around the world on Friday, Oct. 11, as Badgers everywhere don their red and white for Spirit Day. Alumni, students and friends will share their spirit on social media all week long using #UWHC, and increased sightings are expected of The Red Shirt, Sixth Edition™, the official shirt of Homecoming, which supports need-based Great People Scholarships for UW–Madison students.
Alumnihood and the power of social media will highlight Wisconsin Rewind, an evening lecture on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Memorial Union. Ben Relles, a 1997 graduate and Head of Programming Strategy at YouTube, will share how he’s taking his UW education viral to make a difference in the world.
“So much of what I learned, and the people I met, while at UW helped me develop a career at YouTube that I love,” Relles said. “My goal is to cover — in 60 minutes — the most important lessons I’ve learned since I was a student at Wisconsin 20 years ago.”
Relles’ lecture will be also be video streamed live.
Alumni will also gather during the weekend for a UW Multicultural Homecoming Celebration, honoring the 25th anniversary of the Multicultural Student Center and the 44th Reunion Celebration of the Zeta Xi Core Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
These featured events are presented by the WAA, in partnership with the Multicultural Student Center, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for University Relations, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Zeta Xi Chapter, and Madison College.
The celebration doesn’t end with the game. Join the National Pan-Hellenic Council for the Annual Stepshow and Step Afrika performance at the Overture Center at 7 p.m., featuring Stomp da Madness. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased in advance.
Tradition takes to the streets at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 11, for the UW Homecoming Parade presented by Lowe’s. Free and open to the public, all are invited to watch from Gilman and State Streets as classic cars, floats, the UW Marching Band and Bucky Badger bring UW cheer to the heart of campus. For the safety of all, select downtown streets will be closed during afternoon and evening hours.
Spirit will be served under the watchful eyes of a 20-foot-tall Bucky Badger at a post-parade spirit stop near the Wisconsin Alumni Association, 650 N. Lake Street, featuring family-friendly refreshments courtesy of Pepsi and Qdoba Mexican Grill.
WAA’s BADGER HUDDLE® pregame tailgate and the Wisconsin vs. Northwestern Homecoming game cap a full week of tradition and community service. Badger volunteers will gather for a campus cleanup at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, the Homecoming blood drive is open Oct. 8-10, and donations to the Red-and-White Hunger Fight food drive will be accepted all week long.
Homecoming events are organized by the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the UW Homecoming Committee, a 45-member nonprofit, student-run organization. The student-led committee will again honor exceptional UW–Madison students of junior or senior standing as the newest inductees of the On Wisconsin Society.
WAA will also welcome back dozens of alumni who volunteer their time as leaders of WAA Chapters around the nation, as well as thousands of alumni who will reconnect with the university, campus departments and affiliated organizations.
