The UWSP Homecoming Committee and Residence Hall Association Presents Program of the Year University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Table of Contents Letter to the Reader Page 1 Objectives Page 2 Top Secret Missions Page 3-6 Code Book Page 7 Secret Agents Page 7 Propaganda Page 8-9 Positive Effects Page 9-10 Uniqueness Page 10 Student & Community Involvement Page 11 Impact Page 12-13 Evaluation Page 13 Pointer Planning Guide Page 14 Budget Page 15
Letter to the Reader Hello WURHA, It is with great enthusiasm that we present the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point s bid for Program of the Year for Operation Homecoming: For Pointers Eyes Only. The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point believes that the continuous success and growth of this annual program should be shared with the state. Homecoming has been a part of the university for many, many years and it continues to grow with each coming year. Each year, the Homecoming Committee made up of students and advisors works diligently to create a Homecoming event that will top the previous year. With the program growing in size each year, the Homecoming 2015 event was the biggest success thus far. With record breaking attendance from all of the residence halls on campus, this year s turnout blew everyone s expectations out of the water. Even with a few bumps in the road, this program could not have been such a success without the dedication of the Homecoming Co- Chairs, Amanda Doperalski and Matt Curtis. Homecoming s focus is to bring as many students on and off campus together to form a cohesive community that we can call the Pointers! UWSP prides itself on the wholesome university atmosphere that we have for the students. Homecoming Week is filled with events that bring all of these students together out of their rooms and daily schedules to be a part of an exciting event that everyone can have fun with! The main goal of Homecoming is to not only bring the students together into one community, but to also help newer students see the spirit of UWSP and welcome them to a brand new campus in a big way. With the different programs that go on throughout the week all over campus, it is easy to see why students continue to love having Homecoming every year. So long as the Homecoming Committee continues to bring great programs that students enjoy, Homecoming will have no problem continuously being a huge success. Without further adieu, the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point is honored to present to you, our bid for Program of the Year for Operation Homecoming: For Pointers Eyes Only. -Collin Schroeder (N/WCC) and Amanda Doperalski (Homecoming Co-Chair)
Objectives Operation Homecoming: For Pointers Eyes Only was sponsored by the Homecoming Committee. The main objectives for this program were to improve the overall level of Pointer Spirit all over the UWSP campus and make a cohesive campus community. We feel that the Homecoming Committee really excelled in achieving these goals this year. Homecoming was an amazing success in all aspects of the program. Pointer Spirit Students show their Pointer Spirit every day when they are on campus, but it is even more expressive during Homecoming. This week is dedicated to showing as much school spirit as possible to support the Pointers! Cohesive Community Each of the residence halls were able to participate in the Homecoming festivities by creating a team! Also, some other organizations were able to make teams and participate in the fun. This allowed a lot of the residents to interact with each other in an exciting environment and also interact with a diverse group of people they may have never interacted with before. Collaboration on Campus Organizations and departments volunteered their time and resources to help this event be even better! We were in collaboration with Dining Services, the Alumni Association, Greek Life, University Centers, and many other departments on campus. Community Ties During Homecoming, UWSP enjoys being able to include everyone from around the Stevens Point area community to show their spirit. This year, the Homecoming Committee really pushed to have more of the Stevens Point community involved in the festivities. Stress Relief Homecoming is a great way to start to a great year of future programming and excitement for what s to come. It s also an escape from the normal, mundane routine of academics into something a little more exciting and competitive.
Top Secret Missions Catch Me If You Can 5K Fun Run The Homecoming Committee kicked off Homecoming this year with a 5K Fun Run for anyone wishing to participate. The Fun Run was a 5K course that anyone, including those who were not on a team, would be able to participate in. Those who participated were encouraged to attend the event in attire fitting to the theme. The first 200 participants to register received a free Homecoming spirit item, as well as points for their Homecoming team. Cake Decorating Participants were able to decorate a cake with their best representation of the Homecoming theme and win points for their teams! There were two divisions for the participants for double the chance to win. One division (the Purple Division) was given all of the supplies they may need and only allowed that. The other division (the Gold Division) was asked to bring all of the supplies they would need, other than a cake, to decorate and were given no others.
RHA s Casino Old Main Casino Night sponsored by the Residence Hall Association allowed the participants to gamble the night away while earning points for their teams. The event had all kinds of casino games like: craps, horse races, roulette, and blackjack! Participation was used to earn points and any money earned at the end of the night went towards raffle tickets participants could enter for a chance to win great prizes! Point Blank Laser Tag Take your best shot! Participants got ready to test their spy skills with a night full of stealth and skill shooting. A glow-in-the-dark laser tag arena was set-up for participants to hide, dodge, and win in this fast-paced, exciting event.
Olympics Teams joined in for a tournament of various activities for this day of competition! The events teams could participate in include: Human Foosball, a volleyball tournament, and a bag toss tournament. All of these events were on a rotation between the teams allowing everyone to get a chance to play and enjoy the beautiful weather! Points were given to the winning teams accordingly. Pep Rally Everyone got their Pointer spirit ready to cheer on the UWSP Pointers! The UWSP Pep Band and Drum and Wind Group (DAWG) played some awesome music to keep everyone energized. While the cheer and stunt team and dance team lead everyone in the cheers. Also, teams joined in a relay race of various, odd exercises for some last minute points. During this time, each team s spirit banner was judged by a group of UWSP alumni for some extra spirit points.
The Final Day The last day of Homecoming was jam-packed with some fun final events! The day kicked off with the Spy Retreat Parade where teams had a chance to display their own parade floats decorated to the Homecoming theme. The parade led straight into All Campus Picnic in DeBot Field. This picnic was open to anyone on campus that wanted some entertainment and food. During the picnic, participating teams competed in a Tug-O-War Contest and an RHA Frozen T-shirt Contest. Finally, the day ended with the football game between UW Stevens Point and UW Eau Claire. It was at the end of the 1 st quarter that all the competing teams discovered the final results of Homecoming 2015 and the winner was awarded! And here we have our elite secret agents!
Code Book All events took place over the course of the week from September 27 th to October 3 rd Catch Me If You Can Fun Run September 27 th Cake Decorating September 28 th RHA s Casino Old Main September 29 th Point Blank Laser Tag September 30 th Olympics October 1 st o Human Foosball o Volleyball Tournament o Bag Toss Pep Rally October 2 nd Spy Retreat Parade, All Campus Picnic, and Football Game October 3 rd o Tug-O-War Contest o RHA Frozen T-Shirt Contest Secret Agents All of the Residence Halls, organizations, and anyone in between were asked to join in the Homecoming festivities. We were lucky enough to have all of the halls form a team, as well as have a few other organizations form teams! Sigma Tau Gamma and Delta Phi Epsilon Agent GammaPhi Phi Omega and Theta Xi Point Blank Phi Sigma Phi and Gamma Phi Operation Olympus Baldwin Hall Baldwin Hall Thomson Hall Thomson Pterodactyls Burroughs Hall Buffalo Brigade Suites/Hyer Hall Suites/Hyer Hall Schnauzers May Roach Hall May Roach Mastadons Hansen Hall H2 Watson Hall Shia Surprise Neale Hall Neale Narwhals Knutzen Hall Knuthouse Smith Hall Smithasaurus Rex Steiner Hall Steiner Hall Pray-Sims Hall Pray-Sims Platypi Agents
Advertising Propaganda Word of Mouth o We had so many people planning this program, or joining in, that getting the word out was easier than ever. Everyone was talking about Homecoming as soon as the school year started. Once planning began, word of the theme, events, and prizes spread like wildfire. Brochure and Posters o One of the most important aspects to any successful program is the quality of the physical advertising around campus. For Homecoming, brochures and posters were created that displayed the dates, locations, times, and rules of all the events. These were made to be creative, eye-catching, and based around the theme to make sure to get students attention. Social Media o UWSP Homecoming has its own Facebook page, which was utilized A LOT before and during the Homecoming event. All of the schedules were posted there for easy access anywhere at any time. When the events began, pictures from all of the events were posted there to show everyone how much fun was being had. We also had interviews with the Portage County Live radio station, the Pointer
campus newspaper, and Channel 7 News to help get the word out to an even larger community. Other Departments o Many other departments that were involved in Homecoming were a huge help in spreading the word, too. For example, the Athletic Department, University Relations and Communications, and University Advancement all posted updates and information on their individual websites for everyone to see. Emails o Lastly, one of the best ways to get the Residence Halls involved is to send emails to the Hall Directors asking for their Leadership Teams to form Homecoming Teams. Some of the Hall Directors enjoy some friendly competition between their individual halls, which is an insanely easy way to get teams. Positive Effects There are many positive effects that Homecoming brings to the residents on and off campus, the community, and all staff within the university. When planning began for Homecoming 2015, the committee quickly started with ideas on how to make this year different and exciting from last year s. We feel that the committee this year really achieved that goal. The committee strived to get new people involved around campus, utilize more of the university s resources, and have immense positive impacts on the campus. With record breaking attendance from the residents, this year s Homecoming really did excel in getting more people involved around campus. Residents had spectacular reactions to all of the programs that were offered during the week and were excited to be a part of a team of fellow students to have a chance at the title of Homecoming 2015 Champion. Other organizations on campus were also more than happy to come out and be a part of the festivities. We had people come out and join the fun from the Alumni Association, Greek Life, Drum and Wind Group (DAWG), ROTC, also some administrative staff like Chancellor Bernie Patterson and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Al Thompson. In terms of using different resources on the UWSP campus, the committee utilized many different departments and organizations to make Homecoming the best it could be. The committee utilized University Relations and Communications to help expand their target demographic to more than just the on-campus students. This allowed the word of Homecoming to reach many different administrative personnel which gave them the opportunity to join in the festivities via the parade or the Office Decorating event. The committee also used more of the university s centers this year compared to previous years. In previous years, Homecoming was largely an outdoor event, which could potentially limit the events that could happen, but this year some events were moved indoors. This opened
the doors for coming years to follow suit and utilize more on campus and not rely solely on the weather to have great programs. It was amazing to see all of these different facets of the university come out to be involved and show their support for all of the hard work the committee had put into this year s Homecoming. It is always great to have students and faculty come out to be a part of such a fun event and get out of their normal, daily schedules. Uniqueness Truthfully, a Homecoming event is not an inherently unique program to a school s campus. What makes Homecoming unique is the time and effort a committee puts in to turn an old idea that has been done before into a seemingly brand new idea and put on programs that a campus has not seen. With the Spy theme that was chosen this year, the committee realized the open-ended opportunities that came with it and sought out different options for programs. Many of the programs chosen for the week were a mixture of ones that have been done before and were known to the students and others were something brand new. Knowing that RHA is well-known for their Casino Night program, it was an easy decision for the committee to partner up with RHA to create a Casino Royale style event during the week. Some of the more traditional Homecoming programs like: cake decorating, the Fun Run, Olympics, and pep rally were all easy choices to keep because the students always have a great time being a part of them, and the programs get amazing turnouts. The newer programs this year like: laser tag and human foosball were implemented because they were something uncommon to the UWSP campus. These two programs were something to get students excited to form a team and out of the old, mundane cycle of Homecoming. In the end, the overall theme of UWSP s Homecoming may not have been the most original and ground-breaking theme that has ever been conceived, but everything that went into the final product was unique in its own right to the UWSP campus.
Student & Community Involvement Homecoming as a whole targets involvement, team building and bonding, Pointer Pride, and having a great time! The event incorporated many different people including the committee, Stevens Point community, and other organizations on the UWSP campus. The Committee put in countless hours brainstorming, planning, getting in contact with the necessary people, and making the event a success. This committee was made-up of two Co- Chairs, Amanda Doperalski and Matt Curtis, three advisors from various departments on campus, and a collection of ambitious students that wanted to be a part in planning an amazing event such as Homecoming. Residence Hall Association utilized their connections to all of the Residence Halls to help get the word out about Homecoming as much as possible. The planning committee was more than welcome to supply posters and updates to the General Assembly meetings for RHA Delegates to bring back to their halls to inform their Leadership Teams about the upcoming events. Dining Services provided food for everyone that came out to the final All Campus Picnic to show their appreciation for the success that Homecoming was. Stevens Point Community came out to the parade to see all of the hard work that teams had put into their individual floats, enjoy music from the pep band, see everyone s smiling faces, and feel the overwhelming essence of Pointer Pride! Even Mayor Mike Wiza came out during the parade to show support for the UWSP Homecoming. Alumni of different Greek organizations and Distinguished Alumni came out during the parade to show their own Pointer Spirit! Delta Zeta, Alpha Phi, and the Distinguished Alumni all had their own floats designed around the Homecoming theme.
Impact Homecoming was implemented to positively impact the UWSP campus and surrounding community by being the first huge hooray to the semester and rejoining everyone in Pointer Pride. One of UWSP's biggest initiatives is supporting the building of relationships and community among the students. This program was partially created to recognize this campus wide initiative by focusing on the following; 1. how UWSP supports collaboration on campus, 2. how UWSP creates campus and community ties, and 3. how UWSP strives for a cohesive community UWSP has 13 residence halls and this year all 13 of them plus three other teams of Greek organizations joined in Homecoming by forming teams! Teams had the opportunity to compete for the title of Homecoming Champion, which was determined by the overall amount of points earned at the end of the week, where the winning team received the ever-prestigious trophy. The purpose of hosting a challenge like this was to promote involvement and interaction all around campus. The challenge rallied the students together and got them more excited to be back on campus and looking forward to the new year. While a competition was occurring, it was still remarkable to see the support everyone had for each other throughout campus during Homecoming. All teams gave each other a friendly welcome and goodbye for everyone competition and even losing teams cheered for the next competitors to give them the support they so rightfully deserved. The Homecoming Committee had the pleasure of working with the University Dining Centers, the University Centers, and a large majority of the students on campus. Organizations volunteered their time and resources to help our eventful day become even better. By involving these other facets of the university, the Homecoming Committee made connections throughout campus and improved their pre-existing relationships as well. These new found relationships will potentially open more doors to, not only Homecoming, but to other large programs that other organizations present. Everyone may be able to utilize more resources in the future than in the past. Just as the Homecoming Committee involved the multiple organizations from on-campus to assist in Homecoming 2015, they also had the pleasure to work with the Stevens Point community. The Homecoming Committee reached out to a lot of Alumni throughout the Stevens Point area to be a part of the festivities. The Alumni had their own programs throughout the week and were more than welcome to attend any of the events they wished to during the week.
They also helped by bringing their friends and families to the final parade to see one of the last events of the week! The biggest impact seen on campus throughout Homecoming was the cohesiveness of our campus. Homecoming 2015 was attended by students on campus, students off campus, administration, and community members. Those in attendance differed even more as our resident population consists of students from every race, religion, color, creed, ethnic background, age, sex, handicap, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, gender identification, and sexual orientation. Since Stevens Point has such a diverse population, students were able to learn about each other and their differences in a controlled setting. During Homecoming, the effects seen from improving campus cohesiveness were small, but were starting to be seen. After Homecoming was completed, the effects were much more noticeable. Students began breaking out of their own halls and socializing with residents from the other halls and walks of life. They wanted to be a part of more on campus and make their time here more than just another semester. There is a chance students went to school together prior to UWSP and had never known it, but with a welcoming, open community like this those connections could be made. It is this bonding that is why Homecoming was created and will continue on the UWSP for years to come. Mission Success Operation Homecoming: For Pointers Eyes Only was a huge success this year! UWSP had one of the largest turnouts for all of the events combined. All halls participated by creating a team of staff, government members, and go-lucky residents for a chance at the Homecoming Champion title! The amazing participation and collaboration from all aspects of the Pointer community like: the Alumni Association, Greek Life, UWSP administration, and friends and family all around the campus community helped make Homecoming 2015 the great success it was. Homecoming has become a much appreciated and anticipated event over the years from institutions all over the state and country. Students look forward to whatever new and exciting events come along with it, and especially the prizes. All the students in attendance gave spectacular feedback about the program and seem to love having a reason to get out of their rooms and compete against their friends. The greatest success this year, by far, was seeing everyone s faces during every event. No one ever looked discouraged or uncomfortable at any of the events, and that is really what Homecoming is all about. We want to take a campus of thousands of students and make them into one cohesive community that we are proud to call The Pointers.
Pointer Planning Guide Most, if not all, campuses already have some kind of Homecoming festivities to go along with the first semester. Some may be more spectacular than others, but that does not mean they have to be any less fun for the students. It s all about the effort put into the events that makes them worthwhile! Here is UWSP s guide to having an exciting Homecoming. Planning Committees We had two Co-Chairs for the Homecoming planning committee to ensure a great success and planning process. There were three advisors from different parts of campus administration to give feedback and information about their respective areas. Then, a collection of fantastic student leaders to give student input and help spread the word about Homecoming. Equipment Use equipment you already have for events! Many organizations on our campus have a huge array of different things for a variety of programs, so we simply contacted them about using them. Also, work to your budget. The Homecoming committee used their budget wisely to find new attractions at an affordable cost. Weather Hope for/plan with nice weather! It s easier to plan activities outside where space is less limited and mess is less of an issue. Plus, who doesn t love to get outside on a beautiful day and just enjoy the outdoors? But, we all know Wisconsin does not like to play along, so just go with the flow and plan accordingly. Have some programs on reserve for a quick change, if needed. Adaption Size Schools of any size can have a Homecoming event. Some may be allowed larger than others, but that does not mean it has to be any less fun! Work to your campuses size and think as big as you can. Budget Any budget can create an amazing Homecoming! Plan in advance to avoid any rush charges and find the most affordable prices. Ways to cut down on cost: Use what your campus has already. Contact departments to see what they have. Collaborate with everyone! Programs Know your audience. Have student input on any program ideas to see if they would attend. Get ideas from students that may not have been thought of before.
Budget Description Cost Promotional Prizes ($1,200.00) Posters ($100.00) Trophy ($100.00) Foosball ($200.00) Casino Night ($700.00) Casino Night Prizes and Posters ($467.28) Laser Tag ($2,800.00) Cake Decorating ($270) Pep Rally ($25.00) Olympics ($50.00) Team Registration ($20 per team) $300.00 ($5,612.28) This year s Homecoming had quite a few expenses compared to previous years, but it was expected because of the growth that Homecoming has been making. Obviously, the greatest expenditures for this year were the Promotional Prizes, which were used as an incentive to get people involved, and the Laser Tag program. Laser tag was brand new this year, so it was expected to be a bit pricier, but with it being such a huge success it is more than likely to make a comeback in future UWSP programs. In the end, no expense went to waste for Homecoming 2015. Every dollar spent was a dollar well spent because everyone who participated was given an unforgettable moment in their college career. We look forward to what Homecoming 2016 has to offer us next year!