2012 Helen C. House Party

On Thursday, September 13, College Library held the fourth annual Helen C. House Party from 8 p.m. until midnight. Over eighteen hundred students participated in the event which featured everything from arts & crafts to human foosball.

A returning favorite was Lochlan Masters who once again entertained the masses by making wearable balloon art and demonstrating magic tricks. He kicked off the mainstage entertainment that evening which later showcased the talents of Madison Area Jugglers, The Understudies (a campus improv group), Jewop (an a cappella singing group) and performers from UW Bellydancing.

While entertainment was provided for the hundreds waiting in line for free pizza, sandwiches and burritos in 2nd floor center, others took advantage of the many events being held throughout the first and second floors of College Library. In addition to video games, face painting, fortune-telling, knit-bombing, free popcorn and cotton candy, human foosball, origami, and tote-bag decorating, College Library worked with a number of partners to make the fourth house party an even more memorable event. These partners included members of Games+Learning+Society who sponsored and staffed the popular Johann Sebastian Joust game in Room 1191, Sector 67 who created stations in Room 1250 for attendees to make catapults, flashlights, and to see their 3-D printer in action, numerous campus librarians who created a challenging mini-golf course in Room 2191, and WeConserve who sponsored an interactive recycling game (and provided music) in 1st floor center.

The Helen C. House Party was sponsored by the Center for the First Year Experience at UW-Madison and listed as an official Wisconsin Welcome event. It also received generous support through food donations from Qdoba, Ian’s Pizza, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Gumby’s Pizza, Potbelly, Pepsi, and Canteen Vending. We are grateful to all of our sponsors.

Planning is underway for the fifth annual house party scheduled for September 2013.

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