Humorology — more commonly referred to as “Humo” — made a big return to Shannon Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union last weekend with a presentation of “The Way Back Home.” Since 1947, Humo has dedicated 75 years to building friendships across members in Greek Life.
Each year, participants of the non-profit event raise money for a local beneficiary.
The non-profit philanthropy event raises money for local charities annually. This year, the organization raised a total of $441,000 for the Respite Center, an emergency child care and crisis counseling place for children and families.
Over 600 students from different social sororities and fraternities are separated into casts that write, compose, choreograph and direct original mini-musical comedies every year. Each cast is led by a group of directors who are typically second- or third-year students.
A student-run executive board oversees every cast to help motivate directors and cast members throughout the year and assist in putting together the most energetic shows.
Throughout the rehearsal process, Executive Philanthropy Chair Jack Seffinger communicated consistently with the Respite Center to discuss ways to raise money, track funds and figure out how each team could unite through fundraising efforts.
“Power hours were the most effective fundraising strategies, which consisted of contacting family and friends to donate, posting on social media and collaborating with local businesses,” Seffinger said.
Seffinger, along with many other executive board members, started their Humo careers as first-year students. They participated as cast members before going on to be directors and hold roles on the executive board.
“This position was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever been a part of because I was able to see the impact that everyone was constantly making, and it’s something I will never forget,” Seffinger said.
This year’s Humo winner was the TALbois cast, made up of Kappa Alpha Theta, Acacia and Chi Psi sorority and fraternity members. This group alone raised over $110,000 — a record-breaking amount of money from a singular cast.
“It was an amazing experience to be a director and so rewarding to get to see all of our hard work pay off on stage,” said Acacia Director Izzy Stein. “Being part of an organization that gives back to the local Madison community is amazing because it makes a difference right here.”
Stein reflected on the work put into fundraising, rehearsing and helping create his cast’s show: “Pay to Play.”
“[Winning] felt incredible,” Stein continued. “Knowing that all our hard work, months of practice and fundraising got to be recognized was a great feeling.”
The APHIJI cast, which included Alpha Phi and Phi Gamma Delta “FIJI”, raised $82,000 for the Respite Center and came in second place. Reese Pulver reflected on her experience working with the APHIJI cast for the past seven months.
“Humorology was something that I will always cherish when looking back on my freshman year,” she said. “The feeling of being on stage Thursday night presenting our show to thousands of other students and families made the whole experience come full circle.”
Ultimately, over 2,000 people attended “The Way Back Home.”
“The entire executive board is so proud that we brought Humorology back after the past two years were impacted by the pandemic,” said Executive Director Julia Friedman. “We are so looking forward to seeing what is to come for Humo in the coming years at UW!”
