The 74th Annual Tour of Madison for New International Students was one of the largest tours in recent memory. An announced total of 358 student signed up for the tour, arriving at Engineering Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus on a sunny Labor Day afternoon to be introduced to their new home city.
In a second auditorium in Engineering Hall almost 200 volunteers from several dozen Madison area churches gathered to be briefed on the logistics of this annual all-volunteer effort.
Students and volunteers alike had to navigate a disruptive construction zone on the engineering campus, due to the beginning of construction of the new Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center. Once all of the necessary information was shared to each group, the volunteers were ushered to meet with the students. Carload by carload, they coalesced as introductions were made, and then they set off.
Every year is slightly different but the basic route takes the students down Monroe Street past Edgewood (now University) and then the zoo and arboretum. The route swings around Monona Bay to the scenic John Nolen Drive entrance to the isthmus, then proceeds down Williamson Street and Atwood Avenue to Olbrich Gardens. The Madison College campus is recognized in the tour, and the Hartmeyer Ice Arena but not Oscar Mayer (though the building is still there).
There’s a traditional stop for photos at the Governor’s residence in Maple Bluff and, if time allows, a glance at the Tenney Park locks. At that point it’s usually time to head to a reception in a handful of homes of volunteers where there’s food, conversation, and a low-key invitation to more events sponsored by Badger Internationals.
Badger Internationals is made up of nine ministries that cooperate together to offer friendship, hospitality, and opportunities to learn more about the Christian faith. They work together to sponsor several events, including a Christmas celebration near the end of the first semester.
UPDATE: Badger Internationals reports 343 internationals from 40 countries joined the tour, including 129 from China, and 89 from India. A total of 160 volunteers from 31 churches were responsible for hosting the students.