51ĀŅĀ×

51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility took home the coveted Baker Cup during the 2017 Paint the Town Green decorating contest.

51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Homecoming Week is just around the corner, and itā€™s time for members of the OHIO and Athens communities to start thinking about how they intend to ā€œpaint the town greenā€ to kick off the most Bobcat spirited event of the year.

Homecoming Week 2018 will include the 16^th annual Paint the Town Green decorating contest that challenges local business and organizations as well as OHIO offices to showcase their Bobcat pride. A Homecoming tradition, Paint the Town Green is sponsored by OHIOā€™s Campus Involvement Center, which oversees the competition among campus offices, and the Student Alumni Board, which oversees the competition among uptown businesses and organizations.

ā€œPaint the Town Green displays the Bobcat pride that is woven into every part of the 51ĀŅĀ× and Athens community,ā€ Makenzie Olaker, interim assistant director of student organizations at the Campus Involvement Center, said.

In addition to boosting Bobcat enthusiasm within the community, the contest serves as a means of welcoming home the many Bobcats who return to the Athens Campus each fall for OHIOā€™s Homecoming festivities.

ā€œ(Paint the Town Green is) a way for us all to come together to celebrate how special Athens is,ā€ said Tracy Kondrit, president of the Student Alumni Board.

Paint the Town Green participants are encouraged to be creative and incorporate this yearā€™s Homecoming theme, into their decorating. To register for Paint the Town Green, click here.

Contest judging will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 16, and the winners will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Yell Like Hell Pep Rally. Prizes will be awarded to the OHIO offices and the local businesses/organizations with the most spirited dƩcor.

ā€œWe love to see the creativity that offices employ and how they integrate their purpose in their design,ā€ Olaker said.

Homecoming Week 2018 runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 20. For a detailed schedule of events, and follow #OHIOHC2018 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.