Pop quiz: How do you get a campus of more than 40,000 students together to celebrate their school spirit? Answer: Throw them a week-long, campus-wide party. Oh, and make it free.

UW's All-Campus Party, organized by the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (a student organization sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association), does its best to bring every student and faculty member together in a fun and alcohol-free environment every spring.

Overseen by a committee of students dedicated to involvement and Badger pride, All-Campus Party has developed into one of the largest events at UW, rivaling Homecoming in its appeal and attendance.

The week-long event includes a major concert, Breakfast with Bucky, and a state fair of sorts, with free food and games galore.

"At first it was just a concert, and it really grew from there," said ACP co-director Justin McGivern. "Now it's a full week's worth of events that we continue to add to, with lots of help from all the student organizations on campus."

WASB 's All-Campus Party committee works all year in preparation for the party, seeking corporate sponsors as well as partners from other student organizations. Because of the overwhelming support from private companies and student organizations, All-Campus Party has grown quickly since its inception, and is able to offer all of its fun to students free of charge.

"The best part of ACP is that everyone can be a part of it," said ACP's other co-director, Rochelle Affias. "We involve over 75 different student groups, we collaborate with Greek life on campus, the Green Coalition, and local and corporate businesses."

According to Affias, All-Campus Party is the nation's largest student party of its kind, but it is definitely not the oldest. All-Campus Party was created eight years ago by students in WASB, including a young man named John W. Jung. Jung's vision was to create a nonalcoholic party to bring the UW campus together to celebrate their Badger pride.

Jung graduated from UW in 2001, and went to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and then an MD. He couldn't resist visiting his undergraduate alma mater, however, returning frequently for Badger games, weddings, and other celebrations. Unfortunately, Jung died unexpectedly on Aug. 27, 2006, because of his own battle with addiction, but the All-Campus Party lives on, a tribute to his dedication to bring a nonalcoholic celebration to the students of UW.

"John was told the idea of an All-Campus Party may be too grandiose and impossible," said Melissa Wollering, member of the John W. Jung Memorial, a nonprofit group dedicated to informing young people about substance abuse. "Eight years later, thousands of students are enjoying more than a week of spring activities that celebrate the vibrancy, talent and leadership that all UW students have to offer. It takes a lot for one person to get an event of this size and magnitude off the ground. The reason it still exists is because John was the most charismatic person you could meet."

Jung's original All-Campus Party was a large concert, open to all students. Today's ACP still includes a concert, and it's bigger and better than ever. This year's headlining act will be hip-hop artist Talib Kweli, but the fun won 't stop there.

"The winner of our All Campus Idol contest will actually get to perform in the beginning of the concert, and we also have Marcus Monroe who is an extreme juggler," said Michael Jurken, the concert co-chair for the ACP committee. "(Monroe) is going to juggle a knorch, which is a combination of knife and a torch. He's great, he's been on MTV, and he 's really exciting. We also have a group called Pomeroy from Kansas City and are like a full band but they also have a hip-hop aspect too."

Add the headlining Kweli and UW students have a full night of free entertainment ahead of them.

Sponsored by the UW Credit Union, the concert, known as the Badger Blowout Concert, will be held at the UW Field House. Concert co-chair Samantha Shapiro said committee members have 4,000 free tickets to be distributed at UW Credit Union locations to students, and that lines last week were out the door at 9 a.m.

Teamed with not only the UW Credit Union but also with UW Athletics, the Chancellor's office, and the W Club, which is providing hot dogs, soda and popcorn to students attending the concert, the Badger Blowout Concert will be one of the biggest events of the ACP lineup.

Other events, including but not limited to a kickball tournament, a pizza lunch in Library Mall, and a club event at Madison Avenue called "Club Bucky," will round out a week of alcohol-free fun for Badgers campus-wide.

"It's a great way to end the spring semester, and it's a way to celebrate the UW spirit," said public relations chair Becky Chudy. "It's great to get all the students and student organizations together. It's not just about our committee, we really try to encompass all the campus, and get every UW student involved."

Schedule of events

Saturday

Wisconsin Football Spring Game: 1 p.m. Camp Randall

Sunday

Kickball Kickoff: 10 a.m. Vilas Park

Monday

Breakfast w/ Bucky: 8:30-11 a.m. Bascom Hill,

Engineering Mall, and in front of Liz Waters Hall

Tuesday

All-Campus Idol: 7 p.m. Union Theater,

800 Langdon St.

Wednesday

Bucky's State Fair: Noon-4 p.m. Library Mall

Badger Blowout Concert featuring Talib Kweli

7 p.m. Field House

Thursday

Club Bucky: 9 p.m.-midnight Madison Avenue,

624 University Ave.

Friday, April 25

Wear Red, Get Fed! Pizza Lunch: Noon-3 p.m. Library Mall