Blog
Ways to have a More Sustainable Wisconsin Union Experience
By Maddie Boulanger You can make a difference for our planet during your visits to our buildings, called Memorial Union and Union South, and our markets and cafes. We, at the Wisconsin Union, promise to do our part to think green, act green and challenge ourselves to incorporate new green practices into what we do. Some examples of how we aim to lessen our environmental footprint include composting food scraps in our kitchens, using compostable to-go boxes instead of Styrofoam, and providing bio-plastic and stainless steel cutlery instead of...
read moreHow to Union in Fall 2020
Welcome back students, staff, and faculty! We are so excited to have you back in Memorial Union and Union South with us or enjoying our programming virtually. The Union looks a little bit different this year, from ordering through Grubhub at most dining options to reserving meeting spaces, we will share all the ways campus community members can use our buildings, services and programming this fall semester. As you may know, only Wisconsin-Madison students, staff and faculty can visit Memorial Union and Union South. Patrons must present a...
read moreA Gift to Last a Lifetime from the Union Team
Our spring and summer grads missed out on timeless traditions. Pictures in the larger-than-life Terrace chair was just one moment our 2020 graduates deserved but couldn’t experience because of COVID-19. They worked tirelessly over the course of their college careers, conquering every challenge along the way, only to have their graduation plans upended by the sudden changes necessitated by the pandemic. We wanted to do something special for this group of students that overcame and missed so much. One small token of appreciation for the time...
read moreFor Kari Fischer, making a difference matters
In June, we introduced you to our three 2020-21 student officers. This month, we will share more about one of those officers: Kary May Fischer, the Wisconsin Union vice president of internal relations. Kari is pursuing a double major in political science and English, and she has a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate. Learn not only about her but also how Wisconsin Union student leaders are pivoting in light of COVID-19. We will also share a way you can support her work to make a difference and help another...
read moreThrough Union, We Gain Strength
This week marks the beginning of a new academic year together. While much has and will likely change, there’s still so much that hasn’t. We are still part of a campus community with incredible, dedicated students and campus colleagues with an unwavering commitment to the success of University of Wisconsin-Madison students. And we still have a wonderfully supportive family of members, whose kind words and understanding as we navigate uncertainty have meant so much to our team at the Wisconsin Union. No matter where each of us finds...
read moreStudent Committee Celebrates Community with Collaborative Summer Publication
Community has many definitions and is all of its definitions. It can be a geographic region, perhaps the place in which you were raised or the one that you choose for yourself. It can be a group with whom you share ideals. It can be many people sharing a mission or goal. The last is certainly true for the dedicated student leaders of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Publications Committee, which came together despite the miles between them to create a summer issue dedicated to the study and celebration of “community.” When COVID-19 hit,...
read moreWhile We Were Closed: How the Union Continued Supporting the Campus Community
Though our doors to Memorial Union and Union South were closed to ‘business as usual’ operations in March, the Wisconsin Union team continued to support our community in the midst of these unprecedented times. In keeping with our history, Union South continued to support voting efforts during the pandemic, serving as a polling location for the April and August primaries. On April 7, more than 700 ballots were processed, 441 people voted in-person, and 20 voter IDS were issued by our Wiscard Office team at Union South. On each election...
read moreLeading, Learning, and Growing during a Fall like No Other
What does community look like when we can’t all gather in-person? How can leadership, learning and connectivity happen when our campus community resides across the world rather than on campus? These questions and others about how to support the campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic arose as student leaders of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) began planning for fall 2020. What does community look like when we can’t all gather in-person? How can leadership, learning and connectivity happen when our campus community resides...
read moreA New Vibe on the Terrace: Our Pop Culture Campaign
You may have noticed a new vibe on the Terrace… one that pops. Our new pop culture-based Terrace messaging campaign highlights the excitement you feel at the Terrace with a new spin focusing on how to stay safe in light of COVID-19 at this space we all know and love. It all started when the Wisconsin Union Marketing team was tasked with coming up with a clever way to announce the Terrace summer reopening while educating our community about our new processes. That’s no small task. Wisconsin Union Marketing Specialist, Isabel Finn, began...
read moreAn At-Home Artistic Terrace Experience
Keep those Terrace summer vibes going at home with our new, free, downloadable Terrace-themed coloring pages! Created by Wisconsin Union artists, we’re releasing these right in time for National Coloring Book Day (Aug. 2)! How about taking your Terrace coloring to the Terrace? Want to learn a bit about our famous Terrace chairs, pictured in the pages? For a Terrace chair history, click here. Click the images to download the coloring pages, and print to enjoy. A Terrace view to remember. Sunsets over Lake Mendota have never looked better. Our...
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