Blog
Terrace Trees Find New Life Inside Beloved Memorial Union
The Memorial Union Renovation (MUR) team has minimized the project’s environmental footprint through each phase of the process by staying true to a promise of sustainability. From reusing former Terrace trees as decor to installing an energy-efficient HVAC system, project leaders managed to mix eco-friendliness, preservation and modernization. During MUR, the team has had a goal to preserve and enhance the Memorial Union Terrace tree canopy. In Phase I of the project, alone, 90 new trees and shrubs were planted around the site. The team had...
read moreTribute Band Concert to Honor Late Drummer Clyde Stubblefield
The Terrace bandstand holds hundreds of concerts a year, but a May 13 tribute honoring the legacy of the late famous drummer and Madison resident Clyde Stubblefield hits even closer to home. Before the innovator and musical inspiration died Feb. 18 at age 73 to kidney disease, Stubblefield left his mark on the Madison community when he moved here after performing a concert with James Brown in 1971. Kelly De Haven, Director of Development at the UW Foundation, had a personal connection with Stubblefield, whom she met through the Madison music...
read moreGoing Green: Carte Restaurant Serves up Fresh Lettuce Grown Locally in Aquaponics
Carte, the sandwich and made-to-order salad shop in Memorial Union, is more than a place to enjoy a meal; it’s a commitment to eating green. The Wisconsin Union’s Dining Service’s partnership with Clean Fresh Foods, a Belleville, Wis. farm, provides sustainable produce to customers throughout the year. All of the greens offered at Carte from lettuce to microgreens are grown in Clean Fresh Foods aquaponics. Aquaponics is a type of farming system where waste produced by farmed fish supplies nutrients for plants grown without soil, which in turn...
read moreJackson Park Jazz Orchestra to Perform on Terrace
Various UW Marching Band alumni banded together for a performance by the Jackson Park Jazz Orchestra on the Terrace April 22 as a pre-show for the annual Varsity Band Show. The Terrace was buzzing with music and dancing from 1-4 p.m. and while the 19 member group filled the bandstand with toe-tapping beats full of trumpet, trombone and sax sections, plus a rhythm section and featured vocalist. Check out this video of a past performance above, and don’t miss your chance to see them live.
read moreBrush Up on Your Painting Skills at ‘Paint to Music’
The Wisconsin Union’s free Paint to Music event May 5 will be a picture-perfect experience for all members. As a part of Free Art Friday hosted by Wheelhouse Studios, all participants will be given the opportunity to use acrylic paints and canvas to paint their own, unique reaction to music by the Ben Ferris Quartet. “The theme is improvisation and flow, let the music tell you what to paint, what colors to use and let the final painting emerge without having an idea of an end product or image,” Wheelhouse Studios Director Jay Ekleberry said....
read moreWomen Changing the World
Since 1987, the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series has hosted many influential, world-changing women. In honor of Women’s History Month, we highlight some of those who have graced the stage of Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall. Laverne Cox, 2015-2016 lecture series Laverne Cox is an actress, television producer and LGBTQ+ advocate. In 2014, she was named Woman of the Year by Glamour Magazine and in 2015, she was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. Jean Kilbourne, 2004-2005 lecture series Jean Kilbourne is...
read moreThinking Forward Together: Interview with the Union Deputy Director
What is the Wisconsin Union? Yes, we may be incredible buildings like the iconic Memorial Union and innovative Union South. But, we’re far more than brick and mortar. We are people, community and relationships. We are the heart and soul of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As we come to the end of renovation projects at both of our major locations, we, at the Union, are taking time to think about who we are, how we contribute to the campus community and who we should be in the future. Wisconsin Union Deputy Director Susan Dibbell recently...
read moreNothing but Net: Get the Full March Madness Experience at the Wisconsin Union
With 67 NCAA basketball games in less than three weeks, you’ll need a great spot to watch March Madness this year. The Wisconsin Union has you covered, so join us for Badgers, beverages and plenty of basketball at der Rathskeller and the Sett starting Thursday, March 16. Der Rathskeller has the perfect set up for all sports fans, including a 180-inch screen to stream game after game, a step up from watching it in a crowded restaurant or a small cellphone. Every match needs snacks, so be sure to grab a scratch-off coupon at each location for a...
read moreDirectress Film Festival Showcases Female-Directed Movies
From March 8 – 12 , the WUD Film Committee recognized Women’s History Month through its first Directress Film Festival, which showcased 13 female-directed movies throughout the weekend. In 2016, only six percent of the 250 top grossing films were directed by women, a statistic that has sat largely unchanged over the past decade, according to associate director of festival programming for WUD Film Kate Zellmer. “Women are grossly underrepresented in Hollywood, despite producing some of the most interesting and innovative content I’ve had the...
read moreSwing by “Behind the Beat” March 31 for Union Membership Special
Attention all jazz loving Wisconsin Union members. Stop by der Rathskeller from 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 31 for “Behind the Beat,” a weekly jazz series held in der Rath at Memorial Union. And because we love our members, you’ll also get a free large bag of popcorn. Programmed by the student-run WUD Music, “Behind the Beat” features a different local jazz band each week. At our special member night on March 31, check in at the member table outside der Rathskeller, show your union member card and get a coupon to redeem for free popcorn. All...
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