Blog
Hoofers Sailing wins big in summer competitions
By Anna Johnson, members relations intern It has been a summer filled with trophies and triumph for Hoofers Sailing, as teams traveled across the country to win awards in the 2012 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) National Championships and place first in their division at the renowned 104th Race to Mackinac freshwater race. In May, the University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduate sailing team traveled to Texas to compete in the 2012 ICSA National Championships after months of preparation and intense competition across the country....
read moreOpen Mic Night surprises audiences Tuesdays on the Terrace
By Emily Connor, UW-Madison journalism major It’s no surprise to stop by the Terrace on a summer night and see it filled with crowds and laughter. But Tuesday nights have garnered a crowd and a vibe all their own. Each week, performers of all ages and experience levels are able to bring their unique acts to the Summer Stage at Open Mic Night. Open Mic Night host and guitar musician Martin Potter shared how this Terrace tradition is a favorite for performers and audience members alike. “I’ve seen a lot in my time hosting Open...
read moreThrowback Thursday: “What a Union is For”
Take a look back in time each week with Throwback Thursdays as we post photos and snapshots from the Union’s amazing history. Find out interesting facts and stories from some of the Union’s favorite people, places and things. We’re eager to hear your stories and memories from the Union as well, so share in the comments section below! *Correction: It was previously written that the below flyer was distributed in 1904. President Van Hise’s comments were made in 1904. Although the exact year of the flyer’s...
read moreNew column ‘Hidden Treasures’ will share stories from Union’s past
By Emily Connor, UW-Madison journalism major Wisconsin Union staff have been helping construction crews each week pack up the hallways and rooms of some of the Union’s favorite spaces. It’s all in preparation for the Memorial Union Reinvestment construction and while temporarily parting ways with some of the Union’s favorite places may be tough, packing up has brought many happy surprises. Watch to see how packing up for MUR has brought back memories and treasures to the Union. Photos, notes, messages, artifacts and...
read moreThrowback Thursday: Union Theater in 1937
Take a look back in time each week with Throwback Thursdays as we post photos and snapshots from the Union’s amazing history. Find out interesting facts and stories from some of the Union’s favorite people, places and things. We’re eager to hear your stories and memories from the Union as well, so share in the comments section below! The Union Theater in 1937
read moreIt’s construction season at Memorial Union!
By Jacklyn John, Memorial Union Reinvestment project coordinator After years of planning for the first phase of the Memorial Union Reinvestment project, construction has finally begun. The first phase of the Memorial Union Reinvestment project focuses mainly on Memorial Union’s west wing, and partition walls have been built on every floor to block the rest of the building from the impact of construction. While construction crews will be hard at work on one side of the partition walls over the next two years, visitors to Memorial Union will...
read morePreserving Paul Bunyan: saving one of the Union’s most treasured rooms
By Herschel Kissinger & Zach Thomae, Wisconsin Union interns Being in the Paul Bunyan Room earlier this June was like watching a story being untold. At first, the room was alive with warmth and color with the tales of Paul Bunyan being illustrated on all four walls. As the hours grew longer, the story came down in pieces, unscrewed and dismantled panel by panel, until all that was left were empty walls. A woman named Joan Gorman oversaw the process, guiding Union facilities workers as they took down the panels, unscrewing bolts and...
read moreUnion weddings have a new home
Summer has finally arrived at the Wisconsin Union, bringing with it all the sights and sounds so familiar to the UW Madison community. The brat stand is open, the pitchers are plenty and the Terrace comes alive every night with the rhythms of the season. And just as usual, less visible but perhaps just as important to summertime at the Union, wedding bells are chiming. This year the Union will host approximately 120 weddings, making it one of the most popular places in Madison for couples looking to tie the knot. There’s no secret to its...
read moreThe many faces of the Wisconsin Union Theater
By Erin Bannen, Union Theater marketing intern The Wisconsin Union Theater will soon be going dark for renovations. But don’t worry! We still have a fabulous season for next year. We’ll simply be using some of the other lovely performance spaces on campus. It doesn’t take interning here to know that over its 73-year history, some fantastic things have happened between the walls of this beloved Union Theater. To celebrate our storied past, I asked my co-workers to share some of their favorite Theater memories: “There have been many...
read moreGiving back to a place that keeps on giving
By Anna Johnson, member relations intern At the age of 85, George Elder remains a regular visitor to the Union he loves so much. He was recently spotted at the Fan Taylor Memorial dinner and concert, sharing his stories and celebrating the Memorial Union and its staff. He said, “It’s just something everyone can relate to. Students one way, alumni another. You go back there. [It] maintains the relationship between the University and the people … whether present or past.” George graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1948 and has...
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