Blog
Sneak peek of Union South
As of today, we are only 42 days until the grand opening of Union South! If you have not had a chance to keep up-to-date with the building progress on Facebook or the website, here is a recap of recent photos: Sun Garden Prairie Fire Bowling alley test The Marquee We also invite you to check out a video tour to get a sneak peek of some of the building’s spaces and features. We hope you do not mind the construction, as there is still plenty of work to be done in a little over a month. Special guest narrator: Mark Guthier, Wisconsin Union...
read moreHoofer Sailing Club busy out at “The Farm”
A letter from the Vice Comodore – Hello from the Hoofer Sailing Club! While it might seem like the Sailing Club would be slow during the winter, it’s just a matter of looking in the right places to find the action. Sailors are dedicating many hours out at a place we fondly call “The Farm,” working on repairing our J- and keelboat fleet so they will be ready for the upcoming season. The Farm actually is a real farm. A former Hoofer member is director of the UW Agriculture research farm and allows us to rent out space in the barn to work...
read moreArt collection donation brings one Union story full circle
When Larry Neckar stopped outside the Porter Butts gallery in the Memorial Union, he didn’t expect to see his brother’s name anywhere in the gallery, much less on a plaque as the first winner of the Porter Butts Creative Arts Award. Neckar decided to contact the Wisconsin Union Art Collection manager, Robin Schmoldt, to see if the Union would like a piece of his brother’s artwork, titled “Space Blooms,” to add to the collection. Robin jumped at the chance. “It was a perfect marriage of the Union story, of something coming...
read moreModern jazz vocalist to perform at Union Theater
Dianne Reeves, famous jazz vocalist, will be performing in the Wisconsin Union Theater Friday, April 8. The Union Theater and Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee will also take this opportunity to announce much of its 2011-2012 season. Reeves has been interested in music since she was a small child living in Detroit. She began singing with a big band by the time she was 16, earning national recognition by jazz educators. Steve Braunginn, host of Strictly Jazz Sounds on WORT, says: “Dianne Reeves has found her own sound, her...
read moreMemorial Union Reinvestment survey results
A big thank you to all of you who took a minute to fill out the survey in last fall’s email newsletter! We asked members for feedback on the upcoming Memorial Union Reinvestment to learn more about what people want to change and what they hope to keep the same. Here is some of the interesting things we learned: 1. Top five words when asked ‘What words come to mind when you think of Memorial Union?’: – Lakeside – ‘Madison’ – Historic – Heart & soul of campus – Social 2. Top choice for members...
read moreNew cinema continues 70 years of film experiences at the Union
For film buffs, one of the highlights of the new Union South will definitely be the opening of the cinema, appropriately dubbed “The Marquee.” Not only will the new space feature 350 plush, Badger red seats equipped with cup holders, but it have the capability to show films 5-7 nights a week on a high definition digital or classic 35 mm projector. Although The Marquee aims to be the new home for film on campus, the Wisconsin Union has actually been bringing film to the community for the last 70 years. The Wisconsin Union...
read moreNew technology brings new possibilities
The advent of the first edition of our online Terrace Views happens to coincide with the same weekend that I have just attempted to connect a new wireless printer at home to our family laptop. To say I am just a little bit frustrated right now would be an understatement. I had dreamed of many other ways to spend three hours this afternoon – especially given the break in the winter weather. I hope the Union’s use of technology with the new Terrace Views is vastly more successful than my personal use of the same. I already know I’m going to...
read moreUnion bids farewell to lifelong supporter
Hans Hopf, Memorial Union Building Association associate trustee, passed away on September 27, 2010. When Hopf joined Hoofers on their first ski trip in 1941, he not only became passionate about skiing but Hoofers as well. The trip was the beginning of a lifelong relationship that inspired him to become an avid supporter of the Union and create the Hoofers’ Dr. Harold C. Bradley Leadership Award in 2006. Emeritus director, Ted Crabb, remembers Hopf as a very strong and active person. “Hans had been heavily involved in the ski club and in...
read moreHoofers welcomes new director
As a young girl, Linda Bentz always wanted a horse. Born and raised in Chicago, she didn’t get her wish until her twenties. For the past five years, Linda has worked as an advisor to Hoofers and now as their new director, Linda gets to continue working daily with students who share her love for outdoor activities. Linda has a long history and passion for working with students. She received a masters in education with a specialty in counseling from Western Illinois University, and worked as a school counselor “in a former life,” as she...
read moreFootball is a hit on Broadway
UW-Madison alumni and friends got a sneak peak at the living embodiment of one of Wisconsin’s greatest traditions last October. Over 60 avid Green Bay Packers fans gathered at the Square Theater in New York for a special showing of Lombardi, a new Broadway play about former Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. Before seeing the play, guests heard from former Badger athletic director Pat Richter and local author David Maraniss in an exclusive meet and greet cocktail reception. Maraniss, Memorial Union Building Association associate trustee and...
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