New 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...
Preserving 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...
Union 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...
Blue chairs on the Terrace?
By Sean Drout, Wisconsin Union social media intern Party @ The Terrace was truly a memorable event. As a senior here at UW-Madison, I’ve seen many events at this great venue, but the orange, yellow and green Terrace chairs have always been a constant and comforting symbol of summer’s arrival. Hence the confusion and curiosity when I arrived early Sunday, April 29 to find bright BLUE chairs carefully placed among the traditional...
An “engaging” night on the Terrace
This is a true story featuring Katie Kautza and Jared Larson. Retold by Zach Thomae, Terrace Views student editor. *** I had just found out that I had gotten the job in Chicago, which was where Jared was going to be working as well. After I told him he asked me if wanted to go celebrate, to go have an adventure. Of course, I said yes. I told him to come pick me up later, and he said he would. But when I tried to give him a kiss, he...
The “memorial” history of the Memorial Union
By Zach Thomae, Terrace Views student editor The year is 1919, and the past few years had not been kind to the fledgling Wisconsin Union. What could then be called the Union had been kicked out of its previous location inside the YMCA main lounge. An attempt to secure state funding for a new union had been revoked. UW-Madison President Charles Van Hise, the inspiration for the Union project in the first place, was dead. The project to...