Gold Star Honor Roll to Remember UW-Madison’s Fallen Soldiers
Have you ever wondered how Memorial Union got its name? A little-known fact is that the building was dedicated as a memorial to UW-Madison’s Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I service members. The Gold Star Honor Roll Program will honor these fallen soldiers and tell their stories. The symbolism of the “gold star” dates back to World War I. A family that had a family member in the service displayed a card with a blue star...
Tudor Dinners Keep Rich Traditions Alive
As the legend goes, the traditional Boar’s Head Feast originated in England when a scholar was walking through the forest to Christmas mass. A wild boar emerged in his path, so he used the heavy book to knock out the animal before presenting it as the centerpiece of the banquet that night. While the Wisconsin Union uses more conventional methods to prepare the feast, the spirit of the tradition is kept alive through the Tudor Holiday...
Fall Flashback
It’s easy to get nostalgic this time of year. From carving pumpkins and showing off Halloween costumes, to taking new classes and cheering on the Badgers at Camp Randall, autumn in Madison is alive with people and festivities. Reminisce on the good ol’ college days and check out the following collection of vintage photos of campus through the decades, found deep in the digital archives. Photos courtesy of the University...
‘Banned’ from the Union Decades Ago, Back for a Night of Ska
Twenty-six years ago, the band members of International Jet Set were psyched to be playing a show at the Memorial Union. There was no doubt it would get rowdy–after all, their ’80s ska and reggae had nearly gotten house parties in Madison shut down by police. But they weren’t quite ready for the chaos that would ensue in der Rathskellar that winter night. Dan Fernández, the band’s vocalist, remembers that a few individuals...
Terrace Paver Commemorates a Lifetime Union
On November 1, 2004, 29 family members gathered at the doors of the Paul Bunyan Room in the Memorial Union. They were celebrating the 60th anniversary of a meeting that would truly leave a legacy. John and Helen were both first-year students at UW-Madison when their paths crossed on a Wednesday night in 1944. Helen was volunteering as a hostess at a canteen in the Paul Bunyan Room. While greeting people at the door, Helen caught the...
Storyteller Series: The Magic of the Terrace
Sitting atop the iconic sunburst chairs, taking in the lake view with visitors chatting and snapping pictures nearby, former Union Director Ted Crabb and current Union Director Mark Guthier discussed the Memorial Union Terrace and its role as a beloved campus and community gathering place. “This is just something special, you sense it in the people that are here and the activity going on,” Crabb commented. While there is...