The Union featured on PBS Visionaries
By Nancy Payne x’16
When we think about the Wisconsin Union, we think about relaxing on the Memorial Union Terrace on a warm summer day, football tailgates before a Badger home game at Union South and cozying up in Der Rathskeller with friends and colleagues when the winter cold seems to have gotten the best of us.
What you might not know is that the Union is one of the founding organizations of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). To honor its 100th anniversary, ACUI invited the Wisconsin Union to be featured as one of four inspirational college unions in an upcoming episode of PBS Visionaries.
The Association of College Unions International is a nonprofit organization that supports college unions around the world. According to ACUI executive director Marsha Herman-Betzen, ACUI is “the community for the community builders.”
In 1914, a group of students from colleges throughout the Midwest came together to create a board of union representatives to promote college unions and their mission at their individual colleges and the world.
The PBS Visionaries documentary series features nonprofit organizations around the world that strive for social, economics or other positive changes. Sam Waterston, the series host and narrator, looks for untold stories that represent the power and compassion of human nature.
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Sam Waterston, host and narrator of PBS Visionaries, discusses the Wisconsin Union’s accomplishments
Courtesy of PBS Visionaries“This story follows the unheralded who have changed the lives of millions of young people across a century,” said Waterston regarding the college Unions documentary segment. Waterston chose to highlight college unions because of their ability to touch the lives of countless people and instill subtlety, over time without fanfare.
The documentary showcases the Union’s connection to the Madison community, its love of extracurricular activities and its loyalty to its students and staff.
Herman-Betzen said when ACUI started looking for applicants, they wanted four different types of schools: a small private, one known for social justice, a first generation commuter school and a large research institution. They hoped to find one of their founding schools in the bunch, and when they saw UW’s application they knew they had the right pick.
“I’ve visited campus unions around the world but Wisconsin will go down as one of my favorites, not only Memorial Union but Union South as well. Beyond their beautiful exteriors includes exemplary programming, and that’s what we were looking to feature in this documentary,” said Herman-Betzen.
Check out the clip below of the upcoming segment and send us your feedback!
The full UW portion of the documentary will be aired on February 15, 2014 on various local PBS stations. To find out if your local station is airing this segment please go to the PBS Visionaries listing page.
Nancy Payne is a UW sophomore majoring in Strategic Communication frequently seen in Der Rathskeller eating a bag of Stiftskeller popcorn with a bowl of Chocolate Peanut Butter Babcock ice cream on the side.
