Wisconsin Union Annual 2018

NINETY YEARS OF

I M PAC T 2 0 1 8

W I S C O N S I N

U N I O N

A N N U A L

90 YEARS AND COUNTING LETTER FROM UNION PRESIDENT MILLS BOTHAM AND DIRECTOR MARK GUTHIER

The Wisconsin Union had an incredible year of impact that has been nothing short of historic. It included the complete reopening of Memorial Union, a new partnership with a local nonprofit and so much more. We’ve celebrated together, grown together and learned together with you, our incredible supporters.

This year we look forward to celebrating a new milestone: 90 years of impact at the Memorial Union. Memorial Union opened its doors Oct. 5, 1928, and ever since, has been a home for learning on campus.

With the completion of the first comprehensive building renovation, we’re celebrating not only the past 1

WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2018

impact students have made at Memorial Union but also the ways in which our renovations enhance our ability to make a difference in years to come.

This past year, we held more than 2,300 student-led events, many of which took place at the historic Memorial Union.

While the impact of some of these programs can be clearly seen, the learning and leadership opportunities that take place behind the scenes are not in short supply.

Behind the scenes, leaders of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD), the Union’s student programming and leadership board, gain real-world skills, such as editing, budgeting and

contract negotiating, while also learning about the importance of serving their communities.

The 2017-18 WUD Art Committee Director Francesca Pessarelli said, “WUD is extraordinarily special because I not only grew professionally and personally but I gained a family and support network as well. I have been surrounded by some of the most intelligent, hardworking and inspiring people I have ever met. Being around them has pushed me to work hard and make changes, and I don’t think I would have grown half as much if it weren’t for the amazing friends and peers I’ve met along the way.”

With these leadership opportunities are

lessons about the importance of giving back to the community, which is one of our responsibilities as the Division of Social Education. It’s a privilege to work each day to fulfill our social education role in a place like Memorial Union that is teeming with history and memories.

Together with Union South (and a dozen cafes across campus), the influence your support makes can be felt across our entire university.

Some of the impact we’ve made this year can be seen and felt outside our buildings, including our partnership with Porchlight, a nonprofit agency that strives to reduce homelessness in Dane County. With this partnership, a Union intern is dedicated exclusively to working with the Porchlight staff on communications strategies and special events. This partnership will continue through the upcoming year with the vision of inspiring students to positively transform their campus communities and beyond.

In the year ahead, we will celebrate the opening of a brand new marina on the Memorial Union lakefront, develop the vision for a social justice incubator and continue to offer thousands of studentled programs, some of which are Union traditions and others that will be nimble responses to community needs.

We look forward to sharing it all with you. On behalf of everyone at the Wisconsin Union, thank you for 90 years of memories, 90 years of being part of your stories and 90 years of making an impact together.

Sincerely,

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NINETY YEARS OF

I N S P I R AT I O N

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PG.

NINETY YEARS OF

MEMORIES

7 9 11 13 PG.

NINETY YEARS OF

I M PAC T

PG.

NINETY YEARS OF

CELEBRATION

PG.

NINETY YEARS OF

LEADERSHIP

PG. Mark C. Guthier Wisconsin Union Director

Mills Botham Wisconsin Union President

NINETY YEARS OF

GENEROSITY

PG.

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NINETY YEARS OF

I N S P I R AT I O N

FIRST PUBLICIST Fan Taylor, as Wisconsin Union Theater Publicist, and March Rickettes, Box Office Manager, 1939.

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W O M E N I N T H E A R T S AT T H E U N I O N : T H E PA S T , P R E S E N T A N D F U T U R E

BY ELLIE HERMAN ‘18 When asked to name famous artists throughout history, names like Pablo Picasso, Shakespeare or Arthur Miller might come to the mind. However, missing from that list is the immense impact women have played in the arts for centuries. The Wisconsin Union’s own history has been shaped from the tremendous influence of women in art leadership roles in the past and present.

In 1939, Fan Taylor stepped into her role as the first publicist of the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT). She later became theater director from 1946-1966, setting high standards for diversity and excellence in programming.

“What matters is not what kind of music you present—what matters is that what you present is the very best,” Taylor is credited with saying during her role as director.

Heather Good, current WUT Assistant Director of Administration, Outreach and Development, said Taylor laid the groundwork for our current notions of diversity in performing arts by insisting on including women and minority artists in the field. “[Taylor] was in many ways a woman ahead of her time—a woman working in a field dominated by men,” Good said. “We could have been just a po-dunk theater in a sleepy Midwestern town, but she put us on the map, culturally speaking.”

“ [FAN

TA Y L O R ] P U T U S

ON THE MAP, CULTURALLY SPEAKING”

While simultaneously leading WUT, Taylor extended her expertise beyond Madison

by becoming the first NEA music program director and one of the lead founders of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Taylor’s legacy lives on today at the Union through many facets, including the Fan Taylor Fund, which supports high quality classical music performances with discounted tickets for UW-Madison students.

Just steps from the theater in Wheelhouse Studios, another key leader’s impact can’t be missed—literally, her picture is framed on the wall. What started as a 1929 senior thesis for art student Sally Owen (Marshall) would eventually leave an international legacy. Owen’s thesis called for an open art facility and craft shop for students, which was approved by the first director of the Wisconsin Union.

By 1930, Owen was the first director of the Union Workshop, now known as Wheelhouse Studios. This act sparked a movement when at one point more than 300 universities worldwide added open art studios to their student unions.

She also designed the Hoofers’ emblem, which is still used today.

While these exemplified women set a foundation for leadership in the arts, dozens more helped further that tradition to the present. Today, leaders like Robin Schmoldt embody what it truly means to be a strong arts leader. Schmoldt wears many hats at the Union, as the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art and Film Committees advisor and art collection manager.

Her work as the art collection manager exposed her to almost a century of contemporary, Wisconsin-based art, information she’s shared with art exhibits and organizations around the world. “It’s absolutely important to have women in art leadership roles,” Schmoldt said, paraphrasing a quote from Gloria Steinem that “women are half the talent of the human race.”

Sally Owen (Marshall) created what’s now Wheelhouse Studios.

“Art can be a universal language to engage, educate and transform society,” Schmoldt said. “But, that can only be an inclusive language when a diversity of identities are authentically represented, be that gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, socioeconomic status or any of the myriad other human characteristics we each embody.”

“ART

CAN BE A

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE T O E N G A G E , E D U C AT E , AND TRANSFORM SOCIETY”

From Taylor and Owen to Schmoldt, and every female arts leader in between, the Union is honored to play a role in celebrating women in the arts—and we’re excited to see what comes next. l

Robin Schmoldt

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NINETY YEARS OF

MEMORIES 1929 Original Terrace completed

1964 Terrace flagstone replaced with concrete and Kasota stone

1969-1970 Shoreline from Lake Street to Park Street rehabilitated with courses of stone steps down to the water

1986-1987 Terrace remodeled with new paved seating areas, plazas, and walkways; Brat Stand constructed; Terrace stage moved to raised deck west of Der Stiftskeller serving windows

SUMMER 1987 Terrace stage moves to lakefront

2016 Terrace reopens after extensive renovations including increased shoreline access, expanded seating, new stage and a/v capabilities, and new dining locations

The Terrace Stage in 2013.

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WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2018

T E R R A C E S TA G E C H A N G E S C R E AT E M A D I S O N ’ S H O M E F O R S U M M E R E N T E R TA I N M E N T

BY JEN NORRIS ‘91, WUD MUSIC ADVISOR 1995-2002

For over 30 years, visiting the Terrace on a summer evening has meant seeing a band or a movie on the stage, set against a Lake Mendota backdrop. While it’s hard to imagine, the location of the stage— and start to summer entertainment— was more of a happy accident than a planned move.

Renovations to the 90-year old Memorial Union are few but in 1987, a major renovation of the Terrace was completed.

Shortly after the mid-summer grand opening, a conversation between a staff advisor and two student programmers sparked an idea.

They were huddled outside Der Rathskeller, where a stage built of low wooden platforms about 16’ wide by 12’ deep was nestled under the bay windows. But on this night, a different performance was slated in just a few hours, and they reflected on the stage placement. They all agreed having a stage nestled in a corner and facing the lake limited the experience and did not make use of the beautiful setting.

Who were these people? Number one was Stuart Mann, ’87 Summer MU Social Coordinator. He recalled, “I made it my mission to make that [stage] move, but I didn’t actually pick the eventual spot.”

was situated against Der Rathskeller windows. We’re all looking up. How could you be looking up at a stage? In a real amphitheater, you’re looking down.”

Mann continued, “After a while, we agreed to try. We moved the stage so its back was against the lake [in one of the fenced-in half circles] to accommodate more viewers.” And today, that casual observation amongst three people on the Terrace still has a lasting impact.

When all was complete, while the capacity of the Terrace did not change, this stage shift “allowed for 90 percent of the people there to see the band, instead of only 20 percent or so,” Mann said.

The Buzz Gunderson Band performs on “original” Terrace

“THE

REALITY IS

Stage, 1975.

T H AT S P O N TA N E O U S , C R E AT I V E M O M E N T S — L I K E M O V I N G A S TA G E HOURS BEFORE A SHOW—ARE COMMON AT T H E U N I O N ”

To be sure, many conversations had occurred prior to that fateful moving day. Concert programming had been shifting for some time, scaling up from every once-in-a-while to two or three weekly shows. The scope of acts was also changing from the occasional local polka and straightforward rock and blues acts, to regional and national acts from Minneapolis, Chicago and New York.

The reality is that spontaneous, creative moments—like moving a stage hours before a show—are common at the Union. Working through the bumps in the plan is what grows our life experience.

In this case, it created some amazing memories for the student leaders who were involved and opened new opportunities for future student leaders to share their love of music and film with fellow Terrace-goers.

Mann’s number two on the scene was committee member Peter Weisberg. As Weisberg remembers: “There was no way to fit everybody with how the stage

(And number three on the scene? That was then-WUD Music Advisor and current Wisconsin Union Theater Director Ralph Russo.) l

The Terrace Stage was moved again to a larger, more permanent location during the 2016 Terrace renovation.

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MEMORIAL UNION

1928- 201 8

1940s: A couple enjoys a night at Memorial Union.

NINETY YEARS OF

I M PAC T Since Memorial Union’s doors opened 90 years ago, the programs and the people who run them have had a tremendous impact on campus.

With a strong tradition of student-led programming and governance, the events and activities that develop within these walls remain relevant to the ever-changing expectations of our diverse student body.

2017: Laverne Cox speaking in Shannon Hall as part of the WUD Distinguished Lecture Series.

MEMORIAL UNION

1928 - 2 01 8 1933-36: Artist James Watrous painting the Paul Bunyan murals.

1930s: Painting theater sets in the Union Workshop.

1925: Breaking ground for Memorial Union.

1950s: Coffee Hour in Great Hall.

1946: People enjoy a meal in Old Madison Room.

1972: The Election Center.

1942-44: Waves and Navy trainees in Der Rathskeller.

1962: Dr. Martin Luther King signs the Forum Committee guest book after speaking.

1939: Fan Taylor, Wisconsin Union Theater publicist, and March Rickettes, box office manager.

1984: Sled race on Lake Mendota.

1991: Members of rock groups Nelson and Cinderella on the Terrace.

1979: Lady Liberty on Lake Mendota during Hoofers Winter Carnival.

2012: Students and staff pose in front of Memorial Union’s West Wing during the renovation. The historic Wisconsin Union Theater was saved while other parts of the wing were reconstructed.

2010s: Students paint a house on a WUD Alternative Breaks trip.

OUR HISTORY IS THE STO RY O F YO U

Share your Union story at timeline.union.wisc.edu 2017: Iffat Bhuyian, Wisconsin Union President, kicks off the year-long 90th anniversary celebration.

2008: Esperanza Spalding performs in the Wisconsin Union Theater.

NINETY YEARS OF

C E L E B R AT I O N

Terrace on the Road provided a unique, inperson way to say thank you and to celebrate the positive impact members have made on thousands of lives this year.

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WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2018

TA K I N G T H E T E R R A C E O N T H E R O A D

BY BROOKE HOLLINGSWORTH X‘20

This summer, the Wisconsin Union membership team took the Memorial Union Terrace places it had never been for our members and other supporters. In a series of events called “Terrace on the Road”, we recreated the Terrace experience in Minneapolis, Appleton and Milwaukee with some of the elements that make the Terrace so special.

On three different days in three different cities, nearly 400 Wisconsin Union members had the chance to relive the magic of the Terrace.

We know that members who do not live in or around Madison may not be able to visit their campus home away from home as often as they would like.

This gave our team the opportunity to bring the Terrace to them in events that featured traditional Terrace fare, such as brats, live music and our brightly colored Terrace chairs. The true magic of the Terrace, though, is the people who come and make memories there.

Lou Blasczyk ’69 attended the event in Appleton on June 10, during which he and his wife Corine won a red Terrace chair in a drawing. The chair will serve as a lasting reminder of this special event and his time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“When I use the chair at home, I reflect a lot about my time in Madison, how grateful I am for the education that I received from this great university, and what an incredible asset this university is to our state and our nation,” Blasczyk said.

Along with the chance to win a Terrace chair, participants enjoyed games, such as giant checkers, and famous Babcock Dairy ice cream. All of these elements

came together to transform a park at each location into a taste of the Terrace.

Conversations among guests frequently centered on fond memories of time spent on the Terrace as students, alumni or community members.

“WHEN

I USE THE CHAIR

AT H O M E , I R E F L E C T A LOT ABOUT MY TIME IN MADISON, HOW G R AT E F U L I A M F O R T H E E D U C AT I O N T H AT I RECEIVED FROM THIS G R E AT U N I V E R S I T Y , A N D W H AT A N I N C R E D I B L E ASSET THIS UNIVERSITY I S T O O U R S TAT E A N D O U R N AT I O N ”

Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD)–the student programming and leadership board–or through employment.

2017-18 WUD Music Committee Director Laura Oberwetter ’18 said this of her time at the Union, “Everyone is so passionate about what they do here and so grateful that they have the resources to accomplish incredible things. It’s a really nice energy to be around and something I don’t think many people my age get to experience.”

In this past year, almost 2,156 new life members were added to the Wisconsin Union membership, which is now more than 94,000 strong. Our membership helps make experiences like Laura’s, along with countless other educational opportunities, possible.

Terrace on the Road provided a unique, in-person way to say thank you and to celebrate the positive impact members, donors and other supporters have made on thousands of lives this year. l

“It was a joy for me to meet each guest, to hear of their love for the Wisconsin Union and to see them connecting with others over Terrace memories,” said Dawn Dever, Union membership manager. “It gave everyone who came an instant connection. The Terrace helps connect people beyond Madison.”

From great food to great music, Terrace on the Road not only helped Terracegoers relive memories but also create new ones.

Our members are making a difference when they make memories on the Terrace. Membership revenue, in addition to food and beverages sales, enable students to gain real-world experiences through involvement in WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2O18

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NINETY YEARS OF

LEADERSHIP

STUDENT LEADERS IN ACTION Courtney Medick, Vice President of External Relations, Iffat Bhuiyan, Wisconsin Union President, and Nicholas Munce, Vice President of Internal Relations, pose for a photo during Sunset Slam in 2017.

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WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2018

COURTNEY MEDICK: FROM WUD M E M B E R TO W U D L E A D E R

BY STEPHANIE WEBENDORFER

Student leadership is an important part of the fabric at the Wisconsin Union. Since 1928, students have had a majority voice in the governance and programming. The direction of the organization throughout the decades is shaped by the students’ voice and needs.

Student leaders fulfill many roles, from overseeing student employees to leading a committee, or from being a team member who leads by example to teaching others how to tap into their inner strengths. The Union is a learning laboratory—a place where theory can be applied to reality.

Courtney Medick ‘18 took a traditional path of leadership through Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD). She started attending weekly WUD Film Committee meetings as a freshman and climbed the ranks to become the 2017-18 Vice President of External Relations.

brought a unique perspective to the issues at hand. She found the diversity of experiences and beliefs helped to make the programs they created together even stronger and more relevant for campus.

“I’ve met an incredible group of people who I never would have met.

I’m really happy to call them friends,” said Courtney. “We worked on some great programs that reflected issues and topics we were interested in and passionate about.”

“ I’VE

MET AN

INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO I NEVER W O U L D H AV E M E T. I ’ M REALLY HAPPY TO CALL THEM FRIENDS.”

As a freshman and sophomore, Courtney was an active WUD Film member, helping plan and shape programming and running events, like the Reel Love LGBT Film Festival, the first LGBT film festival on campus.

Heading into junior year, she was ready for a new opportunity to implement in the real world what she learned in the classroom. She applied to be WUD Film’s marketing associate director.

Just a few of those innovative programs included the Hyphenated Americans Film Festival and Art Show, showcasing multi-identity films and student stories; the Runways of the World Fashion Show, featuring UW-Madison students representing their own cultures; and a lecture by deaf model, actor and activist, Nyle DiMarco.

“As a marketing major, this role was very valuable. I was running marketing campaigns, managing social media and creating strategy to promote WUD Film and events like the Directress Film Festival, which screened femaledirected films,” Courtney explained.

Throughout the years, Courtney worked with a diverse group people who each

Courtney took on the VP of External Relations role her senior year as a kind of capstone to her leadership journey at the Wisconsin Union. She put the theory and ideas she learned in the classroom to practical use. She gained experience leading a team of capable leaders. As a member of Union Council, she broadened her understanding

“Through WUD, students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the things they’re really passionate about—and do it with a great group of people.”

–Courtney Medick, ‘18

of how organizations are governed.

And through it all, she honed skills in communication, collaboration and teamwork.

“I’ve been able to apply and learn new skills through my work with WUD. I’ve made a great group of friends and networks that I never would have made otherwise. That’s the most valuable thing I’m taking away from these past four years,” Courtney reflected.

The Wisconsin Union has been a place for fostering leaders for 90 years. We are excited to see how the leaders in the next 90 years will use their voice to impact campus and their peers. l

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NINETY YEARS OF

GENEROSITY

B O N V O YAG E The new marina will make setting sail easier and safer for all.

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M A K I N G WAV E S O N L A K E M E N D O TA : TO N G FA M I L Y M A R I N A S E T TO O P E N I N 2 019

BY SHAUNA BRENEMAN & DAN PLUMMER ‘97 ‘05

“THE

NEW MARINA

WILL REPRESENT A M A J O R S T E P F O R WA R D

With a million-dollar gift from Peter and Janet Tong through the Tong Family Foundation, groundbreaking for the Memorial Union Marina and Lakefront Project took place in September. The Tong’s transformational gift will restore the Memorial Union lakefront while constructing a modernized marina. At project’s completion, the marina will feature eight new dock elements that will provide greater accessibility, a restored shoreline and an expanded green space along the lakefront for our current community members, as well as for future generations. In honor of the Tong’s impactful investment, the Wisconsin Union will name the marina the “Tong Family Marina”.

Peter and Janet Tong are both alumni of UW-Madison. While earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering, Peter was an avid sailor with the Wisconsin Hoofer Sailing Club. Janet earned a master’s degree in family and consumer education (then known as home economics education) from the School of Human Ecology. The couple both graduated in 1965.

The Tongs have a lifelong love of spending time on the water, and their love of Lake Mendota and UW-Madison holds a special place in their hearts.

“The lakefront is a vital part of the campus, both physically and visually,” Janet Tong said. “We hope that a well-appointed, safe and beautiful marina will entice more people to try sailing and other water sports, discovering the joys of being out on the water.”

“The new marina will represent a major step forward in our ability to provide safe, enjoyable and educational access to Lake Mendota,” Wisconsin Union Director Mark

Guthier said. “Badgers’ memories of the lakefront are some of their most cherished at the Union – and the Tong Family Marina will now provide a beautiful access point for those memories. We are extremely fortunate to work with the Tong family to bring the new marina to life.”

Though construction on the project has only just begun, the marina is expected to reopen in summer 2019. The project will include the following efforts: • Replace decades-old Hoofer pier structures and restore the adjacent shoreline • Create eight new pier elements, including a state-of-the-art floating t-pier to house the Sailing Team’s fleet of 420s and the inimitable Badger Techs • Provide better storage for boats and piers, on and off season, which will lessen traffic congestion along the Lakeshore Path • Allocate a 330 foot long by 24 foot wide greenspace and promenade along the Lakeshore Path

IN OUR ABILITY TO P R OV I D E SA F E, E N J O YA B L E A N D E D U C AT I O N A L A C C E S S TO L A K E M E N D O TA . ”

continue the Hoofer Sailing Club’s 90-year tradition of helping students and community members enjoy Lake Mendota.

“We can trace our family’s love of water and boating and the camaraderie found among our boat crews and guests back to Lake Mendota and the Hoofer Sailing Club,” Janet Tong said.

The Wisconsin Union is grateful to Janet, Peter and their children Sarah Sanmeister, Jennifer Tong Carlisle ’94, Jessica Tong Baron and David Tong ’94 for their continued support of the Wisconsin Union, Wisconsin Hoofers and outdoor recreation. The Tong family’s generous gift will help ensure generations of future Hoofer Sailing Club members will have experiences for a lifetime at the lakefront at Memorial Union. l

• Allow for greater accessibility to piers and boats for members with disabilities • Provide space for a growing fleet of instructional safety boats

The Tong family and those who have given to the Marina Project help WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL 2O18

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Memorial Union University of Wisconsin-Madison 800 Langdon Street Madison, WI 53706-1495

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CONTRIBUTORS SHAUNA BRENEMAN, ELLIE HERMAN ‘18, BROOKE HOLLINGSWORTH X’20, JEN NORRIS ‘91, DAN PLUMMER ‘97, ‘05, STEPHANIE WEBENDORFER DESIGN MEGAN BREENE, ALLYSON CASEY ‘01 PHOTOGRAPHY UW COMMUNICATIONS, UW-MADISON DIGITAL ARCHIVES, WISCONSIN UNION COLLECTION CONNECT WITH US

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