A special year-end edition of Terrace Views

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INSPIRE

WISCONSIN UNION ANNUAL

(FILL IN THE BLANK) WITH THE UNION DIRECTOR & PRESIDENTMy favorite memory from the last year was __________________

Mark: Badger Bash at Union South prior to the UW vs. Nebraska night game. We beat Nebraska and saw record crowds at Union South the entire day and night. It was something we had all dreamt of since we had planned the outdoor terraces and plaza at the new Union South years before.

Sarah: A winter day, I stepped out onto the frozen Lake Mendota when I was feeling deeply overwhelmed by choices I needed to make about my future. I turned around and saw campus, and the Union in particular. I felt an upwelling sense of loyalty and love for the Union, this place that has helped shape my values, and my leadership and myself in so many ways.

For 2013, I’m most excited about ___________________________

Mark: The re-opening of the Hoofers area. They will be the first ones back in the renovated Memorial Union, and I’m looking forward to how much they will enjoy their new space.

Sarah: The events and programs that our student leaders are devel-

oping for 2013. The events planned are fun, dynamic, and incredibly relevant. Plus, we have a killer team this year on Directorate.

The Union inspires me by ___________________________________

Mark: Its unwavering commitment to student leadership and shared governance among its many members. That commitment continues to produce the best programs and services of any college union in the country.

Sarah: Being people-, values-, and relationship-centric. Most other places I’ve worked at just care primarily about the bottom line.

I hope the Union inspires others by __________________________

Mark: Encouraging them to meet new people and learn something new about themselves.

Sarah: Being a place where we all, no matter our myriad of differenc-es, share a common life. I hope people are inspired and challenged by the individuals and communities they meet in our spaces.

My favorite Union space is _________________________________

Mark: Memorial Hall, on the second floor of Memorial Union outside the Main Lounge.The Gold Star honor roll there reminds me to work harder and do everything I possibly can to guide the Union.

INSPIRE GROUNDBREAKING

LEADERSHIP

PHOTO RIGHT: Memorial Union Reinvestment Groundbreaking day with Sarah Mathews, Wisconsin

Union President 2012-13, Bucky Badger, & Mark Guthier, Wisconsin Union Director

To all the students, staff, members, alumni, friends, and lovers of the Union who make us the organization we are. It is your continued support that helps us deliver the best in programming, events, and leadership opportunities on campus and in the greater Madison community.

THANK YOU, YOU

TRULY INSPIRE

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Sarah: The Terrace. I love the iconic colors and the beautiful lakefront space.

The Union is in one word ___________________________________

Mark: Relationships. Everything we do comes down to making a connection with someone in some way. It’s as simple and important as that.

Sarah: Center. It’s the center or hub of campus in many ways.

In 50 years, I imagine the Union being _______________________

Mark: What it has always been for the students and alumni: the one place on campus that draws us all together and that we all have in common. It’s ours—now and for all time.

Sarah: Better able to connect with members who live far away. We offer so many amazing experiences in our buildings but you often need to be in Madison to take advantage of them. How cool would it be if we could somehow share a concert on the Terrace or a speaker in the Theater with Badger alumni all over the nation so that they can enjoy these incredible spaces too? n

INSIDE

2 DECADES OF SECRETS DISCOVERED IN ICONIC STEINS

4 THE UNIVERSITY OF HERE AND HOME

6 UNION EMBARKS ON PART TWO OF THE BUILDING PROJECT

8 ONE HOOFER TAKES A REMARKABLE JOURNEY

10 UW CREDIT UNION CREATES INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT THE UNION

12 LONG-TIME FRIEND OF THE UNION CREATES A LEGACY ALL HER OWN

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DECADES OF SECRETS DISCOVERED IN ICONIC STEINSBy Herschel Kissinger ‘15 The year was 1964 and Memorial Union’s Der Rathskeller was packed. The room had gained popularity from its film screenings, cheese nights, and dance socials, and was so frequently crowded that it needed to be expanded. The adjacent billiards room was cleared to make way for a new extension called “Der Stiftskeller,” or in English “Cellar of the Founders.” It was designed to be a common space, one that would celebrate the traditions of the Wisconsin Union. But little did anyone know that soon after Der Stiftskeller was opened, a secret new tradition would arise, one that has been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Wisconsin Union Director Porter Butts, seeking to uphold the cordial atmosphere of the German beer cellar, called upon Wiscon-sin alumni, staff and student leaders to donate beer steins to decorate the walls of the Der Stiftskeller addition. The initial collec-tion contained 76 mugs, donated by such Wisconsin notables as Governor Walter Kohler and Hoofers co-founder Dr. Harold Bradley.

This past summer, Wisconsin Union staff removed the steins to prevent damage from construction vibration during the renovation project. While cataloging and packing them away, they made a surprising discovery: hiding inside the mugs were dozens of notes—scrawled on order slips and old lunch menus by past employees. Among these notes were love letters,

sketches—even a typed movie script about life working at Der Stiftskeller.

Craig Nickels (‘99), former Der Rathskeller supervisor, and ’99 graduate, left the script. As he explains, you had to work there for a while before you were let in on the secret: “Eventually, on a slow night behind the bar, one worker would tell another about the notes. It was an oral tradition.” Notes were to be written and hidden during an employee’s last shift. Current employees could peek at old notes for inspiration, as long as no one was looking.

The sentiment of these long-lost notes reflects the social core of Wisconsin Union student employment. For many, a job there was the thread that connected the years of their college experience: students would change majors and move into new apartments, all the while finding a constant home at the Union. Brad Van Dan Elzen (’93), a former student supervisor, describes this unique relation-ship to the building: “I had connections to my academic depart-ments, but the Union is where I grew up.”

To Nickels, being an employee was “a little like a fraternity—and the ignition was working together, being stacked that close togeth-er in the food line.” He recounts unwinding on the Terrace after a summer shift, enjoying the company of his co-worker friends,

INSPIRELIFELONG

TRADITIONS

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PHOTO ABOVE: Der Rathskeller mural, in English “A bright mind in a healthy body.”

who would remain his friends for many years; friends who would intro-duce him to his wife and make up half his wedding party.

So when the last shift arrived and it was time to write a stein note, workers were not reflecting on just a part-time job, but rather the last remaining connection to their undergraduate experience at UW-Madison. As the most senior members prepared to leave this “fraternity,” there was pressure to think of something poignant, humorous, and meaningful to leave for future generations.

This connection is evident in the words of advice and retrospection expressed throughout the notes. “Co-workers come and go—enjoy the people you’re with,” says one. “In both work and play, the Rath provided me with the fondest memories of college life,” reads anoth-er. A ‘97 note pledged a million dollars to Der Rathskeller—provided that the writer would ever have a million dollars to spare.

The script Nickels left started as a project between his friends. “A co-worker had just gotten a new video camera,” he explains. “She asked me to write a script for her about the Rath. We would stick around after a few shifts to film the scenes.” The movie was never completed, but Nickels left the script for a new generation to find: “Secretly I was hoping someone would find the script and finish the movie. Or at least find some entertainment from reading it.”

Der Stiftskeller was intended to embody the spirit of a German “Cellar of the Founders;” and as the notes demonstrate, the room has lived up to its name. Each new generation of UW-Madison students that pass under its arches inherits the traditions of the one that preceded it, but also has ownership to leave a tradition of their own. Such tradi-tions, as Van Dan Elzen explains, are what help “make you a Wiscon-sin graduate.”

Currently the steins are packed away, putting the note-leaving on hiatus for two years until the steins again adorn the renovated Der Stiftskeller. Could it be the end of Der Stiftskeller stein note tradition? Nickels thinks otherwise: “[Der Rathskeller employ-ees are] a resourceful bunch,” Nickels says. “They can still find a way.”

Follow the stories of hidden treasures as they are uncovered during our renovation project at terraceviews.org. n

“I HAD CONNECTIONS TO MY ACADEMIC

DEPARTMENTS, BUT

THE UNION IS WHERE

I GREW UP.”

INSPIRE

THROUGH A SENSE OF PLACE

COMMUNITY

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THE UNIVERSITY OF HERE AND HOMEBy Sarah Mathews ’13

During my late teens, my family moved several times between several different countries, and the different schools I was placed into began to feel like commas in a very long, run-on sentence, ordering my life with their impermanence. Given that, I was determined while making college decisions that I would pick a place I loved and stay there (my thoughts were heavily italicized, at seventeen). No transfers or changes of heart for me. In spring 2008, when I was navigating a Pandora’s box of college acceptances and waitlists, I made a slew of college visits to see the “real” versions of these fabled institutions that I mostly knew from the rankings in the U.S. News & World Report.

I scoff at the notion of love at first sight between people, but it seems less sentimental, more realistic somehow, between person and place. I loved UW-Madison at first visit. I didn’t sit in on classes, but somehow from walking down Bascom Hill, sitting in a German-style pub I would come to know as “Der Rath,” being charmed by a lakefront patio with funky chairs, my doubts over my college list melted away. I would become a Badger. I would have a home on this beautiful campus for the next four years. Period.

My experience with the importance of place in a university and my courses in education policy leave me thoughtful about the role of a student union today. When studying education, I am fascinated by two questions: 1) what is a college education, unpacked? and 2) since countless studies have shown that a college education is one of the most important factors in ensur-ing social mobility and quality of life, and our economy desper-ately needs more skilled and educated labor, how do we make college more accessible to people from all backgrounds, not merely those with advantages and privilege?

One solution that has been posed to the second question is online education, transposing the revolution of the digital world to the university. In the words of Bill Keller in a New York Times column titled “The University of Wherever,” “Digital utopians have envisioned a world of virtual campuses and ‘distributed’ learning. They imagine a business model in which online courses are consumer-rated like products on Amazon, tuition is set by auction services like eBay, and students are judged not by grades but by skills they have mastered, like levels of a video game.” It is education divorced from place, accessible to all--at least in theory. This debate about education, how it’s delivered, and who

should get it, is raging in higher education circles right now. For example, earlier this summer, the president of the Univer-sity of Virginia was fired temporarily in large part because of her disinterest in pursuing a more inexpensive model of online education. And it is hard to overlook the fact that part of what is driving education costs up are things extraneous to learning in the traditional sense. Tuition costs have risen exponentially, but it’s not because anyone’s paying professors more. Does unmoor-ing higher education from place mean good things for higher education?

I don’t pretend to have the answer. What I do know is that a college education has never been just about academic learn-ing. It has many components: knowledge, a network, the social capital that comes from (moderate) erudition, a piece of paper called a degree, and more. And it is also about a connection to place; if you are a Harvard man, the phrase itself is redolent of Boston and ivy-covered buildings. Similarly, imagine your UW-Madison experience. Now imagine it exactly the same—you still will have all the academic knowledge you’ve accumu-lated—just without group projects or Bascom Hill, beers on the Terrace with your friends or Camp Randall. Something is missing for sure.

What’s missing is place. It is a real, physical community. And its connection to place. In the words of writer Dorothy Allison, “Place is not just what your feet are crossing to get to somewhere. Place is a feeling. Place is often something you don’t see because you’re so familiar with it that you devalue it or dismiss it or ignore it.”

That is why the role of the Wisconsin Union is so incredibly valuable. Because it connects all these different lives and pieces of learning and knits them into a community around two build-ings, each with their distinct characteristics. This is why I believe the Memorial Union Reinvestment is so important—because our sacred places in our university are worth investing in. Because the Wisconsin Union, apart from student leadership, apart from programs, is very fundamentally about place. It was an institu-tion developed to humanize a large public university and keep it from being impersonal. It is about providing the option of a common life for the 42,000 students from myriad walks of life that inhabit this campus.

Sarah Mathews is the 2012-13 Wisconsin Union president. Sarah has been involved with the Union for over three years in a variety of positions on the Wisconsin Union Directorate. To learn more about the Union’s shared governance model and student leadership opportunities available through the Wisconsin Union Directorate, visit union.wisc.edu/wud. n

2 BUILDINGS PROVIDE A HOME FOR ROUGHLY

400 WHO PROGRAM

1,000

WUD STUDENTS

EVENTSANNUALLY

“...THE WISCONSIN UNION...

IS VERY FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT PLACE. IT WAS AN INSTITUTION DEVELOPED TO HUMANIZE A LARGE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY AND KEEP IT FROM BEING IMPERSONAL.”

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FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS

BLUEPRINT

PHOTO RIGHT: A typical day in The Sun Garden at Union South.

PHOTO BELOW: 30,000 Badger fans gather in The Plaza at Union

South for Badger Bash.

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UNION EMBARKS ON PART TWO OF THE BUILDING PROJECT It was the fall of 2006 when a group of students led a campaign called the Student Union Initiative to fund improvements to both Memorial Union and Union South. The main goal of the Initiative was to preserve the past at Memorial Union through restoration of the 80-year-old building and build the future at Union South by constructing a brand new building. To date, over 58,000 interactions with UW-Madison students, faculty, staff, and Union members have influenced the design and construction process.

Now, over one year after the opening of Union South, it is clear that part one of the Initiative has been a success. The students who funded its construction got what they wanted: a sustainable “green” building that has become a people magnet, offering amenities that meet the desires of twenty-first century students and guests. During peak hours, just about every nook and cranny of Union South is full with students and members alike reading,

eating, meeting, attending events, or just relaxing. Varsity Hall has also proven popular, meeting student organizations’, campus’s and Union members’ requests for a large reception and meeting space. Along with the busy Wisconsin Union Hotel, events in Varsity Hall also generate revenue to reduce the need to rely on student fees to maintain the building.

The overall building project continues with the groundbreaking of the Memorial Union Reinvestment on August 27, 2012. Phase 1 of this part of the building project includes the entire Union Theater wing, Hoofers area, and Craftshop along with solving some essential infrastructure and accessibility issues. Students and staff are busy making furniture, design, and color choices to match architect renderings and restore the historic appeal of the building. Nearly 89% of the building project has been funded, but there is still a significant amount of money to be raised (approximately $20 million) to make Phase 2 of the Memorial Union Reinvestment a reality and finish fulfilling the vision set forth by the Student Union Initiative in 2006.

For more design renderings, visit unionreinvestment.wisc.edu. n

PHOTO ABOVE: Aerial view design rendering of the west wing. Only the west wing is slated to be renovated in phase one of the Memorial Union Reinvestment.

PHOTO LEFT (TOP): Design rendering for the new Hoofers Clubhouse. Historic pieces like the Chart Room maps and Bradley canoe will be preserved, and the history of Hoofers and Outdoor Programs will be celebrated throughout the new Hoofers space.

PHOTO LEFT (MIDDLE): Design rendering for the new Play Circle Theater, which will feature telescopic seating. Telescopic seating will provide an incredible amount of flexibility for the space, allowing the Play Circle to be transformed into a comedy club with cabaret-style seating, traditional performance arts space, or anything else students can imagine.

PHOTO LEFT (BOTTOM): Design rendering for the restored Union Theater. While the Union Theater’s historic “moderne” design will be preserved during the Memorial Union Reinvestment, the Union Theater will also see a number of important modern-day updates like larger seats, improved HVAC system, and accessible bathrooms.

INSPIRE OTHERS TO

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Interview by Joe WebbArticle by Brooke Appe ‘13

Fueled by his newfound independence as a college graduate as well as encouragement from friends and family, UW-Madison alumnus Paul Birrittella set out on a 62-day trek on Wisconsin’s famed Ice Age Trail to raise money for a camp he lovingly refers to as his “favorite place in the world.”

The trail, which starts near St. Croix Falls and twists down the state and back up to Sturgeon Bay, is a grueling 1,100 miles through small towns, forests, rivers, and valleys. The hike is so challenging that only 62 other people have successfully hiked it in its entirety since 1979.

It only seems fitting that a Hoofer would take on such a quest in order to raise money for a good cause. “The money I raised will be sponsoring kids to go to Camp Manitou, a YMCA camp in northern Wiscon-

sin that I used to go to when I was a kid,” said Paul. “I always wanted to give back to them.” From Paul’s desire to give back came an overwhelming response. So far he has raised over $4000, which will send up to fifteen children to camp who other-wise would not be able to afford it.

When asked what prepared him to take on such an incredible journey, Paul credits his involvement with Hoofers as a consider-able force in shaping his character. “All these people are doing all these cool things. Hoofers go places. They do things from the ski trips to just a day sail on a Saturday, or racing on Sundays. It’s about living a full life,” said Paul.

Paul first became involved with Hoofers in the spring of 2010 when he was hired as shop staff to fix the sailboats for the Hoofers Sailing Club. He then became shop director that fall and kept the position until the spring of 2012. Throughout that time, he was an active member of Hoofers and spent much of his time not only working on boats, but sailing as well. To mark his contributions to the organization, Paul received the Hoofer Leadership Award in 2012.

The message from Hoofers about living a full life is what truly inspired Paul to take the risk and head out on his own, not entire-ly for himself, but for others. “The hike is really just an extension of the Hoofer persona—which is to get out there and do it,” said Paul.

Paul continues to maintain his positive presence in Hoofers even after graduation by working in the boat shop and playing

a role in Memorial Union Reinvestment. After the renova-tions, the boat shop will be considerably closer to the water with new facilities tailored to fit the operations of the growing Hoofers sailing program. As a mechanical engineering major, Paul helped lay out the new floor plan by providing a 3D computer-aided design model of Hoofers’ vision for the new boat shop.

Besides working in the shop, Paul is attending the Madison Area Technical College’s program for Motorcycle, Marine, and Outdoor Power Products as well as living off the freedom he’s attained from boldly stepping out of his comfort zone to make others’ dreams come true. “I’ve never felt more happy with who I am or the decisions I made while I was out there. It was stressful at times and uncomfortable, but never unhappy. If it wasn’t for Hoofers I probably wouldn’t have been inspired to go.”

You can read Paul’s account of his journey first hand at walkformanitou.blogspot.com.

To learn more about Hoofers clubs and events, visit hoofers.org. n

PHOTO ABOVE: Photo from Paul’s blog, caption on site reads: “In Manitowoc, WI. 5 Days left. It’s easy to see the transformation of my body here. My mind accepts the constant disrepair of my muscles and feet. I’d go as far to say it’s enjoyable.”

“THE HIKE IS REALLY JUST AN

EXTENSION OF THE HOOFER PERSONA

—WHICH IS TO GET OUT THERE

AND DO IT”

ONE HOOFER TAKES A REMARKABLE JOURNEY

INSPIRE GIVING THROUGH

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UW CREDIT UNION CREATES INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT THE UNIONBy Anna Johnson ‘13

On an early morning in late April 2012, truckloads of blue sunburst chairs were quietly unloaded and arranged on the Memorial Union Terrace. Not long after, campus and the Madison community were abuzz with curiosity over this unexpected addition to the Terrace’s iconic color scheme.

The blue chairs were soon revealed to be more than just a desire to transform the Terrace’s traditional appearance; they were symbolic of an ambitious campaign to bring to life an inspired vision for the next one hundred years of Memorial Union. The building was soon to undergo its first major renovation since it opened in 1928.

Through the Memorial Union Reinvestment, great measures are being taken to preserve and restore the beauty and architectural integrity that makes the Memorial Union so unique, while also providing long-needed upgrades to create universal accessibility throughout the building, enhance program and meeting spaces to better serve the needs of a 21st century campus community, and address infrastructural and safety-related issues.

So where do blue chairs fit into the picture? Well, a love for the Union and an under-standing of its importance to the future of the campus experience inspired long-time friends and partners at the UW Credit Union to want to help raise public awareness and financial support for this important project.

“UW Credit Union was founded soon after Memorial Union was completed, so both organizations share a long history of service to UW-Madison and greater Madison community,” explains UW Credit Union president and CEO Paul Kundert, who also serves as co-chair of the Wisconsin Union Campaign Cabinet. “The Union is cherished in our community, and we’re pleased to continue to help the organization and support the capital campaign.”

“We knew we needed to do something special and it needed to involve the iconic Terrace chair,” added Lisa Girdharry, UW Credit Union director of marketing & commu-nications, and a fourth-generation UW-Madison alumna.

Lisa and Paul first came up with the idea of replacing three hundred of the traditional yellow, green and orange Terrace chairs with limited-edition chairs in a custom color. The new color needed to be distinct enough to attract special attention, but it also had to compliment the existing colors to maintain the Terrace’s beloved aesthetic. They finally chose “Mendota Blue,” named after the Memorial Union’s location on Lake Mendota. The chairs were to remain on the Terrace through the summer, and would then be given at the end of the campaign as thank-you gifts to donors who supported the building project with a gift of $1,000 or more.

In addition to underwriting the cost of the chairs and other donor appreciation gifts, the UW Credit Union generously donated in-kind advertising and promotional inventory to create mass awareness for the campaign, as well direct communication to UW Credit Union members and significant in-branch visibility.

In only a few short months, the “Mendota Blue Movement,” as it became known, raised over $260,000 in donations to the build-ing project. Blue chairs were sent to donors not only as a token of gratitude, but a reminder of one of their favorite places on campus. “It’s like bringing a little bit of one of the most spectacu-lar places to your home,” said UW-Madison alumna Amy Parish.

In addition to its remarkable fundraising success, the campaign also created a tremendous amount of good will and excitement around the building project. “We knew it would be a campaign

that would put a smile on people’s faces. It would get people to come down to the Terrace to check out the ‘Mendota Blue’ chairs, sit on one for a picture, and tell friends and family about it,” said Lisa.

Anne, a UW-Madison alumna in town for Alumni Weekend, happened to be jogging along the lakefront as the crew was unloading the chairs and stopped when she realized something extraordi-nary was happening. “I used to think the yellow ones were my favorite, but now these new blue ones might be,” she said. “When I look at the new blue color, how vibrant it is and how it complements the other colors so well, it’s like I’m a fresh-man all over again – coming here and seeing this whole thing for the first time. It’s pretty cool.”

For both Lisa and Paul, supporting the building project and the Union has been a rewarding experience. “It has been truly inspiring to see student leadership in action during the building project,” said Paul. “The passion they have for both the history and the future of Memorial Union is remarkable.” And according to Lisa, “It will be a positive life-long memory, both career wise and personally.”

Though the colors of the Terrace have returned to the tradi-tional orange, green and yellow, reminders of the Mendota Blue Movement are still visible around the Memorial Union. The Wisconsin Union is very grateful to Lisa, Paul and everyone at UW Credit Union for their generosity of time, creativity, financial support, and advocacy. Without their partnership, this monumen-tal event could not have been achieved. The blue chairs may have been retired, but what remains is much more impressive: a renewed sense of community.

For more information about the Memorial Union Reinvest-ment visit unionreinvestment.wisc.edu. n

PHOTO ABOVE: Mark Guthier, Lisa Girdharry, and Paul Kundert

“WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL AND IT NEEDED TO INVOLVE THE ICONIC TERRACE CHAIR”

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PASSIONLONG-TIME FRIEND OF THE UNION CREATES A LEGACY ALL HER OWN By Emily Connor ‘13

The Wisconsin Union Theater is built from more than just bricks and mortar--it’s a place built of generations of memories. A myriad of musical legends have dressed in the green room, applied makeup in mirrors and prepped their vocals backstage. While we remember the big names, like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, the Union Theater has provided opportunity to thousands of smaller stars as well. Although we don’t always hear their legacies, their stories exist in the walls and woodwork of the West Wing’s hallowed spaces.

In 1958, a young Susie Earley prepped her lines for The Staring Match in the wings of the Fredric March Play Circle. According to Susie, it was these first words in that small community production that inspired her lifelong love of performing.

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The daughter of a UW-Madison professor, Susie was often in the Memorial Union. “My father introduced me to the Terrace at a young age, and we would eat dinner in Tripp Commons,” she said. “The Union became a place I loved.”

But the excursions with her family were just the beginning of her relationship with the Union. During her free time rehearsing for The Staring Match, Susie would walk the hallways of the Union, discovering its nooks and crannies and making many friends along the way. “I became great friends with the coat check boy!” she laughed.

After attending countless local performances, her passion for theater only grew. Susie attended Grinnell University in Iowa City, but returned to Madison the summer after her freshman year. That summer of 1964, she performed in her favorite Union Theater performance, Bus Stop. The pint-sized performer marveled at the Union stage’s magnitude.

“Bus Stop was in the big theater!” she said of the Union Theater. “It was thrilling to be able to project all the way to the top of the balcony.”

While many community performers dream of making “the big time,” Susie’s passion for theater served as her pastime. Over the years, she performed in dozens of community productions, yet never sought a career in theater. After graduating from Grinnell, the Madison native moved away from Wisconsin for a period of time. Susie and her husband Harry lived in Washington D.C, but any time they visited Madison, they always knew where to stop.

“We always came to the Union,” said Susie. “Eventually when we retired in Madison, I knew Harry and I had to become life members of the Union. We aren’t alumni of Madison, but the Union is and was such a huge part of our lives.”

After hearing about the Memorial Union Reinvestment, Susie knew she wanted to find a way contribute and support the place that she called home for so many years. Susie chose the Union’s “75 for 75” campaign which aims to find 75 people to contribute $75,000 each to help raise the curtain on the next 75 years of the Theater. Her generous donation helps preserve the Union Theater, the only proscenium theater with full fly space on the UW-Madison campus.

But more than simply protecting her favorite spaces, Susie wants to inspire a new generation of performers—much like the Union inspired her. “You can come to life here,” said Susie. “Being a part of the Theater gave me self-confidence at a young age, and I wanted to donate because it’s made a difference in my life.”

Susie felt confidant contributing to the Memorial Union Reinvestment’s 75 for 75 campaign after seeing the remarkable new Union South building for the first time. “I was so energized by what I saw and how the students had their part in it,” she said. Susie explained how Union South is a fine example of how supporting building projects can help provide a space to showcase incredible talent.

Susie often reminds others that they needn’t be rich to make a difference by supporting organizations they love. She hopes to see the Union Theater shine as brightly as she remembers when she was a young girl. By preserving the Union’s historic spaces, she believes her contribution will inspire another generation of stars.

Learn more about upcoming performances in our “season on the road” at uniontheater.wisc.edu. n

PHOTO ABOVE: Susan first performed at the Memorial Union in the play The Staring Match in the Fredric March Play Circle, year 1958. PHOTO LEFT: Susan Earley with fellow actor Mel Pitzele performing in Bus Stop, 1964.

HISTORICAL TIDBITS: FIRST STUDENT UNION TO INCLUDE A THEATER AS PART OF ITS BUILDING. THE THEATER WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE 1939 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD’S FAIR AS

“ONE OF THE 25 MOST DISTINGUISHED CONTEMPORARY BUILDINGS IN AMERICA”

STAY CONNECTED!

Facebook: facebook.com/thewisconsinunionTwitter: @wisconsinunionEnews: terraceviews.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Brooke AppeEmily ConnorAnna Johnson Marc KennedyHerschel Kissinger Sarah Mathews Joseph Webb

EDITORS Sarah Artz Marc Giannettino

GRAPHIC DESIGN Allyson Casey

SPECIAL THANKS TO Spencer Blesi, Capture House Video, photographyUW Communications, photography David Michaels, photography

800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706 | 608-265-3000 | union.wisc.edu