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The Whitewater High School Local Scholarship Night Program has taken place annually for many years thanks to the generosity of local individuals, families, organizations, and businesses. Scholarship Night 2020 is quickly approaching.

This year, we have 67 recipients of local scholarships for over $167,000. Please join us in honoring and celebrating the hard work of the Class of 2020.

On May 13, 2020, at 6 p.m., a link will be posted on the Whitewater Banner, the Whitewater High School Facebook page, and on the Whitewater High School website for you to use in order to view the virtual evening. The program will also air at that same time on Charter Cable Channel 990 in the City of Whitewater.

Students were notified in advance if they would be receiving a scholarship at some point during the program.

Our Readers Share – James Mann: UW-W Student Reflects on the Changes in the Last Semester of His College Career

Amidst the largest pandemic in recent history, you get to observe how many different facets of life are impacted. These changes can come in the form of closures, supply demands, or other adjustments to regular life. This pandemic also impacts different groups of people separately in ways of resources and opportunities. One institution that I have seen take action personally is our local University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Being a fourth year student ready to graduate in the Spring, my semester has changed drastically from what was expected at the beginning of the year.

Our 2020 Spring Commencement Ceremony, it has been announced, will take place online instead of in person, the rest of the semester has been changed to alternative learning, the internship I was on track to complete during the Summer for my major is still in the air whether students will be placed in field or not, and there are many aspects of college that I wasn’t affected by. There were many more students on campus who were living in dorms and had to move out prematurely as they closed the halls. Even more students were working on campus with jobs throughout the University that had to leave their jobs. I was among the lucky few who was living off campus and had access to working online for my job on campus.

Despite all that is getting canceled and changed, I am not upset. I feel as though I may be in the minority in my opinion among my peers, but I fully believe that the University’s actions are for the best in the grand scheme of things. Their decision to close dorm halls, move as many students and staff off campus as possible, and move commencement online are just a few of the choices they have made to try and lessen the impact of the Coronavirus. In uncertain times like these, I believe that it is best to err on the side of caution and not take any unnecessary risks. That ideal extends to the greater area of the county, the state, the country and even the world. With what we do and do not know about this virus, every arrow is pointing towards self-isolation if possible, and limited contact and personal protective equipment if not possible. At the time of writing this, according to the CDC, the current infection count in the United States is 1,092,815 and the death total reaching 64,283. It isn’t the responsibility of just large businesses or governments to try and limit the spread of this virus; it is the responsibility of every person in the world. This issue isn’t going to disappear overnight and even when we have a vaccine, it will still take time for the world to recover from it. The best thing that small, medium and large entities can do is try to help stop the spread any way they can. Our University has done just that. They have made the difficult choices and they are trying to make this situation as manageable as they can and for that, I give them the credit they deserve. This is a global effort and we are all in this together.

— Our thanks to James Mann for sharing his perspective on the major changes to UW-W during these final months of his undergraduate studies. Mr. Mann is double majoring in social work and psychology. His hometown is Benton, WI, in Lafayette County in the far southwestern corner of the state. He plans to attend UW-Madison next year in pursuit of a Masters of Social Work.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

Girl Scouts to Offer Virtual Activities, Summer Camp  

Girl Scouts are Unstoppable!

There’s no doubt things look a lot different than they did before COVID-19, but Girl Scouts of Wisconsin – Badgerland Council has embraced the “new normal” by providing virtual formats of its iconic programming – including summer camp.

Badgerland Council, which comprises the greater Madison area, now offers opportunities for all girls (not only its Girl Scout members) to explore issues they care about, connect with experts on topics that interest them, and take action in their communities. Even its summer camp opportunities will be virtual, a decision Badgerland’s CEO says was difficult to make yet will lead to something new and exciting for its members.

“At Girl Scouts, we build leaders through experiences,” said Marci Henderson. “We encourage girls to learn how to do hard things; how to get back up when she gets knocked down. At Girl Scouts, we transform disappointment into opportunity. And that’s exactly what we are planning for the upcoming months.”

Rather than holding its regular overnight sessions at Camp Ehawee (Mindoro, Wis.) or Camp Brandenburg (Dane, Wis.) girls will have access to an abundance of opportunities to get a taste of camp life with its “Happily Ever Outdoors ‘Sneak Peek’ Camps.” These one-day virtual sessions will have girls completing activities and participating in camp traditions based on the same themes originally scheduled for this summer – Mess Makers, Area 51, Area 51, Sea Goddesses and Be YOUnique to name just a few.

Already, girls can choose from a spectrum of online webinars, Zoom meetings and live Facebook viewing parties almost daily that cover a spectrum of topics (i.e. All About Worms, Movie-Making Workshops, Scavenger Hunts, Knot-Tying, Card-Making). Adults, both volunteers and parents, can join enriching conversations related to Girl Scout activities and staying emotionally well during this stay-at-home period. Early this month, Badgerland released a ‘Stay-At-Home’ patch program, which encourages girls to get outdoors, get creative, learn about new things, and help others. To date, girls have reported completing more than 1,000 activities from the program.

Troop meetings, a more traditional method of Girl Scout gatherings, have gone virtual too. Badgerland provides access to online resources and Zoom accounts for its troops to continue meeting and provide girls more stability and opportunities to socialize with their friends.

“During these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to meet our members where they are and give girls the opportunity to stay connected to their troop and leaders while having fun, learning and making the world a better place,” Henderson said.

Additionally, Badgerland Girl Scouts are participating in a nationwide Girl Scouts community service project with millions of Girl Scouts participating in a campaign to write letters of appreciation to front-line works fighting COVID-19.

During a time of uncertainty, Girl Scouts is steady and doing what it does best…making a difference in the lives of girls and the community.

To learn more about Girl Scouts and participating in any of the virtual programs available to the community, visit gsbadgerland.org or call 800.236.2710.

<em>Our Readers Share</em> – Mary E. Nevicosi: One Hundred Hats

Mary writes, “Lots of families are in need, especially now. And, although it seems a long time away, cold winter will return. So I started my isolation project- make 100 hats for children who will need them this winter.”

She adds, “It was a fun project and I hope the children will love them.”

— Our thanks to Ms. Nevicosi for sharing her beautiful and generous isolation project.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

UW- Whitewater achieves record graduation rates

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has attained a 6-year graduation rate of 62.5%, a record for the institution and a critical measure of student success. The university’s 4-year graduation also set a record, at 39%.

“I am very proud of these benchmarks,” said Greg Cook, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We’ve put great effort into supporting student success and encouraging on-time graduation. Our 6-year rate is very strong compared to national averages, especially when adjusted for the profile of our students. A commitment to timely graduation also underscores our exceptional value at a time when students and their families want to know they are making a good educational investment.”

Cook emphasized that the university achieved this success while still staying fully committed to being an institution of access.

“Our access mission means that we admit students with a broader range of academic profiles than many of our fellow UW System universities; for example, more than 40 percent of our students continue to be the first in their families to attain a college degree,” said Cook.

In fall 2019, UW-Whitewater enrolled 12,448 undergraduate and graduate students on its Whitewater and Rock County campuses.

In addition to record graduation rates, the university has a second-year retention rate — meaning the number of students who return after their first year of college — of 80.1%, which is seven percentage points higher than similarly selective public institutions in the U.S. and three percentage points higher than the UW System regional comprehensive institutions.

Explaining the record rates, Matt Aschenbrener, associate vice chancellor for enrollment and retention, emphasized the collaborative nature of the campus-wide effort to encourage retention and continued progress toward graduation.

“We have great partnerships across campus, including First Year Experience, the Academic Advising and Exploration Center, University Housing, Student Affairs, Student Diversity, Engagement and Success, and Financial Services,” Aschenbrener said. “In keeping with our Warhawk family spirit, we all work together to coordinate efforts to support students as they work toward graduation.”

“A big factor in student success is the relationships they form with their faculty and instructors,” adds Cook. “One of the benefits of our smaller class sizes is that professors are able to provide the attention and care the students in their classrooms need, whether it’s helping them through a rough spot academically or pointing them to scholarship or internship opportunities.”

On 9 May, birding’s biggest day is back! 

Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you, and this year is no different. While not everyone may be able to leave home to bird this year, Global Big Day is still an opportunity to check in with the birds in and around where you live. Join us on 9 May and be a part of a global birding community by sharing what birds you see around you with eBird. 

Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders on 9 May. Please remember to always put safety first and follow all local safety guidelines and closures. You can enjoy birds from inside your home and still be part of Global Big Day. 

If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning, or the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

This year, Global Big Day will focus  on the number of checklists we can collect as a global team. Last year, 35,209 eBirders from 174 countries collected an astounding 92,284 checklists in a single day. Will you join us on Global Big Day to make 2020 the year that we surpass 100,000 checklists of birds in one day? Help us set a new checklist record!

How to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Watch birds on 9 May: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes in your backyard counts. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app, which makes adding what you see even easier. You can enter and submit lists while out birding, and the app tracks how far you’ve walked so you can focus on enjoying the birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app for help with identification. Please enter sightings before 13 May to be included in our initial results announcement.
• Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, follow along with sightings from more than 170 countries in real-time on our Global Big Day page.

Contributing sightings is easy with the free eBird Mobile app. Download for iOS or Android.

Global Big Day Pro Tips

• With the spread of COVID-19, please follow recommendations from local health officials and avoid unnecessary travel.
• Use Merlin Bird ID for help with tricky species.
• Take photos and add them to your checklist—they might end up on the Global Big Day page!
• Make your sightings more valuable: submit complete checklists, keep counts of the birds that you see, and keep multiple checklists throughout the day.
• Share what you’re seeing on social media with #globalbigday!

Last year’s Global Big Day set a new record, with 92,284 checklists of birds collected on one day. On 9 May, we hope you’ll be a part of birding’s next world record. And no matter what you do, have fun, enjoy the birds you find, stay safe, and share your sightings on eBird. Because in our world, every bird counts.

eBird is the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year by eBirders around the world. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organizations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

— Our thanks to Sherry Stanek, Whitewater Urban Forestry Chair, for making us aware of Global Big Day.

— Our thanks to Laura Triebold for sharing the frightening experience that she and her husband had, together with their gratitude for being back in the States.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

On May 6 the UW-W Chancellor and Cabinet members provided an update regarding COVID-19 related matters. Some highlights:

• Chancellor Dwight C. Watson indicated that he is “brutally optimistic” regarding the fall.
• It is not yet known whether fall classes will be able to be held on campus. A decision date has not been set. Most if not all summer classes will be held online.
• Scenario planning is taking place in conjunction with the System.
• Before the COVID-19 concerns, student applications for the Whitewater campus were up 4% compared with last year, and Rock was ahead by 30%. Now the SOAR (orientation) event registration is 5% behind last year. Housing applications, however, at 3709, are ahead of last year by 180.
• UW-W has been awarded $8.2 million by the CARES funding. $4.1 million of that amount is designated for students.
• Artanya Wesley, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, indicated that 68 of the 200 employees in her division are on a 3-month furlough. 99 students are still living in the residence halls, and another 56 students have not been able to retrieve their belongings. 88 students/staff are still on meal plans.
• The Child Care Center will soon be reopening for the summer.
• COVID-19 revenue losses and increased expenses total $10.2 million. After negotation with vendors, the shortfall is $7.74 million. State funding is being reduced by 5% = $2.15 million.
• Behavioral Health counselors are available to provide telehealth services to students.
• Greg Rutzen, Vice Chancellor for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement, reported on Founders Day / Warhawk Day of Caring on April 21. $24,000 was donated to the Warhawk Emergency Fund, which now has a balance of over $100,000 to be used to help students who have urgent needs. Over a hundred messages were received from alumni and other supporters. You may visit this site to enjoy seeing them.
• The university is being guided by the Badger Bounce Back Plan as well as the Resocialization Plan of the NCAA.
• In response to a student question, if classes are conducted online in the fall it is not anticipated that there would be a reduction in in-state tuition; however, there is a possibility of a concession for out-of-state tuition.

Whitewater’s Ride Share (taxi) program is operating until further notice on the following temporary COVID-19 hours:

• Monday-Thursday (Non-Session) – 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday (special) – 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday-7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

These hours represent the schedule that is normally followed when UW-W is not in session, except that the Friday/Saturday hours are currently shorter than usual. These changes are likely to remain in effect until (a) bars reopen, and (b) University of Wisconsin Whitewater reopens.

There will not be restrictions on trip by trip purpose, but are observing few requests that are not one of these three purposes: (a) medical appointment; (b) grocery/supply run; (c) job commutes.

Instead of trying to multi-load customers, they are being spaced out to provide drivers with adequate time to sanitize the vehicle between each party. Disinfectants and sanitizing wipes are constantly being purchased and used as often as possible to keep up with the need to keep the community safe.

Prices

• $3.25- Base Fare within Whitewater City Limits
• $2.50- Students within Whitewater City Limits
• $2.25- Elderly/Disabled Fare within Whitewater City Limits
• $2.25- Additional Rider within Whitewater City Limits
• $9.50- Agency Fare within Whitewater City Limits
• $3.25- After 9 pm for all passengers
• $9.50- Package Delivery
• $6.50- Beyond Service Area- Base Fare plus $2.00/mile
• Wait Time- $0.40/minute after 1st 3 minutes

Need a ride? Whitewater has partnered with Brown Cab Service, Inc. to get you where you need to go with the Whitewater Ride Share program. Call 920-563-6303 and give the location you desire to be picked up or dropped off. 

Kay Robers was awarded the WUL Hometown Hero Award on Wednesday, May 6, “For her motivating and caring leadership at The Community Space, and for facilitating donations and inspiring many volunteers so that community members can gather food, clothing and household items in a warm, caring environment.”

Kay said, “None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for the volunteers, donors and clients that keep us going.  It takes a village, and we have the most awesome village that ever existed.” 

Kay has been involved in The Community Space and what was previously called The Clothes Closet for more than 20 years. 

WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.   

 Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com