News

Tickets for this dinner will be available at the front door.

(UW-W Campus announcement – Nov. 13)

Important message from Chancellor Watson on COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

Today, I need to have a frank conversation regarding COVID-19 and our community. Wisconsin is in the midst of a surge, including nearly a week of record-breaking positive cases. The state continues to see increases in the numbers of people hospitalized and deaths. UW-Whitewater’s positive test rates are also on the rise.

Our state is at a critical point in this pandemic. It is important that everyone do their part to curb the spread. Locally, if we want to keep our university healthy and safe, and to continue to function on campus, we must flatten the curve. How do we do that? Testing. Everyone needs to get tested – students, faculty and staff. This critical action will help stop community spread by identifying those who are contagious but not showing symptoms.

We expect students to be tested before they leave for home or elsewhere for the Thanksgiving holiday. Students who live in the residence halls will be tested twice upon their return post-Thanksgiving. UW System President Tommy G. Thompson is requiring this for all UW System campuses. President Thompson asks that we all spread a culture of responsibility and not COVID-19. Additional information on this measure will be sent to students in the coming days.

Faculty and staff should also be tested twice if they plan to be on campus.

While testing is critically important, there are other steps you can also take to help keep our community safe:

• Commit to staying home unless leaving is essential. What is essential? This would include going to work, to class, for groceries and prescriptions.
• Do not gather with people outside of your immediate living situation.
• Wear your mask. Face coverings help stop the spread.
• Wash your hands often and thoroughly.
• Remain a minimum of six feet from others, even if you are wearing a mask.
• If you aren’t feeling well, stay home. If you show symptoms, get tested, stay home and isolate.

We can’t wait for someone else to do what it takes to stop the spread of COVID-19. Each of us has the ability and opportunity to flatten the curve. By committing to getting tested and following the guidelines, we can change the trajectory of this virus.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dwight C. Watson
Chancellor

Banner note: The remainder of the fall semester, including final exams, will be conducted remotely beginning Saturday, November 21. Per the Warhawk COVID-19 Dashboard, during the week of November 8-14 there were the following new positive tests reported: 44 students, 2 staff, 1 other, and 1 unknown. The weekly report is, however, updated on Monday morning for the previous week, and sometimes reflects a significant increase from this Friday morning report. The spring semester begins on January 19.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Revenue – Sales recorded in October, 2020

1264 W. Court St.	$160,000
701 E. Clay St., Unit 1, Bldg. C	159,000
1266 Black River Ct.	310,000
1277 E. Bluff Rd., Unit 13	178,000
195 S. Maple Ln.	260,450
213 S. Ridge St.	76,800
277 S. Janesville St.	183,000
310 Amber Dr.	230,000
315-317 S. Prince St.	220,000
320 N. Tratt St.	2,000,000
332 Amber Dr	225,000
603 E. Cravath St.	200,000
915 W. Conger St.	135,000
404 S. Summit St.	129,900
440 S. Woodland Dr.	189,000
731 E. Milwaukee St.	105,000
826 W. Walworth St.	169,000
830 E. North St.	55,000
920 E. Chicago St.	19,500
964 W. South St.	117,500

Click here for the auction site.

(UW-W press release – Nov. 11)

Sustainability efforts win UW-Whitewater national recognition

The U.S. Department of Education has named the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater a Green Ribbon School, one of only five colleges nationwide to be so designated in 2020.

The award is based on “three pillars” of the green school philosophy, with honorees demonstrating progress in reducing environmental impacts, such as waste, water, energy, greenhouse gases, and transportation in the areas of facilities, grounds, and operations; improving health and wellness through coordinated school health, with consideration to air quality, contaminant control, acoustics, daylighting, thermal comfort, school nutrition, and outdoors physical activity; and offering effective environmental and sustainability education that emphasizes hands-on, real-world learning, civic engagement, STEM connections, and green career preparation.

UW-Whitewater will celebrate the national award with a virtual ceremony held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, with University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and UW-Whitewater Chancellor Dwight C. Watson offering remarks.

“UW-Whitewater strives to embody the Wisconsin Idea, with collaborative learning opportunities that thrive within, and outside of, the classroom,” said Chancellor Watson. “I am proud of the efforts of our sustainability team as well as the many efforts across campus to reduce environmental impacts, improve health and wellness, and offer environmental and sustainability education.”

Award recipients are normally invited to a summer ceremony in Washington, D.C., where they receive a sustainability plaque. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was canceled and the plaque was mailed to campus. Wes Enterline, UW-Whitewater’s sustainability director, said the goal of applying for the accolade was to bring awareness to the many sustainability efforts across campus, spanning many departments and academic disciplines.

“Many of those efforts are visible and easy to recognize, like our Monarch Waystation in the Campus Prairie or the water bottle fillers installed in water fountains across campus,” said Enterline. “But one of the pillars the award is based on emphasizes improving health and wellness — something we don’t always think of when it comes to sustainability. In fact, sustaining ourselves is key to being sustainable as an institution, and the fact that this award recognizes that shows how well-rounded the criteria are.”

Enterline became the first coordinator of the university’s sustainability efforts shortly after graduating from UW-Whitewater with a B.S. in sociology and a minor in environmental studies in 2008, after first earning a BBA in computer–end user technology in 2002. Early initiatives of the office included establishing the Campus Garden, which occupies a half-acre lot next to the Ambrose Health Center and produces about 2,000 pounds of food a year, more than 10,000 pounds of which has been donated to area food pantries since 2013.

Enterline also stresses the importance of colleagues across campus who partner with the Sustainability Office to promote green initiatives, reduce waste or introduce environmental issues into academic programs. He cites Eric Compas, professor of geology, geography and environmental science, who he says “not only guided me as a nontraditional student by challenging our class to conduct the first greenhouse gas inventory of the entire Whitewater campus in 2008, but is a consistent voice of advocacy for environmental issues on campus and beyond.” He also highlights Frank Bartlett, director of University Housing, who helped establish the first sustainability position and continues to participate in finding innovative solutions with a sustainability mindset.

Another critical source of the success of the team’s sustainability initiatives has been the involvement of student interns over the years, who learn tangible skills including time and project management, organization, interpersonal communication and independent research and analysis that can be applicable to a wide range of future careers.

Emily Peters, a biology major from Sussex, has been involved in establishing a Monarch Waystation in the campus Nature Preserve. Peters Emily led the effort to win a Monarch Waystation designation for the prairie from Monarch Watch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, conservation and research for the monarch butterfly and other pollinators. To earn the designation, she applied for a grant and won a contribution of several hundred plants representing a $1,000 in-kind donation to the university.

“Because of the size of our prairie, we were able to get 400 milkweed plants,” said Peters, who coordinated the planting and marking of the plants.

In the summer of 2020, Peters was able to secure an internship with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

“While at the DNR, I was lucky enough to see beautiful high-quality remnant prairies in the Walworth County area, some even right outside of Whitewater. Seeing these remnant areas so close by has helped to get a better understanding of what our nature preserve could become with the regular care and restoration efforts it has been receiving over the years.”

“Emily is a great example of the value of having an active sustainability program that promotes and supports having a space for students to learn more about resource utilization, environmental protection, reduction of waste, and how to live and thrive as responsible and engaged citizens today and beyond graduation day,” said Enterline.

“The real impact of sustainability projects is when these practices are implemented and embraced by the entire campus community. Then we start to fulfill the role of our university as a steward of natural and financial resources in the best interests of our students’ futures.”

(Source: Wikipedia) Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans, that is, persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces (and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable). It coincides with other holidays including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

(News Release from the Governor’s Office – November 10) Gov. Evers Calls for Unity, Working Together, Signs Executive Order Advising Wisconsinites to Stay Home; New COVID-19 response legislation to be announced in the coming days MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers tonight delivered a primetime address, calling for unity and working together in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor’s address comes as Wisconsin had yet another record-breaking day in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Today Wisconsin reported more than 7,000 new cases, 66 lives lost, and 291 people hospitalized due to COVID-19. During his address, Gov. Evers pointed to projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The IHME’s projections indicates that based on current data, approximately 5,000 Wisconsinites could die from COVID-19 by January 1, 2021, if no further actions are taken to slow the spread of COVID-19. That would mean an additional more than 2,500 Wisconsinites who would not make it to New Year’s Day. As COVID-19 continues to surge across the state, Gov. Evers announced Executive Order #94, which includes new measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Executive Order #94 advises Wisconsinites to stay home, urges precautions Wisconsinites should take to stay safe if they have to leave their home, and encourages businesses to take additional steps to protect workers, customers, and the surrounding community. Gov. Evers also announced in the coming days he will be introducing new COVID-19 response legislation to provide more support for Wisconsinites. He also once again called on Congress to pass legislation providing additional resources to states across the country. Recordings of the governor’s address can be viewed on his YouTube and Facebook accounts. Below are the governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery:  Good evening, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here. Thank you for tuning in tonight. I know I don’t have to tell you that this year has been one of major challenges. A global pandemic—coupled with economic uncertainty and another election season—has shaken our patience, our empathy, and our compassion for one another. Our optimism has been battered, our resilience strained, and our character tested. But now, as we put the election behind us, we are called upon to remember the things that unite us—and that includes the struggles that we share. We must now return our undivided attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. We must start fighting this virus, together, and we must start tonight. As you know, earlier this year, we took steps to contain COVID-19 by issuing a safer at home order. We estimated then that our efforts would save between 300 and 1,400 lives. That order was struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court—a decision that hamstrung our ability to respond to this virus by using the tools supported by science and public health experts. Unfortunately, since then, Wisconsin has become a national hotspot. We once led our region in containing this virus, but now surges in our state rival what we saw in New York City this spring. Our case numbers continue to climb. Since just last Friday, we’ve added more than 25,000 new cases. It took us seven and a half months to get to 100,000 cases. But it only took 36 days to add another 100,000. The way things are going, it will take us only 20 days to reach another 100,000. We’ve now surpassed, in deaths, the number of lives we projected we would have saved months ago if we would have been able to keep safer at home and reopen safely. 2,395 Wisconsinites—mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends, and coworkers—have lost their lives, and I offer my deepest sympathies and condolences to those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Unfortunately, they will not be the last. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates 5,000 Wisconsinites could be lost to COVID-19 by January 1st if no further actions are taken to get this virus under control. That means another 2,500 people who might not be with us on New Year’s Day. Wisconsin, this is serious. This crisis is urgent. Across our state, families, workers, and communities continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our healthcare workers are going to work every day, working three, sometimes four, shifts in a row, often having to reuse or share masks, and putting themselves and their families at risk to do their jobs. We owe them our thanks, but they also deserve our action. I am concerned about what our current trajectory means for Wisconsin healthcare workers, families, and our economy if we don’t get this virus under control. So, I want to be clear tonight: each day this virus goes unchecked is a setback for our economic recovery. Our bars, restaurants, small businesses, families, and farmers will continue to suffer if we don’t take action right now—our economy cannot bounce back until we contain this virus. So, tonight, I have signed Executive Order #94 advising Wisconsinites to stay home to save lives. We must get back to the basics of fighting this virus just like we did last spring, and it starts at home. It’s not safe to go out, it’s not safe to have others over—it’s just not safe. And it might not be safe for a while yet. So, please, cancel the happy hours, dinner parties, sleepovers, and playdates at your home. And if a friend or family member invites you over, offer to hang out virtually instead. And unfortunately, with the holidays just around the corner, we recommend that you plan to celebrate just with your own household. You can still invite others to join virtually, but we advise you not to go to any gatherings with people who are not in your immediate home. You can keep supporting local businesses, restaurants, and workers by sticking to curbside pickup, delivery, or using online ordering whenever you can. If you need to get out and go for a walk or a bike ride, that’s alright, too—it’s important now more than ever to get some exercise and take good care of our physical and mental health. Or if you think you might’ve been exposed to COVID-19, please go get tested. And then make sure you’re quarantining at home while you’re waiting for your results and for 14 days after you’ve been exposed. Even if you do test negative for COVID-19, it’s important to remember that just because you test negative today doesn’t guarantee a negative test tomorrow, so please stay home. Otherwise, if you have to leave your home, limit it to essential needs or errands. Please only leave your home if it’s absolutely necessary like going to the doctor, picking up prescriptions, grabbing groceries, or getting tested. And if you have to go out, please wear a mask and stay six feet apart. Wearing a mask is not a political statement—it’s a sign to coworkers or the strangers you pass in the grocery store that you care about them, and they care about you, too. That’s why I’m also calling on business leaders across our state to continue doing their part to keep workers, customers, and communities safe by expanding working from home options for workers, offering online or virtual services, and limiting the number of people in offices, facilities, and stores. Small businesses across our state have been important partners throughout this fight, and I’m grateful for all their good work. And if shifting to virtual work isn’t feasible, please go to WEDC.org to find guidelines for policies to help prevent workplace exposure and to keep workers and customers as safe as possible. As we’ve fought this virus since March, we’ve worked hard to support workers, families, farmers, and businesses across our state. In the coming days, I’ll be announcing a package of COVID-19 legislation that should be passed quickly to make sure we have the resources ready for those who need it. We’ve also used our federal CARES money to get support to Wisconsinites across our state. We’ve supplied more than 16 million in PPE and sanitizing supplies to local communities. We’ve also assisted more than 26,000 small businesses, helped more than 12,000 households pay rent, supported more than 15,000 farms, and expanded statewide testing and contact tracing efforts. But we also know we have a long road ahead of us, and there are workers, families, farmers, and small businesses that are going to need our help as we work to fight this virus, together. Here’s the bottom line—the federal CARES dollars we received earlier this year expire on December 31st. That means unless we get additional support from Congress, our state will have to foot the bill for our response after the New Year. So, please contact your congressperson and ask them to provide additional support and resources for our state’s response to this virus. We must be able to continue all our efforts to keep people healthy and safe. I know this year has been extremely difficult, and I know good news is hard to come by these days. But, as I stand here tonight, I’ll tell you that I’m hopeful—that we can beat this virus and we can rebuild and recover. Anyone would be a fool to count us out, Wisconsin. The surges we see—the new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths—these are not foregone conclusions. These are predictable and preventable. That means the fight against this virus is winnable, but only if we fight it together. So, tonight we must also offer our neighbors the promise of a better tomorrow—a promise that each of us must play a part in delivering by doing everything we can. Right now, we’ve got plenty to prove and a lot to lose. Let’s get to work, and let’s move forward, together. Thank you.

(UW-W media release)

UW-Whitewater’s Department of Theatre/Dance Presents “Le Misanthrope”

Director Bruce Cohen Shows the Softer Side of this Classic Comedy

UW-Whitewater’s Department of Theatre/Dance is ready for you to experience “Le Misanthrope,” Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of the Moliere classic. Single tickets are $13 and Family Viewing Tickets for two or more individuals are $26. All ticketholders will receive an email with a link to view the production on Monday, November 23, 2020 and will be available for viewing from Tuesday, November 24, 2020 – Sunday, November 29, 2020. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (262) 472-2222 or online at tickets.uww.edu.

Mis·an·thrope: a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society. The 80’s – when greed was good, hair was big, style was loud, and relationships were strategic – is the perfect setting for Bartlett’s adaptation of Moliere’s classic play. At Celimene’s extravagant party, Alceste and Oronte verbally spar for her affection. While Alceste despises society and vows to speak only the truth, Oronte is a wealthy respected member of society who feels he deserves to win Celimene. Vanity and silly flirtations ensue in this time-honored rollicking romp of a play.

Despite its outwardly comedic elements, Director Bruce Cohen shows us this adaptation’s softer side. “’Misanthrope’ belongs to the portion of Moliere’s work that treats character and scenario with more sophistication. It is considered a comedy, yes, but it is also quite an intimate and melancholy play. This emotional complexity lends itself well to our modified approach. I have focused in on those elements that the camera is so good at capturing; the wealth of psychological and emotional tumult that vibrates through the core of this play.”

The cast of “Le Misanthrope” features the talents of Kory Friend as Alceste (the titular misanthrope), Ivy Steege as Celimene, Jon Lotti as Oronte, Bryce Giammo as Philinte, Lindsay Bland as Arsinoe, and Natalie Meikle as Eliante.

 “Playing Alceste has taught me how to avoid judging my character at face value. He could be seen as the protagonist or antagonist of the show, depending on who you ask; I think he’s just deeply misunderstood” says Kory Friend on playing the role of the blunt and ill-tempered Alceste. “He is usually written off to be a jerk, but even in his anger we can empathize with him. He just wants people to be honest with him, and gets frustrated when they resort to flattery or small talk. It feels good to play Alceste from a place of understanding and earnestness, rather than working against myself by playing him as the jerk everyone thinks he is.”

“Le Misanthrope” tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (262) 472-2222 or online at tickets.uww.edu.  Single tickets are $13.00 and Family Viewing Tickets for two or more individuals are $26.00. All ticketholders will receive an email with a link to view the production on Monday, November 23, 2020 and will be available for viewing from Tuesday, November 24, 2020 – Sunday, November 29, 2020.

(UW-W Press Release – Nov. 9)

First day of COVID-19 “surge testing” at UW-Whitewater draws 260 participants

About 260 community members, including families with elementary school-aged children to teenagers, came to the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena for the first day of COVID-19 “surge testing” at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Testing staff on site were separated by plexiglass and wore gloves, protective gowns and face shields. After visitors checked in, the testers instructed them on how to insert a swab into both nostrils, for about five seconds in each nostril, to collect a sample and then hand the swab back to the tester, who captured it for processing.

Parents were first handed swabs to test themselves and then additional swabs to collect samples from their children.

Knowing and not guessing brings peace of mind, according to Mike Kilar of Whitewater, who brought his children Angel and Kindyl. Angel smiled as he removed the swab from his nose, as if experiencing a tickle.

“One of my daughters and my wife work in the school district,” Kilar said. “We just wanted to make sure where we stood and if we were testing positive or negative.”

As people arrived and were tested through Monday morning and into the afternoon, the process was flowing smoothly, with brief waits in line or no waiting at all.

Brianna Tillett, a UW-Milwaukee student who came home to Whitewater to visit her parents, wanted to get tested before she went back on campus.

“I just wanted to be extra careful because I know that numbers are going up,” she said.

The new testing site at UW-Whitewater is a direct response to the surge of coronavirus cases across Wisconsin.

“At UW-Whitewater, we’re ready to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19 in our region during this public health crisis. Our partnership with the University of Wisconsin System and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will allow us to conduct thousands of tests right here on campus, providing critical health information to people so that they can act appropriately and keep their families, friends and fellow community members safe,” said Chancellor Dwight C. Watson.

“I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to all of the employees who have made this COVID-19 testing site a reality. Over the past week, they have adjusted their workloads and pivoted quickly to meet the community need for a robust testing program.”

After a short wait in line and then moving through a testing station in about five minutes, Christina Schwab, UW-Whitewater head women’s wheelchair basketball coach, said, “It was pretty easy.”

“With the wheelchair basketball program, we are testing so that we can practice in some capacity. Since I’m making my athletes do it, I want to make sure that I’m doing it as well. And then also just for the safety of my family at home, too. My (college) background is in community health so I also think about the bigger picture and how this can affect, not just campus, but when I go home and my kids go to school in a different district. And so the big picture is what I think about.”

Testing information

The testing site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena in the Williams Center, 907 W. Schwager Dr., Whitewater, WI 53190. Free parking is available in lots 7 and 9 on Warhawk Drive. Please note, during Thanksgiving week, testing will be offered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only (Nov. 23-25), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Anyone 5 years and older can get a test. Pre-registration is required at doineedacovid19test.com. This is a rapid antigen test (nasal swab). People will receive their results within 15 minutes; space is set aside for people to safely distance while they wait.

Individuals who test negative using the rapid antigen test, but also are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who test positive but do not have symptoms, are urged to get a confirmatory PCR test. A free PCR test will be available immediately to those who qualify on site. 

The “surge testing” program complements an already existing partnership between UW-Whitewater, UW System and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to regularly test university students, which began earlier this semester. UW-Whitewater students will continue to get their COVID-19 tests through University Health and Counseling Services at Ambrose Health Center on Starin Road by making an appointment at uww.edu/uhcs.

For more information on COVID-19 testing at UW-Whitewater, visit uww.edu/warhawks-return/testing.