News

Members of the community are invited to special community receptions to welcome University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Dwight C. Watson. The receptions will be held:

• Tuesday, August 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Casual Joe’s in Whitewater, 319 W. James Street 
• Monday, August 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Venue in Janesville, 37 S. Water Street

Please join Chancellor Watson for refreshments and fellowship!

Watson began his tenure August 1 as the 17th chancellor of UW-Whitewater. The UW System Board of Regents named Watson to lead the university on May 23.

“For more than 150 years, dedicated people at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have been transforming the lives of students and positively impacting the region we serve. We have much to be proud of as we begin a new academic year. I am humbled and honored to serve as chancellor, and I am looking forward to continuing to move the university forward,” Watson said. “I want to assure members of the Warhawk family that I will listen, learn, and lead. I plan to listen to students, faculty, staff, and the community. I plan to learn all I can about UW-Whitewater and the region. And I will then work collaboratively to help lead the university to greater achievements.”

Go back in time as historian Carol Cartwright of the Whitewater Historical Society takes you on an historic walking tour through Downtown Whitewater on Sat., 8/10 at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. Allow Carol’s vast knowledge of Whitewater to take you back to the founding of our fair city, and through its advances in history as she guides you through some of downtown’s most interesting sites. Cost is $15, with tickets available at the starting point, The Book Teller, 171 W. Main Street. The distance will be reasonably short and the tour will last between one and one-half hours.

The Whitewater High School Class of 1984 held their reunion on August 3, 2019, at the Second Salem Brewing Company in Whitewater. 

Classmates came from as far as San Jose, California to New York City and all the places in between to touch base and reminisce about their time at Whitewater High School.  A total of 57 guests and 41 WHS graduates were able to attend the reunion.

The class would like to thank all of the faculty and staff, past and present, that created the memorable experiences they had for their four years at Whitewater High School.

Woody and Lynn (Peterson) Coyle got married in front of friends and family on August 9, 1969. Woody wore tails, and Lynn carried orchids. Those adorable 21 and 20 year olds blissfully left their ceremony in Woody’s sweet Roadster, and Lynn was carded and denied a drink when they went out to celebrate!

They moved into their farmhouse on Sweno Road and settled into life, farming, and teaching. They have spent their lives at that house having babies and then raising farm kids, doling out invaluable life lessons and second helpings of the best home-cooked meals, hosting family and friend get-togethers, allowing all the pets, dealing with all the injuries incurred by those farm kids, serving others at church and in 4-H and the community, not taking nearly enough vacations as they supported all the sports, activities, and interests pursued by their farm kids, and building a glorious life together.

Five decades of that kind of commitment deserves a celebration! Alas, Woody & Lynn were not down with having a big 50th Anniversary party. Yeah, we know. We (the kids) don’t like it, either. Here’s what we do know: Although they will be hard to track down this weekend, Woody & Lynn, along with their fam, will enjoy the deliciousness offered at Gus’s on Sunday, August 11 around 6:30pm…

Cheers to Woody and Lynn Coyle for spending the last 50 years making and living an inspiring love-filled life!

A delightful comedy about a group of women who form a cheerleading squad at their retirement community, proving that you’re never too old to ‘bring it.’Stars Diane Keaton, Rhea Perlman, and Pam Grier.

When: Tuesday, August 13, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Seniors in the Park

Movie Information: PG-13; 1 hour, 31 minutes (2019)

There has recently been a change of traffic pattern in Whitewater at the intersection of Franklin Street and Janesville Street. 

The orange barriers were installed so that it is no longer possible to drive south on Franklin at the intersection with Janesville Street. The city is trying this as result of an accident pattern.

Information and photos courtesy of Tom Ganser.

For the third consecutive year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has been named among the Colleges of Distinction — a national honor that recognizes campuses for exceptional teaching and dedication to student success.

“At UW-Whitewater, the student experience is a rich and vibrant one, where Warhawks are encouraged to be inquisitive and actively learn inside and outside the classroom,” said Chancellor Dwight C. Watson. “Our caring and talented faculty go beyond the course material to engage students in research and connect them with invaluable internships and job opportunities.”

Colleges of Distinction’s selection process consists of a review of each institution’s freshman experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, alumni success, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and more. Schools are accepted on the basis that they adhere to the four distinctions:

• Engaged students
• Great teaching
• Successful outcomes
• Vibrant community

“Recognition as a College of Distinction highlights the many ways in which UW-Whitewater serves our students on both an academic and personal level,” said Lynsey Schwabrow, chief of institutional research and planning. “By focusing on the qualitative experiences that help students learn, grow, and succeed, Colleges of Distinction designation underlines how the university prepares our students to successfully engage within the global marketplace and to become responsible citizens and future leaders in our communities.”

In addition to receiving the campus-wide badge of distinction, UW-Whitewater earned additional badges to highlight the university’s excellence in business and education, career development and as a public institution in Wisconsin.

Colleges of Distinction website

UW-Whitewater recently received national recognition as the safest campus in Wisconsin, and is the best value to earn a degree in the University of Wisconsin System.