News & Events

UW-Whitewater Student Organization Brings Virtual Holiday Cheer

(College of Arts and Communication, Department of Music press release)

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter of the Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS)  is bringing holiday cheer directly to homes this year, with a free virtual caroling video. The National Association of Teachers of Singing fosters the formation of student chapters in order to advance knowledge about the Association and the professions of teaching and singing. A Student NATS (SNATS) Chapter is an organization of students that can meet, hold events and discussions, participate, practice, and learn more about voice teaching as a profession.

Students have been working hard all semester to remove obstacles to performing for audiences. “Despite the craziness that is this semester, it warms my heart that our organization is able to share music with the community, even if it can’t be in person” says chapter president, Cassie Coenen. Short but sweet the video includes renditions of “Deck the Halls”, “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells”. This holiday season doesn’t have to be less joyful because gatherings are limited. 

The idea developed in a brainstorming session of the group. “We all have had a lot of fun caroling in years past and we wanted to continue the tradition this 2020 holiday season,” says secretary Molly Wanless.  The video will be sent to three senior centers in the area: Fairhaven in Whitewater, Milton Senior Living and Oak Park Place in Janesville, with the hopes of it reaching more residences in the coming weeks. “We are doing this at no cost, only to spread some holiday cheer,” says Wanless.

Everyone plays their part in this student organization. This project features singers: Bekah Trussler, Alexis Nungaray, Paris Barker, Hunter Gebauer, Nathan Roley, Paul Borden and Jacob Krueger alongside Coenen and Wanless. Krueger also plays accompaniment in the video and Wanless was responsible for editing.

Outside of their music studies, SNATS does volunteering in the community and in the music department, fundraising for students to attend conferences and competitions, and hosts colloquiums to inform music students on various topics.

If you’re looking for another way to bring some holiday cheer to your home, we hope you’ll share the video far and wide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSzLu14lCrw&feature=youtu.be 

(UW System press release, Dec. 11) MADISON, Wis.—University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson today announced residential undergraduate students will be tested for COVID-19 at least once per week during the spring 2021 semester. In addition, all non-residential students, faculty, and staff will be tested at least once every two weeks.

The requirement will apply to all UW System universities except UW-Madison, which is developing its own testing program. Implementation of the testing plan will be individually managed by the universities.

“Frequent testing is critical to minimizing the spread of COVID-19,” Thompson said. “We have demonstrated at our universities, where the positivity rate has hovered around 3 percent for weeks, that routine testing is a difference maker. The UW System’s testing program has been pivotal toward ensuring a successful in-person fall semester, and we will do even more this spring given how well it has gone.”

Studies show and experts agree that in addition to the individual behaviors of wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and hand washing, regular testing makes a significant impact in combating the virus. In praising the UW System testing program during a recent visit to Wisconsin this fall, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said the presence of frequent testing on UW campuses itself signaled to students, faculty, and staff the importance of masking, distance, and hand washing.

“Frequent testing has helped us create a culture of responsibility on our campuses,” Thompson said. “I am very proud of how our students have responded to the challenges facing them this fall.”

Under the spring 2021 testing program, faculty and staff who are not working on campus will not need to be tested according to the program requirements.

Additional details of the testing program continue to be developed.

(Whitewater Historical Society press release)
It’s time for another round of #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society!

In November 1946, the Whitewater Register featured a promotion following the Uglow family of Heart Prairie on their Saturday Shopping Tour of Stores in the Business District.” Let’s check out some of the stores that Ellis and Dorothy, along with their children, Charlotte, Thane, and Bonnie, visited on their trip into town!

Here, Ellis and Dorothy stop to check out the now newly available electric ranges and listen to salesman Peterson’s pitch at the Burns Electrical Appliance & Supply Company. Located at 113 West Main Street, Burns Electrical opened in December 1945 and operated until 1954. Owners Thomas Burns and Ruth Burns went on to own and operate the Burns Industrial Supply Corporation until their retirement in 1971.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!

(UW-W press release) UW-Whitewater will celebrate the historic 150th class of Warhawks graduating in 2020 in a virtual ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. The combined event will include May, August and December graduates and will feature university leaders, student speakers, the reading of the names of all participating graduates and the official conferring of degrees. A total of 2,942 graduates earned degrees at UW-Whitewater in 2020.

The pre-recorded ceremony will be presented according to college, each with an estimated run time of one hour, so viewers can pause the recording to be sure to capture their graduating student’s moment. An electronic program will also be available for downloading.

This year’s commencement speaker is Melvin Juette, director of the Deferred Prosecution Program at the Dane County District Attorney’s Office. Juette, who earned a B.A. in social work with a minor in criminal justice in 1992, is a former member of the UW-Whitewater wheelchair basketball program, assistant coach of the U.S. team in the Paralympics and a co-author of the book “Wheelchair Warrior.”

The 2020 combined commencement ceremony features three student speakers.

Brian Martinez, who came to UW-Whitewater from Mt. Pleasant, earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a legal studies emphasis and a paralegal certificate. On campus, Brian served as a peer mentor and as intergovernmental affairs director for Whitewater Student Government. Along the way, he served as a Kenosha County Circuit Court intern.

Alexander Ostermann, from Cedarburg, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing major. Alex — who served as student body president, Warhawk Ambassador, Interfraternity Council president and Homecoming King — spent his collegiate years advocating for students, mentoring a new generation of young leaders and modeling public service and philanthropy. 

Jaclyn Wolf is a liberal arts major from Janesville who is earning her Associate of Arts degree from UW-Whitewater at Rock County and will be continuing her studies at the Whitewater campus. Passionate about people, Jaclyn hopes to work with troubled youth, either as a social worker or a police officer.

The ceremony will recognize 298 undergraduates from the College of Arts and Communication, 890 from the College of Business and Economics, 378 from the College of Education and Professional Studies, 140 from the College of Integrated Studies, and 717 from the College of Letters and Sciences. An additional 22 students are receiving an undergraduate degree not specific to any college. Of the 2,445 undergraduate degrees awarded, 81 were completed online.

The School of Graduate Studies will award 497 degrees, including 473 master’s degrees and 24 doctorates.

The graduating class of 2020 includes 43 international students and 148 military veterans or service members.

Students are also participating in the university’s Warhawks Rising campaign, which celebrates milestones students submitted by graduating students, including job offers and graduate school acceptances. The photos will be posted to the university’s Facebook page starting the week of commencement.

The commencement ceremonies were produced by UWW-TV, the university television station.  

For more information, visit uww.edu/commencement.

(Life Beyond Brain Injury press release) – COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the NCAA Division III 2020 fall football season, but the generosity and community spirit of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team are alive and well in a holiday auction to benefit a former student and brain injury survivor. The auction, which is being organized by business students at UW-Whitewater and hosted on eBay, will officially begin on December 8.  

The Warhawks donated rare team collectables for the holiday benefit, including a game-worn helmet autographed by current head coach Kevin Bullis and retired head coach and Hall of Famer Bob Berezowitz. Coach Bullis also donated two limited-edition commemorative footballs from UW-Whitewater’s 2013 and 2014 national championships, and a Whitewater resident contributed a Warhawk football plaque. All four items will be sold as a group to raise funds for UW-Whitewater graduate and traumatic brain injury survivor Thomas Hapka.

Grace Jezuit, a junior Digital Marketing and Human Resource Management major at UW-Whitewater, is using her Facebook skills to help Hapka, and she hopes the school’s alumni will come together in this effort.

“Our alumni are an important part of the Whitewater family,” Jezuit said. “We need them to join us in helping out a fellow Warhawk in this time of need.”

Rob Davis, a junior Marketing and Film Studies major, is building an Instagram presence for Life Beyond Brain Injury.

“I hope to raise awareness about Tom’s incredible story and generate the support he needs,” Davis said. “Tom and his family have given many years to UW-Whitewater, and now they need their Warhawk family behind them.”

Salmai Valadez, a senior Marketing major, is lending her marketing expertise to the campaign for Hapka.

“I want to use my marketing and public relations skills to support Life Beyond Brain Injury and make the community aware of Tom’s story,” Valadez said.

Those wishing to participate in the auction are encouraged to visit https://www.lifebeyondbraininjury.org/ for details and to learn more about Tom’s story.