News & Events

William Graham Post 173 of the American Legion in Whitewater is planning Memorial Day activities. On Thursday, May 27^th we are inviting community members to help us decorate veterans’ graves in Hillside Cemetery. We will gather near the center entrance of the cemetery at 4:30 p.m. The American Legion is providing the flags.

For those wondering if we are having a parade the City of Whitewater Events Planning Committee declined our parade request due to COVID-19 concerns. Instead the American Legion is planning to hold a short Memorial Day Observance in Hillside Cemetery on Memorial Day, 31 May, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The location will be in the vicinity of the flagpole in the southern section of the cemetery. Coincidentally this is the same area Memorial Day observances were held before the American Legion Building was constructed 51 years ago. Members of the Whitewater community who would like to observe a Memorial Day parade honoring our fallen veterans may do so in the communities of Palmyra, Fort Atkinson, Williams Bay, Elkhorn, and Beloit.

The image on the home page, “‘Flags-In’ at Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day 2008” by The U.S. Army, is licensed under CC BY 2.0

#FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society!

This mid-twentieth century postcard image depicts one of Whitewater’s downtown landmarks: the Masonic Temple on the corner of Main and Fremont Streets. First chartered in 1855, St. John’s Lodge #57 has met there since the building’s construction in 1904. It is one of the best examples of the Classical Revival style of architecture in the area.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!

(5000PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org!​ 

(Press release) – Roberta’s Art Gallery is welcoming a unique collection of art made during Covid-19 isolation by Milwaukee artist Francisco Ramirez. “This is Coming Along Just As I Expected, Unfortunately” is at Roberta’s Art Gallery from Wednesday, May 12 – June 2, 2021. The exhibit consists of printed and painted pieces created in the past year of the pandemic.

In the past year of the pandemic, Ramirez has made composite drawing prints, stations panels, and lone figure waiting prints. “This is Coming Along Just As I Expected, Unfortunately,” at Roberta’s Art Gallery features all of those forms of art. Ramirez says about living through the pandemic in the past year: “I have not had much interaction with others, I spend my days either with my daughter or in my printshop alone.”

Ramirez is based out of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area and has been printing for over a decade, mostly creating posters. 

Roberta’s Art Gallery will be open all summer. The gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center (UC) at UW-Whitewater. The gallery hosts multiple exhibits and workshops each semester by collaborating with the artists–both locally and regionally. Many of our events were held virtually this semester. If you’ll be off campus for the summer, you can also virtually view this exhibit at uww.edu/rag.

Roberta’s Art Gallery prides itself on all of their exhibits being free and open to the public. Whether you’re a student, a Whitewater community member, or someone wanting to support the artist, stop on by to support! For questions or further information, contact Roberta’s Art Gallery at (262) 472-3193 or ucart@uww.edu or visit our website.

(Ripon College press release) — Ripon College held its annual Awards Convocation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 21. As one of Ripon’s most prestigious events, the event honored outstanding students, faculty, and staff. The list of award recipients is available for viewing at ripon.edu/awards-convocation.

Clarice Bergman of Whitewater, Wisconsin, majoring in English and Politics and Government with a minor in Communication, joined the Ripon College Laurels honor society.

Lydia Wiley Deal of Whitewater, Wisconsin, majoring in Music and Physics , was awarded the Bruce Martz Endowed Music Award and joined the Ripon College Laurels honor society.

Jacob Zuehlke of Whitewater, Wisconsin, majoring in Music and Business Management , was awarded the Lucile Mosling Grams Music Scholarship and joined the Ripon College Laurels honor society.

(UW-W press release) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Collegiate DECA chapter ended its competitive season on a high note at the International Career Development Conference, held virtually April 9-12, 2021. Twenty-five Warhawks participated in the international competition, 15 advanced to event finals and 13 students were top-10 international finalists.

The central mission of collegiate DECA — and the focus of the ICDC event — is to prepare students for their careers by developing the skills needed to become leaders and innovators.

Michelle Anderson, a marketing major from Oconomowoc and the chapter’s vice president of external relations, earned second place overall in the Emerging Technology–Marketing Strategy international competition. She described DECA’s impact on her college experience and career development.

“I have been able to take concepts that I have learned in the classroom and apply them to real world case studies in competition,” she said. “The events also allowed me to explore different parts of business that I wasn’t sure I was interested in. Overall, DECA helped with my confidence, professionalism and ability to create marketing campaigns effectively. I believe that without my experience with the UW-Whitewater Collegiate DECA chapter, I would not have been able to secure my past internship and my future job.”

UW-Whitewater was distinguished for outstanding commitment and impact throughout the year. Earned by only seven of the 250 collegiate chapters in 2020-21, the Chapter Community Service Award recognized students’ work with statewide food banks, the local Warhawk Pantry and the annual toy drive for the Ronald McDonald House.

“Our vice president of community events, Evan Nightingale, was able to put on numerous events throughout the year,” said Treise Langhammer, chapter president and marketing major from Brooklyn, Wisconsin. “He was also able to give members a chance to get involved fully, instead of just attending weekly meetings.” 

The DECA Leadership Passport Program celebrates chapter and individual activities that build personal and professional skills. UW-Whitewater received a Chapter Leadership Passport Award — a distinction that was given to just 20 chapters. Seven student members completed the Individual Passport Leadership program, including Michelle Anderson, Brendan Clementi, Tayler Jones, Treise Langhammer, Evan Nightingale, Lauren Reid and Devontae Sisk. Only 50 students from the 1,500 international collegiate members were able to complete the program this year.

Rounding out the non-competitive awards, Treise Langhammer and Evan Nightingale earned individual Student Leadership awards for their chapter leadership, community service and competitive success. Tayler Jones, Treise Langhammer and Devontae Sisk were each recognized with an Academic Honor Award for holding a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.

All competitive events leading up to ICDC took place with pre-recorded presentations followed by live interactions with judges. The final rounds were conducted live by web conference. Despite this unusual format and an increased international presence drawn by the virtual performances, the chapter performed exceptionally.

“Competing at this level is stressful, but every member that gets there is ready for it,” said Langhammer. “We focus on teamwork and always provide resources for newer members. The hard work by our vice president of competition, Tayler Jones, also allows every competitor to succeed. We are proud of anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and try competition.”

UW-Whitewater DECA 2021 International Career Development Conference competitive award recap:

• Michelle Anderson: 2^nd place in the Emerging Technology–Marketing Strategies event
• Team of Kelsey Clark and Lauren Reid: 6^th-place tiein the Event Planning event
• Brendan Clementi: 7^th place in the Corporate Finance event
• Mary Domich: international finalist in the Hotel and Lodging event
• Lydia Forney: 9^th place in the Advertising Campaign event
• Grayden Gruchow: 6^th place in the Human Resource Management event
• Lauren Hanson and Treise Langhammer: 6^th-place tie in the Event Planning event
• Tayler Jones: 6^th place in the Advertising Campaign event
• Sammi Nelson: international finalist in the Corporate Finance event
• Evan Nightingale: 5^th place in the Entrepreneurship Operations event
• Melanie Thiede: 8^th place in the Advertising Campaign event
• Team of John Weber and David Zehner: 4^th place in the International Marketing event

Prior to the ICDC event, three DECA students also performed strongly in the national Stock Market Game, which simulates the global capital market to engage students in economics, investing and personal finance.

• Victoria Celsor: 2^nd place finish in the spring semester event
• Evan Hoier: 8^th place finish in the fall semester event
• Zach Zaharias: 4^th place finish in fall semester event

For information about the UW-Whitewater Collegiate DECA Chapter, visit uwwdeca.com.