Tradition
The Beloved Badger Bash
The pregame party has grown from low-key to high-powered.
How Summer Nights Got Hot
The Terrace music series became a sensation in the ’80s and is poised for a comeback.
A Little Creepy but Totally Quiet
Studying in Memorial Library’s cages has been a rite of passage for generations of students.
The Newspaper That Refused to Die
Isthmus returns to the racks after shutting down during the pandemic.
The UW’s Loudest Sound
The steam whistle signals boaters while startling Terrace crowds.
The World’s Greatest Garage Sale
The SWAP shop gives new life to UW surplus while helping the environment.
Statue of Liberty 3.0
The rise, fall, and rise of a beloved UW tradition
A Place Where You Belong
The Multicultural Student Center offers a safe haven for students of color.
The Sound of a Madison Summer
Pack a picnic for Concerts on the Square.
Walking, Talking, and Gawking
The official UW–Madison tour brings a magical campus to life.
Food and Fellowship at UW Hillel
Students and community members bond at traditional Shabbat dinners.
The Birth of Bucky Badger’s Push-Ups
Here's the definitive account of how and when the tradition began.
The Rise of Women’s Studies
Strength in numbers: a women-led UW faculty group meets in 1975 for the formation of what has become the Department of Gender…
Union Weddings
The Wisconsin Union has hosted hundreds of weddings during the past 90 years.
Wheelhouse Studios
Where the campus community gets creative.
Halloween
On the one night of the year when it’s perfectly acceptable to be someone (or something) else, there are sure to be just as…
Learning to Sail
It was a gray Friday afternoon, cloudy and unusually chilly for September, with a heavy chance of rain. Most of the sailing classes offered…
Sailing Through the Years
On a campus situated between two lakes, it’s only natural that students take advantage of the water. Just two years after the Hoofer…
Becoming Bucky
Each spring, a small group of students vies for the chance to become the most visible member of the UW’s Spirit Squad: Bucky Badger.
Winter Carnival
Bryce Richter
When frigid temperatures have settled in and sunny skies are rare, what could bring UW students out of their…
Photo Gallery: Hoofers Winter Carnival
Even Wisconsin’s harshest winters haven’t stopped students at its flagship university from outdoor antics. A tradition since the early 20th century, the UW’s
Marching Band Auditions
Stop at the top!
Venetian Night
For one night a year from 1911 until 1930, the shores of Lake Mendota sparkled with old-world charm.
Spring Fashion Show
In the moments before the music begins, the nervous energy is palpable.
Nearly three dozen student models line up along a…
Distinguished Lecture Series
Photo by Jeff Miller
UW–Madison’s long-standing tradition of fearless sifting and winnowing is rekindled each year through the
Ask Helen C.
Bryce Richter
Even in today’s era of selfies and Snapchat, a bulletin board in the corner of the
SOAR
For most Badgers, it’s the first time to meet other new students. It’s the first chance to schedule classes. And it’s the first opportunity to learn the lyrics to “Varsity.”
Annual Spring Powwow
Jeff Miller
Too often, we’re tempted to experience much of our world through the lens of a cell phone…
Bascom Hill Snowball Fights
The winter battle between the Southeast and Lakeshore residence halls is epic.
Dane County Farmers’ Market
It could be the cheese curds and the spicy cheese bread that set it apart. After all, the market is tucked into the heart of America’s Dairyland. Or perhaps it’s the fact that — with one hundred and sixty vendors offering their goods each week — the market is the nation’s largest producer-only farmers’ market.
A Cappella Groups
With their voices becoming the instruments, six student groups are making beautiful music on campus and beyond.
Displays on Bascom Hill
The Pail and Shovel Party was onto something: if you want to get your message across, take it to Bascom Hill.
Union South Bowling
Whether a final score is 200 or somewhere south of 80, it’s fun.
Student Football Tickets
Long before Badger football season gets underway ... certain lucky students make the equivalent of a touchdown pass by securing season-ticket packages.
Badger Shirt Streak
Rob Vitense ’99 turned a losing streak into a Badger streak.
The Varsity Band Concert
it’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Leckrone!
Walking on the Lake
Based on the ski tracks and slushy footprints in the snow that cover the lake’s icy surface in the winter, plenty of people on campus appreciate the season’s serenity and count the days until the open water turns to ice.
Juston Stix
They’re loaded with butter and cheese. What’s not to love?
Lakeside Cinema
On summer nights for more than three decades, it’s been location, location, location for those who settle in to watch free movies on the Memorial Union Terrace.
Early Morning Rowing Practice
The sacrifice? Heading to practice long before the campus comes to life. The reward? Seeing the sun rise and knowing you’ve done your best.