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Category: Campus life

‘Dream coming to life’: Miss America from Wisconsin talks win on stage, advocacy for nuclear power

Wisconsin Public Radio

The newly crowned Miss America, Grace Stanke, said she wants to spend her term promoting nuclear power as a cleaner way to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

“It doesn’t use a lot of land,” said Stanke, a Wausau native and University of Wisconsin-Madison senior studying nuclear engineering. “As our population continues to grow, we can continue to use that land for farming and agricultural purposes, and we can use that clean, zero-carbon energy coming from nuclear energy to power our cities.”

Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team is ready for a critical phase of its season, beginning with a series against one of nation’s best squads

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Mark Johnson calls this the best time of the year.

It’s winter break on the University of Wisconsin campus, a time that most of the student body heads home and recharges for the second semester. The break is a favorite of the Wisconsin’s women’s hockey coach because it is the one time all season that his players can lock in and devote all of their energy to the game.

Reporter’s notebook: The key county for Wisconsin Democrats

NBC News

Noted: For young voters in Dane County, it was a message that worked. Abortion access was regularly listed to NBC News a top issue motivating voters.

University of Wisconsin student Valerie Howell, who said she supported Democratic candidates, told NBC News that she likely would have turned out to vote in any case, “but I wouldn’t have been as passionate about it.”

Lake Mendota declared to be frozen over after storm system brings strong winds, bitter cold

Wisconsin State Journal

To be considered frozen over, lakes Wingra and Monona must have at least half ice cover. Mendota, the largest of Madison’s lakes, is subject to another rule developed by limnologists Edward Birge and Chancey Juday in the early 1900s: If you can’t row a boat between Picnic Point on UW-Madison’s northeast side to Maple Bluff, the lake is frozen.

Winter storm: Gov. Tony Evers signs emergency order as utilities, others pledge to keep people safe

Wisconsin State Journal

Some universities, including UW-Madison, are wrapping up finals week. While some exams were held online, students who had to be on campus for finals faced either heading home in bad weather or staying put and possibly missing the holidays with their families.

About 70 UW-Madison students living in residence halls have asked to stay past the scheduled closing time of noon Friday, University Housing Marketing Director Brendon Dybdahl said, although he said he expects that number to increase by Friday morning.

University Housing plans to let students stay as late as Wednesday with all fees waived. Typically, students are allowed to stay past the closing date until Dec. 26 but are required to pay $35 a night; students who choose to stay for the entire winter break are charged $500.

“The timing of this storm is challenging for a lot of students and families,” Dybdahl said. “Most students were able to leave campus before the storm arrived, but due to reports of travel delays, we want to make sure our residents have a safe space if they need to make a change in plans.”

UW-Madison student overcomes incredible odds to graduate

Channel 27

“Find your light,” Berens said. “Find what lights you up or lights your soul up and then let that sort of guide your path.”This message hit close to home for Anthony Genac, who graduated from the School of Human Ecology in just three and a half years after undergoing a heart transplant.

Charlie Berens speaks at UW Winter Commencement

Channel 3000

“Yeah, so I’m hoping to go in hot off the punch lines, you know, slip in a little wisdom, close with a nice solid punch line and call it a day,” Berens explained. “Hoping to get these people home in time for a noon Bloody Mary, spicy.”

City breaks ground on east-west bus rapid transit line

The Capital Times

The east-west route will run along East Washington Avenue through the city’s center and the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and end at West Towne Mall. The north-south route is in the request for proposals stage and there is no estimated timeline right now on when it will launch.

Growing number of UW System campuses installing opioid overdose kits

Wisconsin Public Radio

As opioid deaths surge in Wisconsin, a growing number of universities are making the overdose reversal drug naloxone publicly available in dormitories and other campus buildings.

This fall, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Parkside installed opioid overdose rescue kits called “Nalox-ZONE” boxes aimed at preventing opioid overdose deaths. They join UW-Oshkosh, which installed the boxes in late 2021.

From GED to Ph.D.: UW commencement speaker Kirstan Gimse achieves dreams of being a scientist

Wisconsin State Journal

Gimse, who will be the student commencement speaker at UW-Madison’s winter commencement ceremony Sunday, has beat the odds to become the person she thought she’d never be. Nearly two decades after she dropped out of high school, she’s graduating with a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular pathology. Her research centers on Alzheimer’s research and gene therapies.

Engineer vying for Miss America uses platform to show women can succeed in male-dominated fields

Wisconsin Public Radio

A University of Wisconsin-Madison student from Wausau will be the first nuclear engineer to compete in the Miss America contest Dec. 15. Grace Stanke, who was crowned Miss Wisconsin in June, is using her platform to advocate for nuclear energy while showing women they can succeed in male-dominated industries.

Good vibes: UW-Madison hip-hop class builds bridges through dance

Wisconsin State Journal

Taught by Ariel (AJ) Juarez, the class allows students to work on the building blocks of the dance style, such as house — a freestyle dance method that evolved from the underground music scenes in Chicago and New York City — and popping, which involves creating a jerking effect by contracting and relaxing one’s muscles.