Wisconsin Union to Celebrate Union South's Fifth Anniversary
Posted: 04/07/16
Union South Fifth Anniversary to include food and drink specials and special events
MADISON – The Wisconsin Union invites students, faculty, staff, Union members and other community members to celebrate Union South’s fifth anniversary on April 15.
Celebrations will include 5-cent food and drink promotions, a cupcake mosaic with free cupcakes, a scavenger hunt and an acapella group performance. Bucky Badger will also join the festivities, as a nod to the Badger Bash held at Union South every home football game.
Since Union South’s opening in 2011, the various Union South venues have shown more than 1,400 films to 163,235 moviegoers, served more than 384,000 cups of coffee, and hosted more than 111,000 hotel guests.
“Union South is more than just a building,” said Mark Guthier, Wisconsin Union director. “It is a place that tells the stories of our campus and serves as a hub for connections and experiences.”
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) students voted to build a new, larger and more environmentally sustainable Union South in 2006. After acquiring students’ and community members’ feedback, construction began in 2009.
The new, inviting Union South opened in 2011 and features a 350-seat theater, two event venues, six restaurants, multiple performance stages, and meeting spaces. Union South also hosts Badger Bashes, the official UW-Madison tailgate, which brings together Bucky, the Wisconsin Band, the UW Cheerleading team, and a sea of Badger fans decked in red and white.
Throughout the project, architects, the construction team, the design team, Union staff and UW-Madison students focused on creating a sustainable building.
This dedication to sustainability earned the building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in 2012. Sustainability strategies for energy, lighting, water and material use played a role in this recognition.
The Wisconsin Union’s Union South reconstruction funding sources included segregated student fees, private donations, operating revenue and membership fees. The Wisconsin Union receives no taxpayer dollars.
Click here for detailed information about celebrating Union South’s fifth anniversary.