46° FBadger Fun Facts
“On, Wisconsin!” in Any Language
Language Leader Just as students come to UW–Madison from countries around the world, so does the university’s curriculum represent a global point of view. The... Read more »
Almanac of College Doings
College Life, Month by Month “Betting is a curse from beginning to end, that’s why it improves your vocabulary.” That amusing aphorism is one of... Read more »
Babcock Hall Ice Cream
The Babcock Hall Dairy Plant opened in 1951, and every year, approximately two million pounds of milk flow into it to be bottled or turned... Read more »
Badger Football
Game On The smell of freshly grilled brats saturates the air as a sea of red T-shirts flows westward: it’s time for another Badger Game... Read more »
Badger History of National Service
The Fighting Badgers: A proud tradition It’s hard to shake the 1960s images: tear gas on Bascom Hill, club-wielding police, and sometimes-violent protests of the... Read more »
Badger Pride Wall
When We Say Wisconsin, We’ve Said It Wall On the southeast end of Alumni Park, an 80-foot-long iron fence sets a firm border. Cut through... Read more »
Bascom Hall
Bascom Hall isn’t the UW’s oldest building, but it may be campus’s most recognizable — in spite of the fact that it looks little like... Read more »
Bascom Hill
Hill-story Some campuses have a “quad” — a grassy space surrounded by buildings that draws students who want to play Frisbee, eat lunch, or read.... Read more »
Bucky Badger
The Bucky Badger icon we recognize today — in motion with puffed-up chest and serious snarl — was created by California artist Art Evans in 1940, and spruced up by the UW in 2003.... Read more »
Bucky Pushup
One More Rep “TOUCHDOWN WISCONSIN!” What happens next? Badger fans know the drill: Bucky is hoisted into the air on a large plank for another... Read more »
Bucky Wagon
A 1932 American LaFrance fire engine painted Badger red with UW symbols, the Bucky Wagon has been part of the campus scene since 1971, when... Read more »
Camp Randall Memorial Arch
Erected in 1911, the Camp Randall Memorial Arch is a reminder that the site on which the UW–Madison football stadium stands was, during the Civil... Read more »
Cane Toss
To UW law students, Homecoming means one thing: the annual cane toss. Before kickoff of the Homecoming football game, third-years march down the field at... Read more »
Carillon Tower
If people had stuck to the original plan, there would never have been a Carillon Tower. The Class of 1917 wanted to replace the dome... Read more »
Commencement
The First Alumni Tradition Halloween isn’t the only Badger tradition that has funny costumes. Commencement is the time when Badgers don their caps and gowns... Read more »
Crew Practice
On misty mornings when the lake is clear of ice, the UW’s rowing teams can be found sculling their way across the surface of Lake... Read more »
Curiosity Rover
Martian Footprint Adam Steltzner PhD1999 has eclectic interests. The lead engineer on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover, he’s also an avid rock-’n’-roll drummer. This sculptural tribute... Read more »
Dairy Barn
Built in 1898, the Dairy Barn is more than just UW–Madison’s “cow palace.” It’s a monument to scientific progress in the field of agriculture. The... Read more »
Dormsylvania
Dukes of the Dorms Badgers take silly seriously. Where else would you celebrate spring with a week of crazy campaigns — from mock kidnappings and... Read more »
Fifth Quarter
The UW Band dates to 1884, when it began life as part of the University Battalion, the military education program. It grew and shrank and... Read more »
Flamingos
On September 4, 1979, UW students found a surprise while they made their way to class on the first day of the school year: a... Read more »
Football
Game On The smell of freshly grilled brats saturates the air as a sea of red T-shirts flows westward: it’s time for another Badger Game... Read more »
Graduation
Halloween isn’t the only Badger tradition that has funny costumes. Commencement is the time when Badgers don their caps and gowns and join the community... Read more »
Grandparents University
A Grand Time They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Grandparents University® (GPU) — an annual program that the Wisconsin Alumni... Read more »
Grateful Red
Friend of the Badger UW–Madison students have been called many things. Some epithets are applied by rival schools, and some are insults that they hurl... Read more »