After visiting the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (previous blog entry, below), I took a two-hour bus ride south to the iconic University of Wisconsin-Madison, the flagship campus of the UW System, Shown above is one of the major campus landmarks, Bascom Hill. I photographed UW-Madison previously in 2004 and 2007, but those photo collections are much more limited than what I was able to take on my 2017 trip, both in terms of the number and quality of the pictures. I invite you to scroll down for my most vibrant shots yet of the UW-Madison campus and the town of Madison itself.
Among the buildings on either side of Bascom Hill is the UW Law School, which dates back to 1868. A 1996 renovation added the glassy exteriors, seen on the left-hand side of the following photo.
From high up on Bascom Hill, one gets an amazing view down State St., the main campus-area shopping and dining district, all the way to the State Capitol.
Next are a couple of shots of the State St. pedestrian mall (no cars), featuring Al Fresco dining on the sidewalks of many restaurants (interesting, Al Fresco has come to have a different meaning in Italy, the country from which the term originates).
Heading back toward the campus, we see the Wisconsin School of Business, also with an interesting design.
Of course, no visit to UW-Madison would be complete without a trip to the Wisconsin Memorial Union, a major renovation of which is largely complete.
Attractions inside the Union include Der Rathskeller, the history of which (and the translation of the German phrase at the entrance) are described here.
Another favorite of visitors to the Union is the Daily Scoop ice-cream stand, whose product comes from the Dairy Science program in Babcock Hall. If you haven't been to campus for a few years (as I hadn't), you'll find that the Daily Scoop has moved to a slightly different location on the first floor. Whereas it used to be near the entrance to the Union's east wing, it is now further back, closer to the lakefront terrace. The Scoop has a new offering, known as the "Freshman 15," consisting of 15 scoops of ice cream and assorted toppings, for you and your friends to have a light snack.
The highlight of the Memorial Union for many people, however, is the lakeside terrace in back (during warm weather, at least). Sitting in the traditional yellow, orange, and green chairs, one can watch the sailboats, enjoy food and drink, and listen to a live musical performance.
Another topic I wanted to broach is the type of housing that has been going up in downtown Madison between the university and capitol in recent years. The apartments and condos shown in the following photos are not from L.A., Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington, DC, or Miami Beach. They are from downtown Madison.
A fellow grad-student at Michigan in the 1980s suggested to me that, as college tuition continued to rise, students would become increasingly upscale and the surrounding environment would develop in ways designed to cater to this clientele. Talking to people in Madison, it also seems that booming economic development in fields such as healthcare and technology may be driving the demand for high-end housing. Perhaps political-lobbying jobs are doing so, as well.
Madison still does have "old-fashioned" off-campus housing, such as the following homes near the union and lake, which are either shared by groups of students or divided into apartments. The trend seems unmistakable, however.
One last feature I saw on my recent visit, which I don't recall seeing previously, were these free-standing pillars. Presumably, they are meant to serve as symbolic gates, welcoming people to the university. To me, they almost look like exclamation points, to punctuate one's visit.
