Wisconsin Union: Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller Will Discuss Exclusion, Punishment Former Prisoners Face During Free Discussion on Nov. 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 27, 2021    

Contact: Shauna Breneman
Phone: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

DR. REUBEN JONATHAN MILLER WILL DISCUSS EXCLUSION, PUNISHMENT FORMER PRISONERS FACE DURING FREE DISCUSSION ON NOV. 9

MADISON – Reuben Jonathan Miller, Ph.D., describes the restrictions that people released from prison face as creating a new form of citizenship predominantly focused on exclusion and punishment, which prevent them from gaining employment and places to live.

Miller will speak to audience members during a free moderated discussion and Q&A in Shannon Hall and through a livestream on Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. CST about the barriers former prisoners face after incarceration. The Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee and Just Dane invite all to attend in-person or online. To attend in-person, guests must obtain a free, printed ticket at the Memorial Union Box Office or register to attend the in-person event here and print their tickets at home. A printed ticket is required for entry to the in-person event. Patrons do not need tickets for the free livestream. WUD DLS will make the livestream link available here.

Miller, who is a sociologist, criminologist, and social worker, says that more than 19,000 laws, policies and administrative sanctions prevent people with criminal records from gaining employment. He researches how these and other factors restrict the lives of people released from prison as well as works as an associate professor at the University of Chicago.

He published his debut book “Halfway Home: Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration” in 2021, which compiled 15 years of his research and field notes on the permanent effects of incarceration on released prisoners’ lives. He conducted hands-on research, including serving as a chaplain at the Cook County Jail in Illinois for five years and following the lives of dozens of formerly incarcerated people.

Miller’s brother Jeremiah experienced the effects of the laws, policies and sanctions affecting formerly incarcerated individuals first-hand when Jeremiah’s parole was delayed, because he could not find housing. He remained in prison months after he was granted parole until he eventually found housing in Michigan. Jeremiah further struggled as he balanced the requirements of his parole and worked to regain his financial footing and find employment during life after prison.

“What I decided to study was what I call the afterlife of incarceration,” Miller said. “So this is the way that prison follows people. It’s like a ghost.”

The WUD DLS Committee brings thought leaders to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to spark thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 11 student-led committees and six student-led Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events on campus each year.

More information about the upcoming WUD DLS event is available here.

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About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series Committee contributes to the educational experience of University of Wisconsin–Madison students, Wisconsin Union members and community members by bringing engaging and influential people to campus. Founded in 1987, the series aims to expose the campus community to a diverse and vibrant array of people, backgrounds, and ideas. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/dls.
[Note: Click here to download a photo of Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller. Photo by Jonathan Miller.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/reuben-miller.

Madison Ballet Partners with American Heart Association to Bring Life-Saving Resources to Their Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 27, 2021

Madison Ballet Partners with American Heart Association to Bring Life-Saving Resources to Their Facility

Madison, WI – Madison Ballet and the American Heart Association (AHA) are partnering to provide life-saving CPR/AED training to Madison Ballet’s faculty and staff. This partnership coincides with the local nonprofit acquiring their first on-site automated external defibrillator (AED) earlier this month.

Madison Ballet has students of all ages practicing and performing high-impact athletics in their facility. It makes both common and scientific sense to have their faculty trained in CPR, with an AED on site so that they are optimally equipped to respond to emergencies. Implementing additional safety measures is appropriate given the raised health and safety risks as a result of COVID-19.

“COVID has brought with it increased numbers of pediatric patients with abnormal heart rhythms, recovering from varying degrees of cardiac inflammation,” says Dr. Andrea Rock, Pediatric Cardiology Specialist, SSM Health. “Fortunately, the impact of the inflammatory reactions in the heart has been reduced by vaccinating young adults, but the true incidence and long-term impact are still unknown. With so many people affected, there has never been a better time to be conscientious about the safety of the settings where our families are learning and being active.”

Currently, less than 12% of victims survive sudden cardiac arrest, but effective bystander CPR and AED defibrillation provided immediately after cardiac arrest can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.

“CPR and particularly AED-assisted CPR saves lives. As a pediatric cardiologist, I have witnessed this more times than I ever wanted to. I have seen children and young adults who survived sudden cardiac arrest, and I have worked hard to try to help families find answers after one of their children did not survive. These events happen to physically active, fit people when they are exerting themselves. I have seen cardiac arrests at every age. The most important factor in giving a person a chance at survival is early effective AED-assisted CPR.”, says Dr. Rock.

“We are always grateful for additional resources to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community, a need that has drastically increased with the pandemic,” says Madison Ballet CEO, Jonathan Solari. “The American Heart Association has been an incredible resource as we continue to increase the safety of all those who work, learn, create and inspirein our studios,” says Solari.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 10,000 cardiac arrests happen in the workplace annually. Knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED is a matter of life or death.

“We applaud Madison Ballet for making the health and safety of the community, their performers, and their staff a priority. The addition of AEDs and CPR trainings in organizations and workplaces is an integral part of ensuring successful outcomes should a cardiac arrest occur,” says AHA Executive Director, Carrie Nevins.

Dean Health will be administering the American Heart Association CPR/AED training course for Madison Ballet faculty and staff on November 1st, 1-3:30 pm, and November 5th, 7-9:30 pm. This training will be open to a limited number of journalists. Please contact Lexi Janssen at lexi@madisonballet.org to secure your attendance.

Contact: Lexi Janssen, Madison Ballet Marketing Manager

Phone: (262) 402-2358

Email: lexi@madisonballet.org

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Core Endeavors Coaching & Consulting: Being to Becoming: Your Personal Development Pathway

Wisconsin Union Theater: Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard Will Pay Tribute to Living Jazz Legend Wayne Shorter During Nov. 5 Performance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 14, 2021

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu 
Phone: (608) 262-8862

GRAMMY WINNER TERENCE BLANCHARD WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO LIVING JAZZ LEGEND WAYNE SHORTER DURING NOV. 5 PERFORMANCE

MADISON – The Wisconsin Union Theater team presents a performance featuring Oscar-nominated, Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, who will pay tribute to his mentor Wayne Shorter in a special collaborative project, called ABSENCE, with The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet on Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union.

For Blanchard, this project presents an opportunity to pay homage to Shorter and his 50 years of creating and performing music as well as his jazz innovation. Blanchard says that Shorter’s music shaped his musical identity.

Called the world’s greatest living jazz composer by The New Yorker, saxophonist Shorter founded the jazz fusion group the Weather Report, recorded more than a dozen albums, played in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and composed pieces for the group, as well as performed in and composed for Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet.

His protégé Blanchard has become a jazz icon, as well, with a career that includes composing more than 40 film scores, winning five Grammys, receiving two Oscar nominations, and recently becoming the first Black composer to have his work performed by the Metropolitan Opera.

The Nov. 5 program will include compositions by Shorter as well as original pieces from Blanchard’s quintet The E-Collective. The E-Collective’s original works aim to weave in musical storytelling, which is a hallmark of Shorter’s compositions and performances. Patrons will experience how Blanchard embeds his passion for social justice in his musical storytelling.

“You feel the level of intolerance that exists for people who ignore other people’s pain. Musically, I can’t ignore that,” Blanchard said. “I can’t add to that intolerance. Instead, I have to help people heal from it.”

Patrons can purchase tickets to the in-person performance through the Campus Arts Ticketing website or at the Memorial Union Box Office. Current University of Wisconsin–Madison students, staff and faculty as well as Wisconsin Union members are eligible for discounted tickets. Ticket prices range from $10-50.

Patrons are welcome to arrive at Memorial Union early and enjoy a beverage at the Shannon Sunset Lounge across from the Shannon Hall lobby or food and beverages at the Memorial Union’s many on-site dining options.

Tickets for most Wisconsin Union Theater season events are also available for purchase, with the exception of single tickets for a April 30, 2022, concert with opera legend Renée Fleming and the Black Arts Matter Festival, which will go on sale in early 2022.

Wisconsin Union Theater patrons and all Wisconsin Union team members must follow the current UW–Madison health and safety protocol of wearing a face covering when indoors on campus, unless actively eating or drinking. The Theater team has established the temporary additional health and safety measure of ensuring 20 feet of space between performers and audiences in performance spaces. The Wisconsin Union team also thoroughly and regularly cleans and disinfects its spaces.

Patrons can click here for more information about the upcoming performance.

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About the Wisconsin Union Theater

The Wisconsin Union Theater’s (WUT’s) mission is to present, promote and cultivate a lifelong appreciation of the performing arts, especially among University of Wisconsin–Madison students. For more than 75 years, WUT has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Through a student-led committee, WUT presents an annual season of up to 40 events. Additionally, the Theater serves numerous renters on and off campus for graduations, lectures, conferences, and performances by university departments, registered student organizations, and community organizations. The Wisconsin Union Theater is committed to social justice and works to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive place for patrons, staff and performers.

Learn more: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Click here to download a photo of Terence Blanchard. Photo by Henry Adebonojo.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/absence.

Wisconsin Homecoming Committee and Wisconsin Union Invite All to Homecoming 2021 Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 11, 2021

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director, Wisconsin Union
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

WISCONSIN HOMECOMING COMMITTEE AND WISCONSIN UNION INVITE ALL TO HOMECOMING 2021 EVENTS

MADISON – After a 2020 Homecoming of completely virtual festivities, the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee and the Wisconsin Union invite all to Homecoming festivities Oct. 24-31, including a parade, free hot chocolate, a Badger Bash tailgate celebration and more.

Some of the events attendees can experience include the following:

• Coloring contest, Sept. 20-Oct. 11
• Cocoa with Hoco kickoff event, Oct. 25, 9 a.m.-noon
• RED Talk, Oct. 25
• UW‒Madison Homecoming blood drive, Oct. 26-28
• Be the Match swab drive, Oct. 26, 2-5 p.m.
• Badger fan food specials, Oct. 26, 2-4 p.m.
• Multicultural Homecoming yard show hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, Oct. 29, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• Homecoming parade, Oct. 29, 6 p.m.
• Homecoming block party hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, Oct. 29, 7-9 p.m.
• Badger Bash: Wisconsin vs. Iowa, Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m.

Attendees can read the most current list of events here: wiscohoco.com/2021-homecoming-events. The Committee, the Wisconsin Union and others will continue to add events to the calendar. The Committee encourages attendees to monitor the events listings to plan their Homecoming activities. All events are free and open to the public. 2021 marks the 110th anniversary of homecoming celebrations at UW‒Madison.

One of the most beloved Homecoming traditions, the Homecoming parade, will return with Bucky Badger; the UW Spirit Squad; the Bucky Wagon; the UW Alumni Band; the Madison Area Jugglers; the Black Star Drum Line; the University of Wisconsin Marching Band; circus artists from Head Over Wheels, who specialize in the German wheel; high wheel bicyclist Jonathan Bee; and professional clown Bingo the Balloon Clown. The Committee and Union-run parade will feature a trick-or-treat with Bucky theme and, in keeping with the theme, plenty of candy for attendees. The parade will begin on Langdon Street at 6 p.m., proceed to Wisconsin Avenue between Langdon Street and Gilman Street, travel along Gilman Street to State Street and then continue to Lake Street. 

Homecoming parade participants will include more than two dozen organizations, including but not limited to the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc.; Dance Elite; The Madhatters; Redefined A Cappella; the Wisconsin Premiere Dance Team; Wisconsin Racing; and the Wisconsin Singers.

Numerous campus leaders and talented students will appear in the parade, including Chancellor Rebecca Blank and 2021 Big Ten Track champion and Olympic trial athlete Destiny Huven.

The Committee and the Union invite UW‒Madison registered student organizations (RSOs) and UW‒Madison departments to submit events for the official Homecoming event calendar. Events must take place between Oct. 24-31, be free, be open to the public, and be submitted by Oct. 15. Departments and RSOs can submit events here.

“I am very excited to be able to bring together the greater campus community through Homecoming Week,” Wisconsin Homecoming Committee President Grace Sexton said. “Our committee is thrilled to be able to hold in-person events on campus. I am particularly excited for the Homecoming parade to take place on State Street once again, as it has been my favorite event since I began at UW‒Madison. I look forward to spending a week celebrating with my fellow students, University of Wisconsin‒Madison faculty and staff, and the greater Madison community in just a few short weeks.”

The Wisconsin Homecoming Committee is a non-profit, student-run organization that aims to bring together the Badger community to celebrate what it means to be a Wisconsin Badger, whether someone is a Badger or a Badger-at-heart. This year’s Committee executive board members include President Grace Sexton, Vice President Samantha Henschel, Director of Marketing and Communications Lara Klein, and Community Events Chair Danny Gattoni.

2021 marks the 110th anniversary of homecoming celebrations at UW‒Madison. Due to COVID-19, the Committee held a virtual version of the festivities in 2020.  The members look forward to celebrating the annual commemoration event in-person.

In light of COVID-19, patrons must wear face covering indoors when not actively eating or drinking. Guests do not need to wear face coverings outdoors but are welcome to do so. The Committee and the Union appreciate attendees’ help in creating a safe Homecoming celebration.

Those interested in attending Homecoming can visit wiscohoco.com for official UW‒Madison Homecoming celebration information.

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About the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee

The mission of the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee is to bring together the Badger community by providing opportunities to honor Wisconsin tradition. Empowered by UW‒Madison Student Affairs, the Homecoming Committee reaches out to the student body, alumni, and community members to celebrate what it means to be a Wisconsin Badger. Learn more about the Committee: wiscohoco.com.

About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.  

[Click here to download Homecoming photos.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/homecoming-2021.