Extra curriculum activities during NCUR
Released: March 29, 2002
Participants at the 16th National Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have the chance to see that Wisconsin is more than just cheese. During the three-day conference the university is planning in keeping participants busy with art events, swing dance lessons and excursions around the state. Events are scheduled to start Thursday, April 25.
Events for Thrusday includes the UW-Whitewater department of theater and dance will be performing the Greek tragedy “Antigone” by Sophocles at the Barnett Theater, located in the Greenhills Center of the Arts. Sophocles’ immortal dram shows the power of unbreakable will versus impossible odds. Directed by Jim Butchart.
Another event is the faculty dance showcase. The faculty dance showcase will feature choreography presented by faculty from colleges and universities in the Midwest region. The concert will be presented in the Irving L. Young Auditorium at 8 p.m. There will be a forum after the concert during which the faculty will speak about their choreographic processes and respond to questions. A reception in the Fern Young Terrance will follow the forum.
The UW-Whitewater Percussion Ensemble will be performing in the Light Recital Hall, Center of the Arts at 8:30 p.m. Participants will experience the dynamic rhythms of the percussion ensemble.
Natalie MacMaster will be playing for NCUR participants on Friday, April 26. MacMaster has been recognized with several honors including Canada’s Juno Award, a Canadian Country Music Award for the “Fiddler of the Year,” and a Grammy nomination this year for her album “My Roots”. MacMaster has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and has performed with the Chieftans and Joan Osborne in New York City honoring Luciano Pavarotti, and has opened for Carlos Santana. She has two record awards, including on for No Boundaries.
On Friday night enjoy a taste of the Wisconsin State Fair and sample all the flavors that make Wisconsin a great place to eat. Besides a variety of choices on a festive buffet, enjoy live music and other attractions.
After the Wisconsin State Fair, swing dance lessons would be available in Gym 1 of Williams Center. Instructors will be available to teach participants how to dance and a variety of music will be available. This event goes from 7:30 p.m. through 11:30 p.m.
On Saturday participants can chose from six different excursions to explore Wisconsin. All the excursions start at 1 p.m. All events are scheduled to last approximately four hours unless otherwise specified.
The first option is a visit to the Milwaukee Public Museum. The museum allows participants to take a step back in time to the turn-of the century streets of Old Milwaukee and to ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The museum has the world’s largest-known dinosaur skull. The museum contains over 150, 000 square feet of exhibits, including the new Butterfly Wing, where you can scroll amid free-flying butterflies from around the world.
The second option offers participants the opportunity to do volunteer service. Participants will join UW-Whitewater’s student organized for service in providing assistance at one of several Milwaukee community-based organizations such as a kitchen soup or AIDS shelter.
A tour of the State Capitol Building and State Street Mall in Madison is the third option. Participants can enjoy a guided tour of the state capitol building, follow-up with the opportunity to explore the state street mall. The state street mall consists of four blocks of colorful shops, restaurants, outdoor food carts and roving street musicians located between the capitol building and the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
If participants are into biking the fourth options if perfect for them. Nestled in the heart of the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest are some of the most popular biking trails in the Midwest. The La Grange General Store will provide mountain bikes, helmets, trail guides and a box supper. Participants may choose between a leisurely five-mile trop and a more challenging 20-mile tour.
Option five is hiking in the kettle moraine. Participants can enjoy spring come to life in southern Wisconsin as they explore the lovely glacier-carved hills of the kettle moraine state forest on a guided tour conducted by a state forest naturalist. This event is scheduled to last approximately three hours.
The final excursion is to Yerkes Observatory and Lake Geneva Cruise. This excursion begins with a visit to the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory, located on the shores of beautiful Geneva Lake and home of the world’s largest refracting telescope. Participants will then board the U.S. Mailboat Walworth II for a narrated cruise featuring the colorful histories of Geneva Lake’s elegant estates.
- Julimar Rivera ,npa@uww.edu
