l adversaries, journalists, local leaders, and members of certain indigenous groups since at least as early as 1994.[227] From 1994-1997 the region of Urabá in Antioquia department was the site of FARC attacks against civilians.[228] FARC has also executed civilians for failing to pay "war taxes" to their group.[229] In 2001, Human Rights Watch (

the 1960s as a counterculture event, is today a spring semester finals week kickoff. Both events are commonly attended by tens of thousands of partiers, including many who come from out of state. Following a non-political riot that developed at the 1996 Mifflin Street Block Party, it was forcibly canceled by the city, but was later reinstated. At the 2011 party, two people were stabbed, leading the city to consider banning the party. The city decided to allow it to continue in the future, under a zero-tolerance policy.
MTV's College Life[edit]
On April 13, 2009, MTV premiered the reality series College Life about the day-to-day lives of eight UW–Madison freshmen.[138] The show was created by UW–Madison alumnus David Wexler.[139] According to MTV,[140] the students did the filming for the series, but not the editing. During production, the university pulled its support of the show. Subsequently, a disclaimer was aired at the beginning of each episode stating that UW–Madison does not endorse the program. Eight episodes aired as of February 22, 2010.
Notable alumni and people[edit]

Main article: List of University of Wisconsin–Madison people
In 2008, UW–Madison had 387,912 living alumni. Although a large number of alumni live in Wisconsin, a significant number live in Illinois, Minnesota, New York, California, and Washington, D.C. UW–Madison also had 15,479 alumni living outside of the United States.[141]
UW–Madison alumni, faculty, or former faculty have been awarded 19 Nobel Prizes and 34 Pulitzer Prizes.[141]
See alsohild soldiers and cease this practice in the future.[223]
In 2003, Human Rights Watch reported that FARC-EP shows no leniency to children because of their age, assigning minors the same duties as adults and sometimes requiring them to participate in executions or witness torture.[221]
Extrajudicial executions[edit]
FARC has consistently carried out attacks against civilians specifically targeting suspected supporters of paramilitary groups, political adversaries, journalists, local leaders, and members of certain indigenous groups since at least as early as 1994.[227] From 1994-1997 the region of Urabá in Antioquia department was the site of FARC attacks against civilians.[228] FARC has also executed civilians for failing to pay "war taxes" to their group.[229]
In 2001, Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced that the FARC-EP had abducted and executed civilians accused of supporting paramilitary groups in the demilitarized zone and elsewhere, without providing any legal defense mechanisms to the suspects and generally refusing to give any information to relatives of the victims. The human rights NGO directly investigated three such cases and received additional information about over twenty possible executions during a visit to the zone.[230]
According to HRW, those extrajudicial executions would qualify as forced disappearances if they had been carried out by agents of the government or on its behalf, but nevertheless remained "blatant violations of the FARC-EP's obligations under international humanitarian law and in particular key provisions of article 4 of Protocol II, which protects against violence to the life, physical, and mental well-being of persons, torture, and ill-treatment."[230]
The Colombian human rights organization CINEP reported that FARC-EP killed an estimated total of 496 civilians during 2000.[230]
Use of gas cylinder mortars and landmines[edit]
The FARC-EP has employed a type of improvised mortars made from gas canisters (or cylinders), when launching attacks.
According to Human Rights Watch, the FARC-EP has killed civilians not involved in the conflict through the use of gas cylinder mortars[231] and its use of landmines.[232]
Human Rights Watch considers that "the FARC-EP's continued use of gas cylinder mortars shows this armed group's flagrant disregard for lives of civilians...gas c

ay's recognizable image of Bucky was adopted. In 1949, a contest was held to name the mascot, but no consensus was reached after only a few entries were received. In reaction, the contest committee chose the name Buckingham U. Badger, or "Bucky," for short. At Wisconsin football games in the 1920s live mascots were used to inspire fans. The animals used included a black bear, a bonnet monkey, and live ba

n NCAA men's ice hockey history.[126] Eaves' 2010 squad advanced to the national championship game during the Badgers' 11th appearance in the men's Frozen Four before bowing to Boston College.
The school's strong ice hockey tradition gained another dimension with the addition of a women's team that began play in the 1999–2000 season. Coached by Mark Johnson, son of "Badger Bob" and another member of the men's 1977 title team, the Badger women won their first NCAA championship on March 26, 2006. The dual 2006 titles marked the first time that both the men's and women's Division I NCAA hockey titles were won by the same school in the same year.[127] The women's team repeated as national champions in 2007 with a victory over the University of Minnesota-Duluth on March 18 at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, NY. With a 5–0 victory over Mercyhurst in the 2009 Women's Frozen Four final in Boston, the Badger women added their third NCAA title.
Rivalries[edit]
The Wisconsin Badgers most notable rivalry within the Big Ten is with the University of Minnesota, which is the most-played rivalry in Division 1-A football.[128] In their annual college football game, the teams compete for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The two universities also compete in the Border Battle, a year-long athletic competition in which each team's wins earn points for their university.
Men's basketball rivalries include Michigan State, Illinois and non-conference, in-state Marquette.
The long-standing football rivalry between the University of Iowa and Wisconsin–Madison was finally recognized in 2004, with the winner of their game being awarded the Heartland Trophy.
The Wisconsin–Madison men's and women's hockey teams' most recognized rivals are the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota and the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota. Other rivals include the University of Denver, Colorado College, Michigan Tech, University of Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State.
Mascot[edit]
The school mascot is an anthropomorphized badger named Bucky who dons a sweater affixed with the UW–Madison athletic logo (currently the red "Motion W"). Beginning in 1890, the university's first Bucky Badger was a live, temperamental and unruly badger who was quickly retired. Although the nickname of the Wisconsin teams remained the "Badgers", it was not until Art Evans drew the early caricature version of Bucky in 1940 that today's recognizable image of Bucky was adopted. In 1949, a contest was held to name the mascot, but no consensus was reached after only a few entries were received. In reaction, the contest committee chose the name Buckingham U. Badger, or "Bucky," for short.
At Wisconsin football games in the 1920s live mascots were used to inspire fans. The animals used included a black bear, a bonnet monkey, and live badgers. 1949 was the first year a student sporting a papier-mâché badger head appeared; this subsequently replaced the use of live badgers.[129]
The team's nickname originates from the state nickname. In the 1820s, many lead miners and their families lived in the mines in which they worked until adequate above-ground shelters were built, and thus were compared to badgers.[130]
In 2009, John Fromstein produced "Being Bucky" a documentary that followed the seven Wisconsin students who take on the role of Bucky Badger. The documentary was meant to show the life and background of being a mascot at a major university. "Being Bucky" won "Best Documentary Film" at the Wisconsin Film Fest and went on to play in local Wisconsin movie theaters.[131]
Student life[edit]

Over 750 student organizations or clubs register with the Center for Leadership and Involvement (CFLI) at UW–Madison each year.[132]
All-Campus Party (ACP) Every spring, the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) and the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB) put on a free, alcohol alternative, week-long series of events for the entire student body. They partner with local businesses, student organizations, and national corporations to sponsor All-Campus Party (ACP). This is a celebration of University of Wisconsin–Madison for students, created by students. The week includes featured events specifically designed and put togethe

1900. Shortly after renovations in the early 1900s, the building was officially named Music Hall in 1910. It remains an important music venue and is home to the university opera.[79] This building also is home to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, with part of the building being use

stration area for native ecosystems, is located on the west side of Madison. The main campus includes many buildings designed or supervised by architects J.T.W. Jennings and Arthur Peabody. The hub of campus life is the Memorial Union.
The UW–Madison has its own police force, food service, hospital, recreation facilities, botanical gardens, public artworks, power facilities, and an on-campus dairy plant.
Bascom Hall[edit]


Bascom Hall atop Bascom Hill at the heart of the campus
As one of the icons on campus, Bascom Hall,[77] at the top of Bascom Hill, is often considered the "heart of the campus." Built in 1857, a decorative dome that once sat atop the structure was destroyed by fire. The structure has been added to several times over the years. The building currently houses the office of the chancellor and vice chancellors. Bascom Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building within the Bascom Hill Historic District.[78]
Music Hall[edit]


Music Hall
This Victorian Gothic building, built in 1878 and initially named Assembly Hall, was designed to house an 800-seat auditorium, a library, and a clock tower. Dedicated on March 2, 1880, the building originally held conventions, dances, and commencement ceremonies, along with its primary purpose of a library. After the library moved to a different building on campus, a portion of the hall was assigned to the School of Music in 1900. Shortly after renovations in the early 1900s, the building was officially named Music Hall in 1910. It remains an important music venue and is home to the university opera.[79] This building also is home to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, with part of the building being used as office space and classrooms.
George L. Mosse Humanities Building[edit]
The George L. Mosse Humanities Building, located on Library Mall, was built in the late 1960s in the Brutalist style. Campus myth has it that the building (with its poor ventilation, narrow windows, inclined base, and cantilevered upper floors) was designed to be "riot-proof" in that it was inescapable by protestors and easily penetratable by a SWAT Team.[citation needed] Its seven floors house the History, Art, and Music departments. The most recent Campus Master Plan calls for it to be demolished and replaced with two other buildings.
Van Hise Hall[edit]


Van Hise Hall seen from Linden street
Van Hise Hall is home to most of the languages departments of the university[80] and the upper floors house the offices of the University of Wisconsin System's president and its Board of Regents. The building is often humorously touted by campus tour guides as the birthplace of the Elven language spoken in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.[81]
At 241 feet and 19 stories, Van Hise is the second-tallest building in Madison (after the State Capitol) and one of the tallest educational buildings in the world.[82] Because of its placement atop Bascom Hill it towers over the State Capitol as the building with the highest elevation in the city. Van Hise Hall was constructed in 1967 and its destruction is slated for sometime around 2025 as part of the university's campus master plan.[83]

A view of modern day Bascom hall at d

7.6 Mascot
8 Student life
8.1 Media
8.1.1 Student publications
8.1.2 Campus radio
8.2 "Party school" image
8.2.1 MTV's College Life
9 Notable alumni and people
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
History[edit]



Fire at Bascom Hall which destroyed the dome in 1916[14]


A view of modern day Bascom hall at dusk
The university had its official beginnings when the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in its 1838 session passed a law incorporating a "University of the Territory of Wisconsin", and a high-ranking Board of Visitors was appointed. However, this body (the predecessor of the U.W. board of regents) never actually accomplished anything before Wisconsin was incorporated as a state in 1848.[15] The Wisconsin Constitution provided for "the establishment of a state university, at or near the seat of state government..." and directed by the state legislature to be governed by a board of regents and administered by a Chancellor. On July 26, 1846, Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin's first governor, signed the act that formally created the University of Wisconsin. John H. Lathrop became the university's first chancellor, in the fall of 1849.[16] With John W. Sterling as the university's first professor (mathematics), the first class of 17 students met at Madison Female Academy on February 5, 1849. A permanent campus site was soon selected: an area of 50 acres (20.2 ha) "bounded north by Fourth lake, east by a street to be opened at right angles with King street," [later State Street] "south by Mineral Point Road (University Avenue), and west by a carriage-way from said road to the lake." The regents' building plans called for a "main edifice fronting towards the Capitol, three stories high, surmounted by an observatory for astronomical observations."[17] This building, University Hall, now known as Bascom Hall, was finally completed in 1859. On October 10, 1916, a fire destroyed the building's dome, which was never replaced. North Hall, constructed in 1851, was actually the first building on campus. In 1854, Levi Booth and Charles T. Wakeley became the first gradu

des to reflect changes in the fabric of society and in the areas of knowledge that it studies. Practical studies related to crop and livestock production and farm life gradually delved deeper as scientists strove to understand the underlying biological processes. Today the college generates new knowledge about agriculture, natural resources management and protection, human health and nutriti

pect for the University's research programs from around the world. The University continues to be a leader in stem cell research, helped in part by the funding of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and promotion of WiCell.[71]
Its center for research on internal combustion engines, called the Engine Research Center, has a five-year collaboration agreement with General Motors.[72] It has also been the recipient of multi-million dollar funding from the federal government.[73]
In June 2013, it is reported that the United States National Institutes of Health would fund an $18.13 million study at the University of Wisconsin. The study will research lethal qualities of viruses such as Ebola, West Nile and influenza. The goal of the study is to help find new drugs to fight of the most lethal pathogens.[74]
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences[edit]
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences fulfills the UW-Madison’s mission as a land-grant university, which dates back to 1862, when Congress passed legislation to establish a national network of colleges devoted to agriculture and mechanics and Wisconsin received 240,000 acres of allotted federal land.[75] In 1885 the university began offering a winter course for farmers, the Agriculture Short Course, which was greatly developed and enhanced by Ransom Asa Moore from 1895 until 1907 and continues today as the Farm and Industry Short Course. In 1889 the university put all of their agricultural offerings under a new College of Agriculture, with W.A. Henry as dean.[75] Professors listed in the 1896 Agricultural Short Course for the College of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison listed popular professors such the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Prof. W.A. Henry (Feeds and Feeding), Prof. S.M. Babcock (Agricultural Chemistry; Farm Dairying), Prof. F.H. King (Agricultural Physics, Agricultural Mechanics, and Meteorology), Prof. E.S. Goff (Plant Life, Horticulture, and Economic Entomology), Prof. H.L. Russell (Bacteriology), Prof. J.A. Craig (Breeds: Breeding and Judging Live Stock), Prof. Wm. A. Scott (Economics of Agriculture), Prof. C.I. King (Practical Mechanics), Mr. R.A. Moore (Parliamentary Procedures and Book-keeping), Mr. A.B. Sayles (Farm Dairying), Mr. Fred. Cranefield (Assistant in Green House Instruction), and the previous instructor in Veterinary Science, W.G. Clark, V.S. The building that housed the College of Agriculture was originally created in 1889 and was centered in South Hall on Bascom Hill until the fall of 1903 when the first classes were held in the brand new College of Agriculture and Life Sciences building, where it has remained since.[76] "The college has evolved and grown over the decades to reflect changes in the fabric of society and in the areas of knowledge that it studies. Practical studies related to crop and livestock production and farm life gradually delved deeper as scientists strove to understand the underlying biological processes. Today the college generates new knowledge about agriculture, natural resources management and protection, human health and nutrition, community development and related topics. Faculty and staff in 19 academic departments and a number of interdisciplinary programs carry out these lines of study.[75] "
Letters & Science Honors Program[edit]
The L&S Honors Program serves over 1300 students in the College of Letters and Science (the UW–Madison's liberal arts college) with an enriched undergraduate curriculum. In addition to its curriculum, the program offers professional advising services; research opportunities and funding; and numerous academic, social and service opportunities through the Honors Student Organization. The Honors Program also supports several student organizations, such as the University of Wisconsin–Madison Forensics Team.
Campus[edit]



North Hall, the first building on campus
Located in Madison, about a mile from the state capitol, the university is situated partially on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The main campus comprises 933 acres (378 ha) of land, while the entire campus, including research stations located throughout the state, is over 10,600 acres (4,290 ha) in area. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum, a demon