Give the gift of UW–Madison this season
Another holiday season is upon us, and many university departments and units have gift options for everyone on your shopping list.
Deck the halls with history
From Islamic architecture to historic images of Madison, Digital Collections (UWDCC) has more than 40,000 illustrative and historic images for sale on CD or as photo reproductions. UWDCC will provide a large file TIFF image on CD for $15 for the first image and $3 for each additional image ordered at the same time. Photo reproductions are $15 for those affiliated with the UW System. Visit the UWDCC Web site to browse all the digital collections.
The gift of knowledge
Whether for personal enrichment or professional development, the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) offers noncredit classes that range from Beginning Portraiture, Beginning String Ensemble and French for Travel to Back to Basics: Grammar and Punctuation, Teambuilding and Community Fundraising. For those that learn by doing, DCS also offers educational travel seminars such as short excursions to national music festivals and longer international adventures to locations such as Egypt and Peru. For details visit he Division of Continuing Studies online catalog.
A corn-union-copia of potential gifts
For the hard-to-buy-for people in your life, simplify your holiday shopping with a Wisconsin Union Gift Card. It’s the gift of a great night on the Terrace, a Union Theater event, a sun-drenched day on a sailboat and even a lifetime membership to the Union that anyone can enjoy. Cards are available now to purchase in any amount from $10–$500 at the Essentials Store, Corner Store or Union cashier’s offices at Union South or Memorial Union. Cards — and other great gifts — are also available to purchase with a credit card from the Union Web site.
...And a healthy new year
Some of the best things in life — such as better health and the support of family and friends — really can be free. For those you know trying to start the new year (or next week) tobacco-free, the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention’s Web site lets people order free business-card-sized reminders of the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line. The toll-free Quit Line is a free, confidential and convenient telephonic coaching and counseling service for those trying to quit smoking or chewing tobacco.
For that cousin who went to Ohio State
Show your Badger spirit to your family, friends and business associates with the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s exclusive holiday cards. Choose from six university images, including playful Bucky, new montage designs or nostalgic campus scenes, or select multiple designs in one order. You can customize your greeting, choose from a selection of standard messages (including New Year’s wishes) or order blank UW–Madison cards to give as gifts or use throughout the winter. A box of 24 cards is $26.95 (with up to 20 percent off for UW–Madison faculty and staff), and each purchase supports WAA’s student scholarships, lifelong learning programs and career resources. Online ordering is available until Dec. 20, and for more gift ideas — including custom–crafted chairs — visit the WAA Marketplace. For more information, call WAA, 262-2551.
Even better than fuzzy dice
No matter where your friends or family members go, they can announce where they’re from with a university license plate from the Department of Transportation. The plates are available for $15 plus a $20 donation that goes directly to UW–Madison’s financial aid office to provide scholarship assistance to need-based students. These charges are in addition to the regular annual registration fee. More information on the plates can be found at on the Department of Transportation's Web site.
Find books on all subjects at UW Press
The UW Press has more than 1,400 titles currently in print, including general interest and scholarly books, as well as regional books about Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. A highlight is Jean Feraca’s memoir “I Hear Voices,” in which the Wisconsin Public Radio’s distinguished senior broadcaster takes the reader from the Bronx to the Peruvian Amazon as she recounts her emergence as a poet, a broadcaster and a citizen of the world. Publisher’s Weekly stated, “Blending the spiritual and the profane, Feraca is beguiling.” To learn more about all of the books offered by UW Press, visit The University of Wisconsin Press Web site.
A taste of Wisconsin
Cheese from Babcock Hall is a classic, delicious way to spread holiday cheer to friends and family anywhere in the United States and Canada. Gift boxes include a variety of selections. Choose from two-pound blocks of aged cheddar; combinations of chive Monterey Jack, baby Swiss and Holland-style gouda; and options that include gourmet beef sausage or chocolate-covered cranberries. These tastes will make anyone feel like a true Wisconsinite. Boxes range from $12.50 to $42.50 plus shipping. Not in the mood for cheese? Check out Babcock Dairy’s selection of ice cream flavors, including peppermint stick for the holidays. Visit the Babcock Hall Dairy Store at 1605 Linden Drive, or call 262-3045 for more information, or order online.
Satisfy your sweet tooth
College students aren’t the only ones who can enjoy the convenience and low cost of University Housing’s Food Service — boxes of delicious homemade holiday cookies are now on sale for the holiday season. Each gift box contains three dozen cookies in 10 varieties for only $9 (price includes tax). Special varieties include Bird’s Nest, Chocolate Butter Spritz, White Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball and Caramel Chew. Gift boxes can be purchased at Newell’s Deli in Smith Hall, Ed’s Express, Carson’s Carryout, Rheta’s in Chadbourne, the Liz Waters Dining Room and Common Grounds Coffeehouse in Holt Commons. Per dozen quantities can be ordered through University Housing Catering. Visit UW Housing's Catering Web site for more information. Quantities are limited.
Holiday stress-busters
The holiday season has arrived, and along with overeating comes the feeling of being overbooked, overspent and overexposed to gatherings with family, friends and some people you don’t even know. Luckily, there is an antidote smack in the middle of Madison. With more than 1,000 acres of woodlands, wetlands and prairies, the Arboretum offers respite from a world that seems to be moving too fast, especially during the holidays. Arboretum trails and the Visitor Center parking lots are open year-round from 7 a.m.–10 p.m. (Other parking lots are open from dawn until dusk.) That’s plenty of time to hike the trails, watch the birds, admire the beautiful prairie grasses, enjoy the relative quiet and breath in some fresh air. There are also more structured events to help you appreciate what’s around you. All events begin at the Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway. For a list of what’s going on at the Arboretum and what their holiday hours are, visit the Arboretum Web site.
Just the ticket
Indulge a friend with a gift certificate for an evening filled with music,
dance and culture at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Events range from the 88th
Annual Concert Series and outstanding World Music performances, to the 48th
Annual Travel Adventure Films. Tickets and gift certificates can be purchased
at 800 Langdon St., on the Union
Theater Web site or by calling 262-2201. A full list of Union Theater events
can also be found on the Web site.
For Rudolph lovers
For a suggested $10 donation per card, the School of Veterinary Medicine will send the donor’s choice of recipients a holiday greeting card. Proceeds from sales benefit sustained excellence at the school. Each year, a different artist donates the artwork for this card. This year’s watercolor painting, “Fitzie,” was donated by Mary Telfer Holden, a nationally known artist from McHenry, Ill. Visit the Veterinary Medicine Web site to learn more.
The art of gift-giving
The Chazen Museum of Art has an exceptional collection of cards, calendars, books, jewelry and textiles in its gift shop. The items inspire and reflect the range of artistic styles and cultural backgrounds on view at the museum. Buy catalogues, books, cards and posters in the Museum Shop or online.