Upcoming events | About | Past Events | Contact

Past events

Jagdish Bhagwati
One of the foremost economic thinkers of our day argues
that globalization is the most powerful source of social
good in the world today. Bhagwati, an economics professor
at Columbia University, provides an optimistic look at the
beneficial effects of globalization. He will also debunk the
myths and misconceptions that have formed the basis for the
objections and pessimistic forecasts of the anti-globalization crowd.

Town Hall Forum with Provost Spear
Come discuss class cuts, tuition hikes, department budgets and any other campus issues you are passionate about.

Primaries Info Session
Students for Dean, Students for Kerry, Students for Bush and many other student organizations represented the presidential candidates and gave you all the information you needed to take to the polls.

Madison Indian Gaming Debate
Representatives of both the Coalition for the Fair Indian Gaming and Revenue Sharing Agreements and No Dane Casino will debate the issue of allowing casino-style gambling in Madison. The Feb. 17 referendum is the same day as WisconsinÕs presidential primary. Attend the debate and inform yourself before heading to the polls.

Joe Rogers
Former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Joe Rogers, the youngest lieutenant governor in the country and the highest ranking African American state elected official, will present The Dream Alive Program. The Dream Alive Program is an acclaimed dedication to the memory and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and leaders of the civil rights movement. The live commentary will take audience members back in time to the renowned 1963 March on Washington where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to his final words delivered in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

War at Home and the UW-Madison anti-war movement.
Insomniac Coffee Hour Series
Watch UW-Madison student activists during the height of the Vietnam anti-war movement in the compelling documentary "War at Home." Revisit a time when protests, riots, sit-ins and police retaliation erupted between classes and activism was intertwined with academics. Even see former Madison mayor Paul Soglin as a student caught in the chaos. Join us to discuss student activism and the anti-war movement on campus today.

David Maraniss
Former UW student and author of They Marched into Sunlight David Maraniss returned to campus to discuss the disparate worlds of soldiers in Vietnam, student protesters at UW-Madison and government officials in Washington D.C. Maraniss examined political and cultural struggles over patriotism and dissent, heroism and conscience, and the duties of free people and government manipulation of the truth, all of which still resonate powerfully today.

Matthew Rothschild, Editor of Progressive Magazine
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine, which is one of the leading voices for peace and social justice in this country. Rothschild has appeared on Nightline, C-SPAN, the O'Reilly Factor, and NPR, and his newspaper commentaries have run in the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, the Miami Herald, and a host of other newspapers. Rothschild is also a frequent contributor to The Hill. A graduate of Harvard University, Rothschild prior to coming to The Progressive worked as the editor of Multinational Monitor, a magazine founded by Ralph Nader.

Judge Bartell
As one of the few women in a male-dominated profession, Judge Bartell provided an interesting perspective as the president of the Rotary Club.

X-Prize and the New Race to Space
Could the moon be the next tourist attraction? The X-Prize foundation is helping space tourism become a reality. X-Prize is a $10 million prize, which will be awarded to the first private team that can build its own reusable, three-passenger spacecraft. The foundation hopes to revolutionize space flight like the Orteig Prize and LindberghÕs Spirit of St. Louis revolutionized aviation. Gregg Maryniak, executive director of the X-Prize foundation, spoke about the problems of space flight, the goal of X-Prize and the millionaire teams who have stepped up to the challenge. Maryniak formerly served as chief executive officer of the Space Studies Institute of Princeton and as a senior scientist of the Futron Corp. where he consulted to NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the aerospace industry.

Israeli students came to discuss perceptions of Israel in the U.S. The students represented an independent entity, whose single concern is the sell being of Israel. They hope to promote a better understanding of Israel and its people.

Betsy Rosenberg Spotlight Speaker
A veteran of CBS Radio News with a specialty in environmental reporting, Betsy Rosenberg launched EcoTalk - formerly TrashTalk - on KCBS Radio in San Francisco in 1997. She has produced and hosted more than 1300 segments covering green lifestyle with a consumer focus and a "news-you-can-use" approach. Co-founder of Don't Be Fueled! - Mothers For Clean and Safe Vehicles, in her "spare time" she leads a grassroots campaign focused on the environmental and safety problems of SUVs. Rosenberg spoke about her work on the Don't Be Fueled! campaign, the many ways people can make a real difference through their lifestyle choices, and her "12 Step Program for Waste-a-holics." She spoke to a lecture hall full of students about tips for a greener lifestyle. The event made headlines in the Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald.

Progressive Politics Debate
The Anarchists, Socialists, Greens and Democrats gathered to discuss the issues and show the many differences between liberal politics and thought.

Madison Alder people, experts, students and business representatives took sides on the Minimum Wage Debate. Community members are organizing a petition to raise the minimum wage in the Madison area to $7.75/hr.

Veteran's Day Discussion
In honor of Veterans Day, vets from generations of major U.S. conflict discussed their service experience and issues concerning returning military personnel with students.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz talked with students about the issues in our community over cookies and milk.

Rock the Vote
A highly animated group of political junkies, candidate supporters and concerned students gathered in the Stiftskeller to watch the democratic candidates at their hippest in CNN's Rock the Vote Young Voters Debate. The event was featured in The Daily Cardinal on Nov. 5 under the headline "Candidates respond to teen inquiries on TV."

Peace activists Jerry and Sis Levin
This dedicated husband and wife duo discussed their efforts to bring peace to the people of Israel and Palestine. Sis Levin is an internationally recognized mediator and graduate of Columbia University in Peace Education. She travels the world conducting seminars and workshops on how to incorporate peace education into institutions. Jerry Levin is a former CNN correspondent who was held hostage in Beirut, Lebanon for almost a year. His wife, Sis, successfully negotiated his release and authored a book about the experience titled Beirut Diary.

Louis Adolfo Cardona
Former Coca-Cola worker and union organizer Cardona spoke out against the brutal repression of union organizers at a Colombian Coca-Cola bottling plant that resulted in the death of six workers. It was our first bi-lingual lecture (Spanish and English) and kicked off the "Stop Killer Coca-Cola" Campaign sponsored by the Colombia Action Committee.

Paul Krugman
Professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University, Paul Krugman writes the column that appears twice a week in The New York Times. It is the first regular Op-Ed column devoted to economics, business and finance. Krugman's recent book is called The Great Unraveling: Losing our way in the New Century.

Iraq Debate: War or No War?
A panel of UW-Madison students debated a possible war in Iraq Tuesday night in front of a crowd of more than 200. The debate featured three pro-intervention students against three students from the student organization Stop The War!

Spotlight Speaker Series Michael Oren
Michael Oren received his Ph.D. in Middle Eastern history from Princeton University. He is an expert on Middle Eastern relations and on the history of the conflict between Israel and the Arab nations. Mr. Oren addressed issues of terrorism in the Middle East and the question of if peace and stability can ever return to the area.

Spotlight Speaker Series Daniel Ellsberg
Former State Department worker Daniel Ellsberg stole hundreds of documents from the Pentagon detailing the U.S. Government’s deception of the American people during the Vietnam War. The “Pentagon Papers” which they soon became known as, signaled a turning point in American history.

"The War at Home" and Paul Soglin
Late night showing of the film, "The War at Home" which features UW during the turbulent Vietnam War era, including the bombing of Sterling Hall in 1970. Guest speaker, former Madison mayor and former UW student Paul Soglin gave a personal rendition of life on campus during that time.

Congressional Debate
Candidates for the 2nd Wisconsin Congressional district Tammy Baldwin (Democratic incumbent) and Ron Greer (challenging Republican) faced off in the Union Theater in front of an audience of over 700 students.

Wisconsin Union Directorate

Past events