Some of you may have come across this, but it does a fair job of explaining the culture at UW-Madison.
Except… most Wisconsinites and UW alumni do not refer to the school as “Sconnie.” That seems childish to me.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/psilver/40-signs-you-went-to-the-university-of-wisconsin-m-alea
I was at the Purdue game in 1998 for the first edition of Jump Around. We had no idea the monster we had created.
If you are considering UW-Madison, I highly recommend taking in a football game at Camp Randall Stadium – it is a great time and a great way to learn part of what it means to be a Badger. There’s the emotion of Varsity – 80,000 people singing – and the exhilerating pomp of our high-stepping band while they play “On, Wisconsin!”. And be sure to stay for the famous 5th Quarter, where much merriment is enjoyed.
So – feel free to ask questions about the items in the link, or to talk about some of your favorite things about UW.
On, Wisconsin!
Zooniversity’s [color=crimson]Teach Me How to Bucky
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVAZXZfIlNk
Just come along with me, by the bright shining light of the moon!
(Just had to finish it off.)
http://www.uwbadgers.com/trads/school-songs.html
Read the lyrics and listen to the UW Marching band play these tunes:
**[color=crimson]
Varsity
On, Wisconsin!
The Bud Song
If You Want to be a Badger
I also wonder who really uses the word sconnie.
My dog is named Sconnie . . . seriously.
A Sconnie is a student (Badger) at UW from Wisconsin. All Sconnies are Badgers. Not all Badgers are Sconnies. Sconnie is not a way to refer to the University of Wisconsin. Most alumni refer to it as UW, the University of Wisconsin, or Madison. Sconnie is also a store that sells Wisconsin apparel on State Street.
That word is NOT in the vocabulary of Wisconsinites or anyone else I ever heard of. Made up by someone for whatever reasons…btw- very few students from either coast fit the definition of “coastie”- most are just like most Midwesterners and integrate themselves into campus life. It is only a few who won’t. Their problem, no one else’s.
I know that someone thinks this. My point is that I don’t think this name arose from students themselves and definitely not from the in-state students, who I doubt would ever shorten Wisconsin to scon or sconnie. I am guessing it came from retail. My second guess is that it came from out of state students.
Exactly.
Hmm, perhaps things have changed since I graduated 3 years ago but while I was there people used the word “sconnie” and the word “coastie”.
If they did it was a relatively new phenomenon- likely started from without. Also- there are hundreds of thousands of alumni from many decades and living all over the country who get to chime in on UW and terms. Ignore the term and let it fade away.
“Sconnie” and “Coastie” were not used in the late '90s – it must have started in the 2000s.
Regardless, it’s neat to see the subtle changes in the past decade and a half… as well as the traditions that have remained. What a great school!
Some traditions needed to go- it was interesting to hear about freshmen wearing beanies (head gear) in the 1950’s but that was long gone by my eons ago years. Hopefully this nomenclature will also fade away.
What’s the deal with Mifflin St. Block Party? Is it no longer happening each Spring?
I have some stories…
[Quote]
Badger Herald
by ERIK SATEREN · Apr 10, 2014
The Mifflin Street Block Party — an annual gathering in Madison that initially started as a Vietnam War protest — was once a grand celebration of all things alcohol-related and one of the greatest college traditions in the United States.
**Then people got stabbed, assaulted and arrested. And now the Mifflin Street Block Party that Madison residents once knew is gone, likely forever.
Pity!
The four years I attended, I witnessed no problems… aside from the expected substance abuse. But nobody was driving.
Students still go to Mifflin on that May weekend but it’s not ‘official’ and is much more tame. People were infiltrating from out of state and some were committing serious crimes.
That’s too bad. Badgers and other area denizens seemed to get along pretty well. In my day, the street and its houses were packed. There were also tables/exhibits set up for various causes… notably for pot legalization.
Anyway, if you didn’t want to pay for a cup to drink in someone’s house, you could always carry your beer in your backpack…
‘Sconnie’ is a relatively new thing, not organic or ‘in-state’. I suspect it is a retailer looking to create a brand the university doesn’t own so they can make money without paying license fees. Search the PTO database and if a business owns the TM there’s your answer.