https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/Campus ConnectionPosts tagged with 'Light Reads August 2021':2022-02-25T17:06:30.847Zhttps://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/kwik-quip/Kwik quip2022-01-26T16:05:31.46Z2021-07-29T10:51:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:51 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Paige Forde, ’19, is the witty voice behind Kwik Trip’s social media accounts. In recent years, Kwik Trip’s brand has evolved into a symbol for the Midwestern way of life — in part thanks to effective use of marketing and social media.</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Alum is the witty voice behind Wisconsin’s favorite convenience store</h3>
<p>Every time a rainbow appears over a Wisconsin town, the messages start rolling in.</p><p>“People love sending us photos of Kwik Trip at the end of a rainbow. We’ll get about 50 of them,” says Paige Forde, ’19, a social media specialist for the La Crosse-based convenience store chain. “It’s awesome to see people reaching out that way. The love we get from our followers is just crazy.”</p><p>Kwik Trip has long been a convenience store of choice in Wisconsin, and it continues to make inroads in Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. But over the past few years, the Kwik Trip brand has become something more — a symbol for the Midwestern way of life, an institution of which Wisconsinites are unusually proud and fiercely protective.</p><p>And that’s in part thanks to Forde.</p><p>She is the voice behind Kwik Trip’s social media, which have garnered large and loyal followings on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/KwikTrip" href="https://www.facebook.com/KwikTrip">Facebook</a> (600,000 likes), <a data-mce-href="https://www.instagram.com/kwiktrip/?hl=en" href="https://www.instagram.com/kwiktrip/?hl=en">Instagram</a> (88,000 followers), <a data-mce-href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kwiktrip?lang=en" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kwiktrip?lang=en">TikTok </a>(76,000 followers) and <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/KwikTrip?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" href="https://twitter.com/KwikTrip?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Twitter</a> (67,000 followers).</p>
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<figcaption>By giving Kwik Trip’s social media accounts a new and engaging voice, Forde has helped grow the company’s following on Facebook (600,000 likes), Instagram (88,000 followers), TikTok (76,000 followers) and Twitter (67,000 followers).</figcaption>
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<p>Three years ago, most of the company’s posts were run-of-the-mill promotions — deals for eggs and butter, discounts on fuel.</p><p>When Forde joined the team as an intern in January 2019, she met with her boss and fellow UWL alum, Kendra Nedegaard, ’17, to rethink their strategy.</p><p>“We actually have the same sense of humor, and from there we just solidified the voice,” Forde explains. “We started with Twitter — Wendy’s kind of created the trend of brands being clever on Twitter — and then we took the Twitter voice and moved it to Instagram.”</p><p>Forde and Nedegaard worried that memes and sarcasm would be less effective on Facebook, given the older audience.</p><p>They started with a safe one. With a blizzard in the forecast, they posted a meme of Luke Skywalker riding a Tauntaun through the snow with the caption: “I’m going to Kwik Trip. Need anything?”</p><p>“It just took off,” Forde remembers. “We had this huge follower bump.”</p><p>In the months that followed, she posted more memes and pop culture references ranging from “The Office” to “The Avengers” to “Forrest Gump.”</p><p>Some poked fun at rival gas stations.</p><p>Some alluded to Midwestern peculiarities such as long goodbyes and an obsession with camo.</p><p>Many paid homage to Kwik Trip’s signature items: glazers, cheesy breadsticks and Nature’s Touch milk and ice cream.</p><p>“We’re still doing the same promotions,” Forde says. “We’re just doing it in a fun, clever way.”</p><p>The foundation of Forde’s social media approach was laid at UWL.</p><p>After considering degrees in biology and teaching, she changed her major to <a data-mce-href="/marketing/" href="/marketing/">marketing</a> and was immediately hooked.</p><p>“I loved UWL and all my professors — <a data-mce-href="/profile/kgraham2/" href="/profile/kgraham2/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Ken Graham</a>, <a data-mce-href="/profile/gachenreiner/" href="/profile/gachenreiner/">Gwen Achenreiner</a>, Stephen Brokaw,” says Forde, noting that lessons on social media advertising and celebrity endorsements were particularly impactful. “Brokaw’s lectures were just mind-blowing. I’d get out of class, and my brain would just be gone.”</p><p>Forde is somewhat of a contradiction: She says she’s not particularly interesting on her personal social media, yet she feels right at home speaking for Kwik Trip — even if it means stepping in front of the camera.</p><p>Examples can be found on TikTok, where Forde gives followers not just a steady stream of memes and jokes, but also a peek inside her work with the company.</p><p>In one video, she ventures from her cubicle to the “Kwik Trip inside Kwik Trip” — a fully stocked store inside company headquarters.</p><p>In another, she takes an intern, Hunter, on a surprise tour of the company’s legendary banana-ripening facility.</p><p>“My favorite part of my job is the variety,” she says. “When I show up in the morning, I never know what we’ll have to hop on, what trends we’ll have to do. Every day is different.”</p><p>Wisconsin’s reverence for Kwik Trip seems to know no bounds.</p><p>Brides and grooms do Kwik Trip photoshoots on their wedding day. Once, an entire wedding party took pictures in a Kwik Trip beer cave.</p><p>People buy Kwik Trip-themed merchandise: shirts, hats, sandals and baby clothes. Even underwear.</p><p>On social media, customers engage in good-natured battles with other convenience store chains, defending Kwik Trip at every turn.</p><p>One man, Brent Erdmann of New London, is so fond of Kwik Trip he visited 615 unique locations in 2020 — an unofficial but almost certain record.</p>
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<figcaption>Kwik Trip has tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans, including Brent Erdmann of New London, who visited 615 unique Kwik Trip locations in 2020. “The love we get from our followers is just crazy,” Forde says.</figcaption>
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<p>Forde admits there is an unknown quality about Wisconsin’s infatuation with Kwik Trip.</p><p>It seems odd, in theory, that a convenience store would inspire this level of passion. It’s utilitarian by nature — a place to fill your gas tank on the way to work and pick up a few groceries on the way back home.</p><p>Maybe that’s the point.</p><p>A relationship with a convenience store is the simplest kind of love. It is never complicated or messy, and it is always there when you need it.</p><p>“It becomes a part of people’s lives and routines,” Forde says. “I mean, if you want to get a quick snack on your wedding day, where else are you going to go?”</p><p><a data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2021-uwl-paige-forde-kwik-trip-social-media-0079.jpg/Medium" alt="Paige Forde, ’19, is the witty voice behind Kwik Trip’s social media accounts. In recent years, Kwik Trip’s brand has evolved into a symbol for the Midwestern way of life — in part thanks to effective use of marketing and social media." />
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<span class="title">Kwik quip</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:51 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Alum is the witty voice behind Wisconsin’s favorite convenience store
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/making-her-mark/Making her mark2022-02-25T17:06:30.847Z2021-07-29T10:50:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:50 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Elle Mark, ’19, was crowned Miss Minnesota 2021 in June. In addition to preparing for the 100th Miss America competition in December, Mark is using her position to reduce the stigma around mental health issues. PHOTO CREDIT: Paula Preston Photography</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Alum Elle Mark making a difference as Miss Minnesota 2021</h3>
<p>Many girls grow up dreaming of becoming a queen. For Elle Mark, that dream is reality — times three.</p><p>Mark, a May 2019 graduate with a public health and community health education major, was crowned Miss Minnesota 2021 in June. She entered the competition as the 2019-20 Miss St. Croix Valley, a title she won following her year as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest in 2018-19.</p><p>“I’ve dreamt of being Miss Minnesota since I was a young girl, but I had no idea where to start,” explains Mark. “It wasn’t until I got involved in the Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest organization that I realized how. Once I realized that I could compete for Miss Minnesota, my heart was set on making my dream a reality.”</p><p>It was the Red Wing, Minnesota, native’s first attempt at becoming Miss Minnesota. She had participated in the Miss Wisconsin pageant during her Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest reign.</p><p>Mark says her year reign in La Crosse was key in helping her find success in becoming Miss Minnesota. She learned not only the “in’s and out’s” of the Miss America Organization, but also recognized the crown and title was more of a job and less of a hobby.</p><p>“Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest is kept incredibly busy and you hit the ground running, and it’s been the same way with Miss Minnesota,” notes Mark. “You have to have plans put in place for your title before winning the crown or you’ll be behind on day one.”</p><p>Mark credits campus experiences for paving the road to her titles. On campus, she was involved in Eta Sigma Gamma (the Public Health Honorary fraternity), Love Your Melon, Kinesis Dance Theatre and the UWL Dance Team. Along with those extracurriculars, her classes pushed her to think beyond her own preconceived ideas and beliefs to understand what was happening around her.</p><p>“That type of critical thinking is crucial in preparing for the interview portion of the competition,” she says. “I also was able to do a bit of public speaking and performing in my time at UWL which helped me to develop a stronger stage presence.”</p>
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<figcaption>The moment when Elle Mark was crowned Miss Minnesota 2021. “I’ve dreamt of being Miss Minnesota since I was a young girl,” she says.</figcaption>
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<p>Besides preparing for the 100th Miss America competition in December, Mark will spend the upcoming year spreading the word about the Miss Minnesota scholarship program. She will also promote her social impact initiative, “The Campaign to Change Direction: Changing the Culture of Mental Health.” She anticipates many visits to local festivals and competitions, along with schools and Boys and Girls Clubs.</p><p>Mark was drawn toward her “5 Healthy Habits of Emotional Well-being” campaign after being diagnosed with a mental health disorder in college.</p><p>“I felt terribly alone,” she explains. “Now, I strive to be the voice for someone who may feel this same way.”</p><p>Mark was introduced to the Campaign to Change Direction while serving as Miss La Crosse /Oktoberfest and was drawn to their five habits to help prevent mental health crises.</p><p>“This appealed to me as a public health professional,” she says. “I’ve been advocating for the organization since.”</p><p>Mark is also working with the campaign’s national office to develop a health habits curriculum for students of all ages.</p><p>Despite what happens during the Miss America competition, Mark sees herself returning to school for a master’s degree in public health and epidemiology. She has earned nearly $20,000 in scholarships by competing in Miss America-sponsored events to help fund her dreams.</p><p>Mark says the opportunity to win scholarships and grow confidence in public speaking and more shows that those who say the Miss America program is only a beauty pageant don’t understand it.</p><p>“No part of the Miss America scoring judges a woman on her appearance,” she notes. “Rather, the judges look to see the impact a young woman has made on her community.”</p><p>Mark says those she has met along the way should take part in her success.</p><p>“I’m so grateful for everyone who has believed in me on this journey —including my professors and classmates,” she says. “I’m so proud to be an Eagle!”</p><h3>The Elle Mark notebook</h3><ul><li>Crowned the 85th Miss Minnesota June 25.</li><li>Competes for the title of 100<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;Miss America in December, live on NBC.</li><li>Awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships, including $10,000 from the Miss Minnesota organization upon winning the title.</li><li>Performed the song "No More Fear" from the Broadway Musical, “Freaky Friday,” as her talent.</li><li>Promotes her platform of preventing mental illness with a program of “5 Healthy Habits of Emotional Well-being.”</li><li>Often spotted at local dog parks with her rescue pup, Willmar Taffy.</li></ul><p>See her crowning:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/biib5liedo50o2j/Elle%20Crowning.mov?dl=0" data-mce-href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/biib5liedo50o2j/Elle%20Crowning.mov?dl=0">https://www.dropbox.com/s/biib5liedo50o2j/Elle%20Crowning.mov?dl=0#</a></p><p>Want Miss Minnesota at your event? Visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missminnesota.org/miss-minnesota.html" data-mce-href="https://www.missminnesota.org/miss-minnesota.html">https://www.missminnesota.org/miss-minnesota.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/elle_mark_miss_mn2.jpeg/Medium" alt="Elle Mark, ’19, was crowned Miss Minnesota 2021 in June. In addition to preparing for the 100th Miss America competition in December, Mark is using her position to reduce the stigma around mental health issues. PHOTO CREDIT: Paula Preston Photography" />
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<span class="title">Making her mark</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:50 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Alum Elle Mark making a difference as Miss Minnesota 2021
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/a-man-of-the-world/A man of the world2022-02-25T16:38:04.873Z2021-07-29T10:49:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:49 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Benjamin Levelius, '10, is a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department. His work has exposed him to all kinds of cultures, people and experiences. "It's never gotten old for me," he says. "I have yet to leave work in a bad mood."</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Alum finds fulfillment serving State Department</h3>
<p>Benjamin Levelius has never left work in a bad mood.</p><p>Levelius, ’10, is a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department and does a wide variety of diplomacy work around the world.</p><p>Recently, he spent two-plus years in Hyderabad, India, where he interviewed visa applicants, performed outreach with local schools and businesses, and helped American citizens return home amid the frenzy caused by COVID-19.</p><p>His next assignment, beginning in September, will take him to the U.S. Consulate General in Milan, Italy.</p><p>“I enjoy meeting people (and) I like to solve problems,” explains Levelius, a Stratford, Wisconsin, native. “Whether that’s assisting people traveling to the U.S. to study, assisting with family reunification, processing passports, helping destitute Americans get home or the national security aspect of rooting out fraudulent documents and preventing those with bad intentions from entering the U.S, I'm happy.”</p><p>Levelius enjoys meeting people with different stories and reasons for visiting the U.S.</p><p>“It’s never gotten old for me,” he notes.</p><p>Levelius’ career has led him on a long and winding path across the globe.</p><p>After earning his <a data-mce-href="/global-cultures-and-languages/" href="/global-cultures-and-languages/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">bachelor’s degree in Spanish education from UWL</a>, he joined the Japan Exchange Teaching Program and spent two years teaching in Japan’s northern countryside. When the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident devastated the region in March 2011, Levelius helped with disaster relief.</p><p>He returned to the U.S. a short while later, pursuing a master’s degree in global policy from the University of Maine.</p><p>After graduating, he conducted security assistance training for the U.S. Army, providing cultural programming for international military officers stationed in the U.S. This included field trips meant to emphasize the importance of human rights and the rule of law, such as visits to the Heard Museum showcasing American Indian art and history, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.</p><p>In 2018, he became a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department following a grueling application process. It included a written exam, a series of essays and an oral interview consisting of a group exercise, a written exercise and a standard interview. Finally, he underwent an extensive background check and a suitability review. The entire process took roughly a year.</p>
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<figcaption>Levelius' travels have taken him to Japan, India, Belize and — soon — Italy. His bucket list includes trips to Africa or Finland, the latter being the homeland of his paternal ancestors.</figcaption>
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<p>Despite the red tape, Levelius says his role with the State Department and his other international assignments have provided many memorable experiences.</p><p>He watched farmers in India defend their land from a troop of wild elephants looking for a snack.</p><p>He helped a Buddhist monk in Japan remove rubble from a destroyed temple after the Fukushima disaster.</p><p>And he has interviewed an array of interesting people hoping to obtain U.S. visas — everyone from Fulbright scholars and government officials to actors and actresses.</p><p>Levelius says he has come a long way since college, when he had to work a series of odd jobs to pay his way.</p><p>He hopes future assignments will bring him to Africa or Finland, the latter being the homeland of his paternal ancestors. But for now, he’s happy to work wherever the State Department sends him.</p><p>“Honestly, I milked cows, sorted steel in a factory and spent seven years working in restaurants to pay for college,” he says. “In so many ways, I'm just happy to be here and want to enjoy the ride.”&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></p>
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<span class="title">A man of the world</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:49 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Alum finds fulfillment serving State Department
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/photos-wiaa-state-track2021/Photos: WIAA State Track2022-02-25T17:01:37.487Z2021-07-29T10:47:00ZNhouchee Yanghttps://uwlax.edu/profile/nyang2/nyang2@uwlax.edu
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<span class="title">Photos: WIAA State Track</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:47 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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High school track atheletes from across Wisconsin convened at UWL for the state's largest meet of the year.
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/la-crosse-then-and-now/La Crosse then and now2022-02-25T16:38:38.077Z2021-07-29T10:46:00ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:46 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Brianna Graw, a 2021 UW-La Crosse graduate, has created a photo project illustrating how La Crosse landmarks have changed through the decades. “I grew up here in the La Crosse area, but I had never really paid much attention to the city’s many historic buildings and landmarks," she says.</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">UWL grad’s photo project shows city through the decades </h3>
<div><br></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">A photo might say a thousand words, but rarely does it capture how a community has changed over 100 years.</span></p><p><span lang="en-US">UW-La Crosse graduate Brianna Graw, ’21, set out to do exactly that with her project </span><a href="https://briannagraw.wixsite.com/briannagraw/lacrossewi" target="_blank" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" data-mce-href="https://briannagraw.wixsite.com/briannagraw/lacrossewi" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary"><span lang="en-US">"La Crosse, Wisconsin: Then &amp; Now"</span></a><span lang="en-US">&nbsp;— a collection of new and historic photographs taken in the same locations&nbsp;throughout&nbsp;the city.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“I thought it would be interesting to see how these locations have changed, or haven’t changed, from ‘then’ to ‘now,’” says Graw, who majored in marketing and minored in art, with an emphasis in photography and graphic design. “I grew up in the La Crosse area, but I had never really paid much attention to the city’s many historic buildings and landmarks.”</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Graw’s collection includes photos of 30 sites, including Grandad Bluff,&nbsp;Riverside Park,&nbsp;UWL’s&nbsp;Graff Main Hall and several locations downtown.</span>&nbsp;</p></div>
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<figcaption>La Crosse State Normal School, 1927. CREDIT: UWL Historic Photographs Collection</figcaption>
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<figcaption>UWL Graff Main Hall, 2021. CREDIT: Brianna Graw</figcaption>
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<div><p><span lang="en-US">She began her project by collecting old photographs taken by her grandfather, Ron Graw, as well as sifting through the UWL Murphy Library Digital Collections and the UWL Historic Photographs Collection.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p lang="en-US"><span lang="en-US">Once she&nbsp;selected her&nbsp;points of interest, she&nbsp;visited&nbsp;the&nbsp;locations&nbsp;with her&nbsp;digital&nbsp;camera and&nbsp;tried&nbsp;to set up the perfect shot, using the original photograph&nbsp;as a reference.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“Some&nbsp;locations&nbsp;only&nbsp;took&nbsp;three or four tries,” she notes. “While&nbsp;others, I stood there for half an hour trying to get the lighting and&nbsp;angle just right.”</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Her favorite photo is a view from Grandad Bluff. The original shot, taken in 1904, shows a well-dressed family surveying an open expanse of land — which is now occupied by neighborhoods and the north end of UWL’s campus, as shown in Graw’s version.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“To compare&nbsp;the original&nbsp;photo to what it looks like today&nbsp;is&nbsp;just crazy to think about,” she says. “It was a&nbsp;very surreal&nbsp;experience to put myself in their shoes, to stand in the same spot&nbsp;that&nbsp;they stood more than 100 years ago.”</span>&nbsp;</p></div>
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<figcaption>View from Grandad Bluff, 1904. CREDIT: UWL Murphy Library Digital Collections</figcaption>
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<figcaption>View from Grandad Bluff, 2021. CREDIT: Brianna Graw</figcaption>
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<div><p><span lang="en-US">The collection&nbsp;also&nbsp;illustrates the evolution of La Crosse’s business community.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Over the decades, the department stores that lined Fifth Avenue were replaced by offices, and the carriages that brought shoppers up and down Pearl Street were replaced by a different kind of horsepower.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">One location that is mostly unchanged is the Rivoli Theatre, where the clearest sign of the times is on the marquee, which promoted Kirk Douglas’ “For Love or Money” in 1963 and “Godzilla vs. Kong” in 2021.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Graw also included then-and-now photos with personal significance, such as her mother’s birthplace and her grandparents’ old house.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">The family element&nbsp;is particularly meaningful, she says, since it was her family who first sparked her interest in photography.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“My uncle is big into photography and design, as well as my grandpa and my dad,” Graw explains. “Growing up, they were always taking my photo and&nbsp;having me&nbsp;pose for the camera. As I grew older, that interest grew for me, too.”</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Art Professor Linda Levinson, who helped guide Graw through&nbsp;her&nbsp;project as part of a Special Projects in Photography course, says Graw was an ideal student.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“Her classmates were inspired by her process, her attention to detail and her persistent commitment to her vision,” Levinson notes. “What separates Brianna’s work from other re-photographic projects is her uncanny concept for inserting her own personal images among the historical photos, which speaks to her life in La Crosse. She transforms them from iconic events or architectural sites into projections of her psyche.”</span>&nbsp;</p></div>
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<figcaption>Graw's grandparents' old home at 28th and Cass streets. CREDIT: Ron Graw</figcaption>
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<figcaption>Graw's grandparents' old home at 28th and Cass streets. CREDIT: Brianna Graw</figcaption>
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<div><p><span lang="en-US">Throughout her time at UWL, Graw noticed the many connections between her two passions: marketing and art.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">Now, in her new role as a communications technician&nbsp;with&nbsp;the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, she’s putting both her major and&nbsp;minor to good use.</span>&nbsp;</p></div><div><p><span lang="en-US">“Initially, I wanted to&nbsp;pursue an art minor&nbsp;in addition to my&nbsp;marketing major&nbsp;because I thought it would set me apart&nbsp;from other students,” she says. “Now, after working in the industry, I truly understand how much marketing and&nbsp;design are interrelated.&nbsp;There’s so much creativity involved when&nbsp;promoting and marketing something,&nbsp;which is what&nbsp;I think&nbsp;really&nbsp;drew me to&nbsp;this career.”</span>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></p></div>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/brianna-graw.jpg/Medium" alt="Brianna Graw, a 2021 UW-La Crosse graduate, has created a photo project illustrating how La Crosse landmarks have changed through the decades. “I grew up here in the La Crosse area, but I had never really paid much attention to the city’s many historic buildings and landmarks," she says." />
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<span class="title">La Crosse then and now</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:46 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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UWL grad’s photo project shows city through the decades
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/a-bicycle-built-for-all/A bicycle built for all2022-02-25T16:39:32.733Z2021-07-29T10:45:00ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:45 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Inspired by his daughter, Rosie, UWL alum Brian McNurlen has created Madison Adaptive Cycling, a nonprofit organization raising money for a fleet of adaptive bikes that would be available for rent around Madison. </figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Alum leads fundraiser to bring adaptive bikes to Madison </h3>
<p><span data-contrast="none">For Brian&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;and his 13-year-old daughter, Rosie, the best moments happen on three wheels.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">The&nbsp;McNurlens&nbsp;have always been a biking family. However, Rosie has profound autism and physical disabilities that prevent her from riding a traditional bike.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">McNurlen’s&nbsp;solution was purchasing a two-seat, three-wheel adaptive bike that allows them to ride side by side — a pastime he’s now hoping to share with other Madison residents.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“There are a lot of people who are interested in adaptive bikes but might not be able to afford them,”&nbsp;explains&nbsp;McNurlen, who founded&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CyclingMadison/" data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/CyclingMadison/"><span data-contrast="none">Madison Adaptive Cycling</span></a><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;to help meet that need. The nonprofit organization is raising money for a fleet of adaptive bikes that would be available for rent around Madison.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“The concept would be like a library, with all kinds of adaptive bikes,” says McNurlen, ’89, psychology. “The goal is to have 20 to 30 bikes so people can ride around the Madison bike paths and just enjoy being outdoors.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">McNurlen&nbsp;has become a bit of an expert on adaptive bikes, which&nbsp;come&nbsp;in&nbsp;all kinds of variations:&nbsp;one-seaters and two-seaters,&nbsp;side-by-side, recumbent, hand-powered&nbsp;and&nbsp;motorized.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Over the years, he and Rosie have&nbsp;experimented with&nbsp;many different models — bikes they would eventually replace and resell.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“We’d get calls from all kinds of folks — one was a group that wanted to buy a bike for a returning veteran who was injured, another was for an adult relative with a&nbsp;spinal injury,”&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;notes. Since these bikes can cost several thousand dollars or more, “I thought it would be great if we made&nbsp;them&nbsp;available to people who can't buy them.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><br></p>
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<figcaption>Over the years, the pair have experimented with many different models of adaptive bikes, some costing several thousand dollars. “I thought it would be great if we made them available to people who can't buy them,” McNurlen says.</figcaption>
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<p><span data-contrast="none">He&nbsp;started the group&nbsp;in&nbsp;spring 2021,&nbsp;after months of planning,&nbsp;modeling it after a similar organization in the Twin Cities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Madison Adaptive Cycling&nbsp;had&nbsp;its&nbsp;coming out party at&nbsp;Madison’s&nbsp;Ride the Drive community biking event in June. There,&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;was able to spread the word about the group — passing out T-shirts and business cards, and drawing attention to the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://madisonadaptivecycling.wedid.it/" data-mce-href="https://madisonadaptivecycling.wedid.it/"><span data-contrast="none">online fundraiser</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“This was really the first time we were out and about and able to talk with folks,”&nbsp;he&nbsp;says. “We’ll be focused on fundraising throughout the summer, and by the end of the summer, we’re hoping to have at least two or three bikes that we can show off.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">By this time next year,&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;hopes those two or three bikes will have grown into a small fleet.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">He is even partnering with Cargo Bike Shop in Madison, which has agreed to store and maintain the bikes&nbsp;once they arrive.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">McNurlen, an IT manager at UW-Madison, says biking in all its forms holds a special place in his heart.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">His daughter’s autism and disabilities make it difficult for her to get consistent exercise.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">She’s not a fan of going on walks, and after a brief phase when she enjoyed swimming, she gave that up, too.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Biking,&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;says, is&nbsp;a completely different experience.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“Biking is the thing she consistently wants to do,” he notes. “I love being able to sit next to her on our bike and just have a conversation with her. It’s a really enjoyable social interaction, plus you’re getting some exercise at the same time.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">When they’re out on the paths, Rosie is known to make quite a bit of noise in her excitement. It’s a feeling,&nbsp;McNurlen&nbsp;says, that seems to be infectious.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“My daughter can be pretty loud, so people usually hear us coming from behind and go: ‘What on earth is that?’” he says. “When we pass them and they can see how happy she looks and what&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;actually doing,&nbsp;they&nbsp;can’t help but smile or wave. It’s really cool to see.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong><span data-contrast="none">More information</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">For more information about Madison Adaptive Cycling, follow the group on&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CyclingMadison/" data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/CyclingMadison/"><span data-contrast="none">Facebook</span></a><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;or&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/CyclingMadison?fbclid=IwAR0-E2Ro0C20HzThsmCP5eka7q3-MEPZo3SK5lIZyKxcIHj9zAaGpEn1K0U" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/CyclingMadison?fbclid=IwAR0-E2Ro0C20HzThsmCP5eka7q3-MEPZo3SK5lIZyKxcIHj9zAaGpEn1K0U"><span data-contrast="none">Twitter</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">To make a tax-deductible&nbsp;contribution&nbsp;to the group,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://madisonadaptivecycling.wedid.it/" data-mce-href="https://madisonadaptivecycling.wedid.it/"><span data-contrast="none">click here</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">To learn how UWL is supporting adaptive exercise opportunities in the community,&nbsp;</span><a href="/news/posts/125-million-grant/" data-mce-href="/news/posts/125-million-grant/"><span data-contrast="none">click here</span></a><span data-contrast="none">.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none"><a href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></span></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/img_20190602_1304375272.jpg/Medium" alt="Inspired by his daughter, Rosie, UWL alum Brian McNurlen has created Madison Adaptive Cycling, a nonprofit organization raising money for a fleet of adaptive bikes that would be available for rent around Madison. " />
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<span class="section details">
<span class="title">A bicycle built for all</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:45 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Alum leads fundraiser to bring adaptive bikes to Madison
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/a-love-of-learning-lives-on/A love of learning lives on2022-02-25T16:45:02.453Z2021-07-29T10:44:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:44 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Alums Kristine Mason (left) and her partner, Jane Schley, during a bike ride in the 1990s. After Mason died in 2001 at age 50, Schley established a scholarship fund in her honor, supporting School of Education students with a financial need.</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Kristine A. Mason Scholarship Fund supports SOE students with a financial need</h3>
<p>Some people leave a mark that lingers long after they’re gone.</p><p>Kristine Mason was one of those people.</p><p>Mason, ’73 &amp; ’79, had an impactful career as a media specialist in the Eau Claire Area School District, inspiring hundreds of students — many from underprivileged backgrounds — to love reading and learning.&nbsp;</p><p>Mason died in 2001 at age 50, but her spirit lives on through the&nbsp;<a href="https://uwlax.academicworks.com/donors/jane-schley-is-the-benefactor-for-the-kristine-mason-scholarship" data-mce-href="https://uwlax.academicworks.com/donors/jane-schley-is-the-benefactor-for-the-kristine-mason-scholarship">Kristine A. Mason Scholarship Fund</a>, which supports&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/soe/" data-mce-href="/soe/">School of Education students</a>&nbsp;with a financial need.</p><p>“I look forward to making those gifts every year,” says Jane Schley, ’78, Mason’s longtime partner and the benefactor of the scholarship fund. “Kris was an amazing woman who loved learning. She came from a poor family. It’s nice to know that she will live on through the gifts, and that because of the scholarship fund, students don’t have to go through the financial hardship she went through.”</p><p>Schley and Mason first discussed the idea of creating a scholarship fund when they were young women.</p><p>They had met at UWL’s Sanford Hall in 1974, when Schley was a first-year student and Mason was a graduate student.&nbsp;</p><p>They were close friends and excellent students, but neither had an easy path to a degree. They each struggled financially, especially Mason, who had taken a few years between her bachelor’s and master’s programs so she could save enough money to make it through school.</p><p>After graduating and settling into their careers, the couple began looking for ways to give back.</p><p>“I told her to imagine that a student working three jobs can apply for a scholarship from someone like you — a person who loves kids and loves reading and loves nature,” Schley explains. “She thought it was a great idea, but she died before we could set up a fund.”</p><p>Mason left an indelible mark at Longfellow Elementary School in Eau Claire, where she was the library’s media specialist.&nbsp;</p><p>Before the internet made lesson plans and teaching practices easy to share, Mason independently developed two programs that would spread nationwide.</p><p>First, she used a Microsoft community technology grant to develop a program in which Longfellow students taught senior citizens how to use a computer, and the seniors used their new skills to share their stories with the Chippewa Valley Museum. She presented on this approach at two national conferences: one at Microsoft headquarters in Seattle and another in Washington, D.C.</p><p>Second, after lamenting that many students returned to locked or empty houses after school, she created Longfellow’s “The Lighted School House” after-school program and hosted it in the library. The program provided a safe place where students could have a snack and receive homework help from volunteers, rather than return to an uncertain situation at home.</p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/kristinemason.png/Large" alt="" />
<figcaption>Kristine Mason, '73 & '79, was a beloved media specialist at Longfellow Elementary School in Eau Claire</figcaption>
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<div class="post-content lists"><div class="list-item-1"><p>“She was a visionary,” Schley says. “She was always thinking about what was best for kids.”</p><p>Now, Schley is sharing Mason’s love of learning with future generations of educators.</p><p>Over the past two decades, the Kristine A. Mason Scholarship Fund has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to dozens of School of Education students — many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the classroom.&nbsp;</p><p>One of the best parts of funding the scholarships, Schley says, is the chance to meet the recipients and tell stories about what a wonderful person her partner was.</p><p>“I remember the day I knew I was in love with Kris. I was walking from Sanford to North Hall, and I had to look down to make sure my feet were touching the ground,” Schley says. “When I meet these students and they announce these gifts, I get the same feeling. It’s like walking on air.”</p><p><a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021" data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=August+2021">Read more stories from the August eLantern.</a></p></div></div>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/jane--kris---biking.jpg/Medium" alt="Alums Kristine Mason (left) and her partner, Jane Schley, during a bike ride in the 1990s. After Mason died in 2001 at age 50, Schley established a scholarship fund in her honor, supporting School of Education students with a financial need." />
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<span class="section details">
<span class="title">A love of learning lives on</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:44 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Thursday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Kristine A. Mason Scholarship Fund supports SOE students with a financial need
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<span class="read">Read<span class="sr-only"> more about A love of learning lives on</span></span>
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