Ask Bucky

Ask Bucky

Do you have questions? Ask Bucky has answers! Ask Bucky is a service provided by the Campus Information and Visitor Center — your one-stop shop for information about the UW–Madison campus and surrounding community, and your centralized source for off-campus housing listings. E-mail Bucky at askbucky@redgym.wisc.edu. Below are two questions Ask Bucky recently answered.

Q I am inquiring about a possible Civil War re-enactment/encampment at Camp Randall sometime in July. Do you have any information about this?

A Sure! But first, let me share with you some interesting facts about the historic Camp Randall area. According to Arthur Hove’s, “The University of Wisconsin: A Pictorial History,” Camp Randall was an important training ground for 70,000 Wisconsin troops throughout the Civil War and also was a hospital and Confederate prison. The university purchased Camp Randall in 1893 as a site for men’s athletics and constructed a grandstand in 1896 for various events. The Camp Randall Memorial Arch was dedicated in 1912 in remembrance of the troops who had trained there. The permanent stadium replaced the grandstand in 1916. Since then, the stadium has undergone a number of renovations that have increased the seating capacity and made the venue more fan-friendly.

Currently, the stadium is undergoing a $108 million renovation with the No. 1 priority being improving fan amenities. The project is scheduled for completion in August, with the dedication planned for the opening game against Bowling Green on Sept. 3. To learn more about the renovation or Camp Randall in general, visit http://www.uwbadgers.com/facilities/camp_randall/.

As far as the Camp Randall Civil War re-enactment, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum has hosted such events in the past. The events are not university-sponsored, but are held on campus because of the site’s obvious significance. The next Civil War encampment is being planned for summer 2006. For more information, contact the Wisconsin Veterans Museum by phone at 267-1799 or via e-mail at Veterans. Museum@dva.state.wi.us. You also can visit the Web site at http://museum.dva.state.wi.us.

Q I have heard there is a Web site where students rate courses and the professors who taught them. Can you tell me how or where to access this?

A Associated Students of Madison (ASM), the student government at UW–Madison, has course and instructor evaluations on its Web site at http://www.asm.wisc.edu/. Follow the link to “Course Evaluations.” The evaluations are based on student feedback without input from university administration or individual departments. Although a student’s experience in a class is based on many factors and some students may enjoy a particular class more than others, this Web site can be useful to students when making their course choices. Instructors also enjoy using this site to view the informal feedback.