Photo evidence proves Badger alumni show their spirit all over the world
In Kurgan, Russia, 8,246 miles away from the statue of Abe Lincoln on Bascom Hill at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a group of college students sang “On, Wisconsin!” to celebrate Badger Spirit Day on April 23.
Their leader was Brett Schilke ’08, whose video entry of the performance took this year’s grand prize in the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Badger Spirit Day contest. Schilke teaches the students at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations in Kurgan and incorporated the fight song into his lesson plans.
“We set it up as part of our classes for a few weeks, even making sure they learned the fist pumps for the ‘U-rah-rah’ ending,” Schilke said. “They did an awesome job and they were pumped for it. It was a lot of fun.”
Alumni and friends submitted more than 70 photos in the photo contest for 2010 Badger Spirit Day, an opportunity for Badgers everywhere to wear red and white and showcase the valuable role that UW graduates play in the work force and in communities around the world.
Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad Strasburg ’96 of Cadott, Wis., won a Badger Spirit Award for a photo snapped as he was training his K-9, Bailey. Strasburg helped form the county’s K-9 unit three years ago, and today, Strasburg and Bailey partner on a range of duties, from searching and tracking lost or missing persons or suspects to drug detection and crime deterrence strategies.
Not only does Strasburg put his UW education to work to serve and protect Wisconsin citizens, but Bailey has his own UW–Madison connection: he received dental repairs from the expert team at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
A prize for Best Celebrity Cameo went to Greg Stewart ’01 of Chicago, who submitted a photo of himself and Everlast, lead rapper of the hip-hop group House of Pain, which is best known on campus for the Camp Randall rouser, “Jump Around.” Stewart found himself backstage with Everlast while working in special events management in Chicago, and reports that upon seeing video of jumping Badger football fans, Everlast called the stadium-shaking phenomenon “amazing.”
The Wisconsin Alumni Association awarded prize packages to dozens of alumni who sent photos from their homes and businesses in Wisconsin, across the nation and places around the globe. All Badger Spirit Day photos are available here.
Other prizes included:
- Badger Spirit Award: The cast of Sweeney Todd, submitted by Cynthia Marty ’84 and Greg Zerkle ’79 of San Diego, Calif.;
- Badger Spirit Award: UW Credit Union Pirates in Madison;
- Badger Spirit Award: Surgery Spirit, submitted by Sarah Spelsberg ’95 of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Most Spirited Scrubs: Hawkeye Country, submitted by Benjamin Van Raalte MD’82 of Bettendorf, Iowa;
- Largest Group: Lathrop Hall 150th Celebration, submitted by Nancy Nelson MS’72 of Evansville, Wis.;
- Largest Group, Second Place: Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation, Madison;
- Largest Group, Third Place: Bemis Company Inc., Oshkosh;
- Al Capone Memorial Award: Northside Community Bank in Riverwoods, Ill., submitted by Alison Randall ’07 of Deerfield, Ill., and Kimberly Garcia ’07 of Palatine, Ill.;
- Best Rock Band: Future Badgers, submitted by WAA member Deb Steuck ’95 of Lodi, Wis.; and
- Converting Gophers to Badgers Award: Wildwood Elementary School, submitted by Gretchen Brunner ’85 of Mahtomedi, Minn., and Jean Oswald ’92 of St. Paul, Minn.