WHYSCONSIN
What is THE Wisconsin Song?
Is there a song that represents or unifies the state? Is it 'On, Wisconsin!'? Bon Iver? Liberace? We got music journalists and historians to weigh in.
This story is part of Wisconsin Life and WPR's WHYsconsin project. What have you always wondered about Wisconsin, its people or its culture that you want WHYsconsin to look into? You ask the questions, and we find the answers!
LATEST STORIES
The Legacy of Dr. James Cameron: Founder of America’s Black Holocaust Museum
In Milwaukee’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood, a museum is resurrecting.
America’s Black Holocaust Museum was founded in 1988, closed in 2008, and transformed into an online museum. Now, a new physical museum stands, waiting to welcome visitors from around the world.
The Lands We Share: Danell Cross & Metcalfe Park Legacy Garden
Metcalfe Park Legacy Garden in Milwaukee has transformed several vacant lots into a vibrant place for community gatherings and education. The garden is overseen by the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges organization and GroundWork Milwaukee, which provides modest stipends for neighborhood kids to work on the garden in the summer months.
Comedian Brings Dorkdom, Stand-Up Back To Milwaukee
Jackie Kashian fell hard for comedy while attending University of Wisconsin-Madison, but the elements were there while growing up in South Milwaukee….NOT Milwaukee.
“I have been explaining to people that South Milwaukee is its own town in between Cudahy and Oak Creek with its own water treatment plant.
Pinball Sees Resurgence As Children Of The 80s, 90s Come Of Age
On the third Thursday of each month, pinball enthusiasts from across Madison converge at I/O Arcade Bar to get lost in the world of flippers, multiballs and free games.
The growing popularity of arcade bars is hard to ignore.
Ice Fishing Joins The World Of High School Sports
A classic Wisconsin activity is making its ways into the world of high school sports. Ice fishing teams are popping up in schools across the state.
January 5th marked the first high school ice fishing tournament of 2019 at Bone Lake in Luck, Wisconsin.
Irish Road Bowlers Compete on Backroads of La Crosse County
The sound of a two-pound cannonball skipping across the pavement is unique and unmistakable. The cadence grows louder as the ball draws near and drifts into the surroundings shortly after whizzing by.
UW-Madison Researchers Study Coyotes In The City
Coyotes have moved into areas within the Madison city limits. What does that mean for human and canid coexistence? Researchers are trying to find out through the UW-Madison Urban Canid Project.
Sister’s Accordion Sparks Mother’s Ire
January is National Polka Month. And what better place to commemorate this iconic sound than in Wisconsin, where the polka is our state dance? To celebrate, poet Susan Firer shares a poem about her sister’s accordion and her mother’s irritation.
Joni Mitchell Skates On Lake Mendota—And Into Music History
This story brings together a mid-winter ice storm, the southeast shore of Lake Mendota in Madison, ice skating, and a series of photographs that became a record album cover. Dean Robbins takes us back in time to a cold February photo session on the bleak frozen lake.
The Full Moon Faux Pas
The super blood wolf moon is coming! While this sounds creepy, it’s actually just a close-up lunar eclipse that turns the moon red from the Earth’s shadow. As people prepare to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon early next week, it got writer Chris Hardie reflecting on another type of spectacle: his very own full moon faux pas.
Musician Adapts To Limb Difference, Works With Kids
Tony Memmel is a Waukesha native who is living his passion: a career in music. He plays guitar and piano, writes and records his original music, tours the country playing gigs, and works with kids – teaching music and spreading his message of positivity and perseverance.
The Lands We Share: Drew Dettmann
In the 1950s, there were over 100,000 dairy farms in Wisconsin. Today, fewer than 10,000 remain.
The Dettmann family, descendants of German immigrants, established a small dairy farm in Johnson Creek in 1902.
