We are finally at that lovely point in the semester when the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB) puts on a great event by the name of COW. Now you may be wondering… COW? Will WASB be taking me to a farm? Am I about to be starting a side hustle in the dairy industry? Should I be worried about being lactose intolerant?
Have no fear! Conversations on Wisconsin, otherwise known as COW, is one of WASB’s signature events in which students are able to sign up for a conversation with UW Madison alumni, professors, or faculty to have productive and meaningful talk about a specific area of interest, the Wisconsin experience, life after college, or anything in between. Historically, the event has been called Dinners on Wisconsin, and the main idea was for students to go to a host’s home and have conversations over dinner. However, the event has shifted and evolved to accommodate more hosts and more types of conversations, and COW locations can now include local Madison establishments or virtual conversations on Zoom. With all this being said, we would like to highlight some of our hosts for this semester.
One of our hosts, Megan Lasure, hosted a COW on Public Health and Applied Epidemiology. Megan is the Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiologist with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (DPH) through their Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Program. In this role she performs state and regional surveillance for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). These organisms spread in healthcare settings, can cause severe infections, and are difficult to treat with existing drugs. She graduated in 2011 from UW–Madison, double majoring in Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Biology. She then obtained her Master of Public Health from UW in 2014. Megan’s conversation was on Thursday, November 10th at 6:00 PM at Michaelangelo’s Cafe on State Street! She loved chatting with you about any common or uncommon interests! Thanks for hanging with Megan!
Another one of our hosts is Susan Cook, who will be hosting a COW on Thinking about American Music Locally, Nationally, and Transnationally. Music historian Susan C. Cook has been on the faculty of the UW-Madison since 1991 and is in her tenth year as director of the Mead Witter School of Music. Her research focuses on American musics of all kinds and demonstrates her commitment to feminist methodologies, interdisciplinary cultural criticism, and to demonstrating the power of music to create meaningful change. Susan’s conversation was on Thursday, November 10th at 7:00 PM at the Sunroom Cafe on State Street! Susan loved engaging in meaningful conversation with everyone who signed up!
The last of our hosts that we will highlight is a pair of alumni, Annie and Ryan Panzer, who talked about Becoming an Educator, Careers in Tech, Side Hustles, and the Importance of Being Adaptive and Creative in your Career Journey. Annie Wilcox Panzer is a high school science teacher at Madison Memorial. She graduated with an education degree in 2011. Annie has taught middle and high school science classes, including integrated science, astronomy, and forensic science. She is passionate about ensuring all students receive a high quality science education! Ryan Panzer (2011, History and Psychology) leads a learning and development organization at Uber. Having received a master's in theology after his time at UW, he also writes and speaks to church groups about technology for ministry. Annie and Ryan were both trombone players in the UW Marching Band from 2006-2011. Annie and Ryan’s COW was on Thursday, November 10th at 6:00 PM at their home. Those who signed up learned about a variety of topics and insights about careers and life after college!
So why do students enjoy COW? What can be taken away from attending a COW? A student attended a COW in a retired professor’s home last year, and had this to say about the experience: “Conversations on Wisconsin was one of my favorite events that WASB put on last year. A small group of us went to a retired professor’s house and we were greeted with nothing but hospitality and love! He and his wife cooked us a fantastic meal, and we got the opportunity to talk about our experiences at UW and hear his perspective through the eyes of an old faculty member. I was having trouble writing a paper for an ethnic studies class I was in and didn’t know how to go about asking my professor about it. He guided me through the process and assured me that talking to the professor would show that I was dedicated and wanted to grow in my studies. His advice truly helped me. This is such a unique experience, and I’m so glad I got to attend a COW!”
Another student, Luke Youngdahl, said, “Conversations on Wisconsin has been one of my favorite events I have attended as a student on campus. My sophomore year I attended COW virtually with a linguistics professor. It was so interesting to learn about a topic I would’ve never really looked into. We talked about different pronunciations of words depending on geographical location and dove into midwestern speech patterns. I guarantee there is a topic to interest anybody who wants to sign up. Check it out and learn something new in the process.”
And there you have it! If you’re wondering if you should participate in COW, this is your sign to do it. We always have hosts that are sure to fit your interests in some way, and regardless of interests, are eager to talk to students about any topic relating to being a student at UW or living your life out in the world.
If you missed your chance at attending a COW this year, don’t worry – this is a biannual event we host once per semester, so keep an eye out for COW's Spring semester 2023.
By Anna Staresnic
Conversations On Wisconsin Co-Chair