ONLINE: The UW Now

press release: Stream at the WAA YouTube channel.

Oct. 20: This weekend, Big Ten football will kick off its most unusual season ever. What safety protocols are in place to protect student athletes? What will it be like for them to play in a nearly empty stadium? How do sports contribute to social morale during difficult times?

Join fellow UW alumni and friends online as we talk with two key sports figures about the logistics of starting a football season amid a pandemic. The talk will be moderated by Mike Knetter, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.

Our Guests:

Chris McIntosh is the deputy athletic director at UW–Madison. He was a consensus All-American offensive tackle and Outland Trophy finalist for the Badgers in 1999. He captained Wisconsin’s back-to-back Big Ten and Rose Bowl champions in 1998 and 1999 and started 50 straight games during his college career. He was a first-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks in 2000 and played in Seattle for three seasons.

Matt Lepay has been known as the radio voice for Badgers men’s basketball since 1988 and Badgers football since 1994. He also hosts the weekly Badger Sports Report show. He’s a seven-time winner of the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year Award and an inductee in the Madison Hall of Fame Club.

More info: https://www.allwaysforward.org/uwnow/. A recording of this livestream will be available on uwalumni.com after the event.

WFAA plans to host The UW Now Livestream weekly, featuring UW–Madison faculty and staff with unique expertise.

The pandemic has changed consumer spending habits practically overnight. From a surge in demand for baking ingredients and masks to the sudden halt of brick-and-mortar shopping, these changes have dramatically impacted our retail and service landscapes — and the jobs that go with them. What trends can we expect to see as the situation progresses? How might changes in consumerism during the pandemic reflect a larger shift in our social values?

The pandemic has changed the way many people and businesses think about the spaces we occupy. Many are also struggling to hold on to the spaces they have amid major economic changes. What could all this mean for the future real estate market? Will we need more commercial space to ensure safe distance between workers — or will the market for office space crash as more companies opt to have employees work remotely? Will people flee high-density lifestyles and urban areas that rely on public transit? Or will a vaccine get us back to normal?