8:00 – Spirit picked up the participants at their housing. The participants were all excited to see a new city! Kailei and Hope handed out Spirit swag and hand warmers. Both were a big hit and helped to keep everyone warm on Spirit’s first ever Madison trip in the winter.
10:00 – Everyone arrived in Madison and headed to the capitol for a tour. The capitol building was gorgeous. Participants were taking picture after picture of the amazing architecture and beautiful details. We learned the state mascot is a badger and the capitol building will be 100 years old this year. The participants asked questions about the government and building. They asked questions such as “how does the court system work?” and “does every state have a building like this?” The participants were amazed by the differences between the governments in their countries and the American government.
12:00 – We headed to the University of Wisconsin campus to eat at one of their dining halls, Union South. The participants were able to choose from a wide variety of foods. There were sandwiches, soup, pizza, and much more! The brisket sandwich was a favorite among the students.
1:00 – After a delicious lunch, everyone met for the campus tour. We were led by a tour guide around to different buildings and locations on campus to learn about the rich traditions at the University of Wisconsin. Their football stadium holds up to 81,000 people and is full most games! The participants asked many questions including ones about the different majors, the cost, and what day to day life looks like for an American student. Many participants were shocked by the massive size of the school and how much just one semester costs to attend.
2:30 – After the tour, participants were given time to take pictures and look around the University Bookstore. The bookstore was filled with University of Wisconsin clothing, souvenirs, and even office supplies! It was the first few days of class at the university so the bookstore was very busy with students buying books and preparing for the semester.
3:00 – Everyone boarded the bus to head back to the Wisconsin Dells. The bus was buzzing with talk of the tours and Madison. Many participants were already making plans to come back to Madison to see a basketball game or to walk around the downtown.
4:00 – We arrived back to the Dells with the excitement of having experienced a new city. The participants all had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the city of Madison.