The PGSC is currently working with the department to make improvements to the grad student lounge, and we want your input on what to do.

• We invite you to come to discuss potential improvements on Monday, December 3rd at 2pm in the Grad Lounge (Chamberlin 3339).
• If you can’t make it to the meeting, but would still like to offer suggestions for how to improve the lounge, please fill out this survey: goo.gl/forms/lOi8S9ev3gi5BnD32.
• We are going to start throwing away old junk that no one uses. If there is something in the grad lounge that is yours or that you want to make sure is not thrown away, please mark it with a sticky note with your name on it (so we can contact you if other people feel it should be thrown out). We are going to start throwing stuff away next week, so act now. The department does not clean the grad lounge for us, so if we want it to be clean, we have to do it ourselves. Regarding the OLD ping pong table: If you bought it, know who bought it, or want it, please contact sorensen3@wisc.edu by Thursday, December 6th. If no one has claimed it by then, it will be thrown out.

Here is a quick update of where we stand so far:

The PGSC learned that there are funds available to make significant improvements to the grad student lounge, including things like new furniture, appliances, paint, etc. Since none of us are interior designers, we asked Aimee Lefkow to contact the person who designed the new undergrad physics club room on the 2nd floor. The interior designer, Kerry, has put together a first draft for the new room layout (see the attached images). It is now our turn to send Kerry feedback so she can begin working on the next draft. There are some issues with the first draft (such as the lack of space for the ping pong table), but there are also a lot of good ideas that we can build off of moving forward.

Best wishes,
Susan Sorensen
PGSC 4th+ Year Representative

The Professional Development Committee has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the university to bring in a speaker! Thanks to those who put in hard working writing the application! The event will be in the spring semester. Expect details to follow.

Every Wednesday at 2:30PM, come to the graduate student lounge to socialize with your fellow students over cookies, coffee, and tea!

Friday, August 24 will be the first annual physics graduate student welcome picnic. The picnic will be put on by the Physics Graduate Student Council (PGSC) an opportunity to welcome new graduate students and catch up with friends and colleagues.

What: Fall welcome picnic
Where: James Madison Park Shelter (eastern end of park)
When: Friday, August 24th at 6pm

Please fill out the following form as soon as possible if you plan on attending, so that we can have an accurate estimate for how much food to bring: CLICK HERE!

The picnic will be a potluck-style event. The PGSC will be providing essential barbecue items including burgers, brats, and some vegetarian options. You are encouraged to bring additional food/drinks, as well as lawn and board games. Here is a guideline for suggested item based on your year — this is a rough guideline and by no means a strict requirement:

• First: none – just come and enjoy!
• Second: additional main course
• Third: snacks & sides
• Fourth: beverages (glass and alcohol are prohibited by the parks department)
• Fifth and above: dessert

Additionally, there will be a donation jar at the event to help pay for main course items up-fronted by the PGSC. We will have limited cooler space. We are not permitted to have alcohol in the park.

As of 5/22/18, following several weeks of planning meetings and opportunities for feedback and discussion among all physics graduate students, we have come to an agreement on this organizational structure and this constitution for our new Physics Graduate Student Council. For the sake of demonstrating broad support, physics graduate students are asked to add their name to this petition if they support the creation of the PGSC. NOTE: TO ADD YOUR NAME, YOU MUST SIGN IN TO GOOGLE DOCS USING YOUR UW NET ID. Once a majority of graduate students have signed, we will begin nominations and elections.

Thanks everyone who attended planning meeting 5. We talked about some of the specifics of the organizational structure and bylaws (notes can be found here and here), then agreed on a timeline for the next few weeks. Based on members’ stated goals at the first two meetings, and the fact that the department is beginning to move forward on some issues that could benefit from PGSC input, we wanted a schedule that would allow for elections to occur towards the beginning of the summer rather than the end. The plan we agreed on is to work on drafting bylaws for the next two weeks (understanding that with finals and the qual, many people will be very busy), then reserve half a week to a week for a last call for feedback from grad students, then a week for a petition for all grad students’ support, then a week to allow potential officers to declare their candidacy, then hold elections from 6/4-6/8.

Thanks to those who attended planning meeting 4. The details of which tasks should be performed by what positions was discussed.

White-board notes:

John Boguski’s notes