When UW-System reconstruction was announced, students at what was formerly the University of Wisconsin-Rock County did not know what to expect.

   “I was honestly confused,” said Jacob Zweig, who is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County. “At first I thought I had to go to Whitewater, I didn’t know you could just change the name of a college, I had no idea what was going on.”

   Now, after almost a full semester under their belts, UW-Whitewater at Rock County students are adjusting to their new identity.

   “They went through and changed a lot of the signs around campus, everything does look a little bit different,” UW-W at Rock County sophomore Dom Pickart said. “It has started to make more sense to tell people that I go to Whitewater in Rock County, it was a really weird thing to explain at first.”

   Administration and faculty at both universities had high hopes for the relationship between the two campuses, and the students at Rock County say they can see the effort that’s gone into the reconstruction.

   “It feels like they [Whitewater Administration] really do care about us even though we’re here at a different campus,” said Zweig. “I think people here do feel like a part of UW-Whitewater, everyone has put a lot of work into that.”

   Being a part of UW-W has also given some more opportunities to students at Rock County, such as sitting as a part of the Whitewater Student Government, or even simply getting updated jerseys.

   “When our purple jerseys came in I was weirdly excited,” Pickart, who plays on the UW-W at Rock County basketball team said. “It felt like a new start with new energy, it’s exciting to have that.”

   Students at UW-W at Rock County are becoming acquainted with their new identity, and they’re looking forward to college as members of the Whitewater family.

   “I am glad we became a part of UW-Whitewater, it gives Rock County a different feel and energy,” Zweig said. “In the end I love being a Warhawk.”