Lawrence University is a tough school to go to. The professors and classes are tough, and they make you work very hard. Finals, however, can be one of the hardest times of the term. As students, especially during spring term, we are running on fumes trying to make it through our last week of classes and then finals, before finally making it to summer break. It is an extremely exhausting time, and it can be hard to catch a break and relax mentally. Lawrence has several different things they do to help make the end of the terms better. For instance, last term they had a Hawaiian themed day in the Commons where they had several different traditional Hawaiian meals available, as well as a snow cone stand! However, spring term can be even tougher for us students. We’re tired, exhausted, and just ready to leave! However, there is one thing that makes campus much more exciting for us! LUaroo!
LUaroo is a Lawrence University music festival that occurs on campus at the end of every spring term. It usually occurs Memorial weekend and is always a blast! Every spring term, it is held outdoors on the quad. It usually starts around 12 pm and goes into the late evening (until around 11 pm) on Saturday and Sunday. Throughout the weekend, many different student groups and individuals perform at LUaroo each year. Several student groups that performed this year are Awake for Birds, Jamil & the Litterbox Kids, The Burnstein Boys, and Daniel Green. However, there aren’t just student groups performing. There are several touring bands and duos that are booked as well. These groups usually perform later in the evening though. It can all be a ton of fun though! You can enjoy the music whether you like dancing or not. Many people simply kick off their shoes and just enjoy the sun while they listen to the music.
However, listening to the different groups perform isn’t the only thing you can do at LUaroo. There are always different summer games that people can play behind the stage on the quad. For instance, there is a beach volleyball court that people can play in. You can also throw balls or frisbees around on the quad. The area behind the sound tent is actually reserved specifically for people playing games like that! However, games and music aren’t the only things available at LUaroo. The café, which offers a lot of different food normally, adds a lot of new stuff to buy just for LUaroo weekend. For instance, for LUaroo this year, the café is selling walking tacos! Having tried some myself, I can vouch that they are delicious! They are basically normal tacos but mixed in a Fritos bag! They are delicious and easy to walk around with; the perfect festival food! LUaroo also offers something for the students over 21 year old; a beer garden. Students over the age of 21 can purchase and drink beer in the beer garden from 3-9 pm. They also sell many other things at LUaroo, such as sunscreen, glitter and glow sticks! One thing they don’t sell at LUaroo though are plastic water bottles, in an attempt to reduce waste. Overall, LUaroo is a really fun way to de-stress and have fun before finals, and a great part of Lawrence culture!
