MyLU Insider

Lauren Erlandson

Author: Lauren Erlandson

Puerto Rico Relief Drive

Dear Lawrentians,

Almost four weeks after Hurricane Maria barreled through Puerto Rico, the island and its people continue to be subsumed in misery and desperation:

more than 85% of Puerto Ricans do not have electricity; approximately 40% do not have running water; those who do cannot drink it as that water is contaminated; many lack access to food, medication, and fuel due to island-wide shortages; approximately 50% have no access to communications; many are experiencing health crises as hospitals are unable to provide effective care.

Many logistical challenges have prevented aid (e.g. clean water, food, and medicine) from getting into the hands of Puerto Ricans. In response to this challenge, three student organizations–Lawrence International, ¡VIVA!, and Alianza—and the Spanish Department formed a coalition and identified four island-based grassroots organizations that are effectively and efficiently delivering aid to those who need it most. We are now asking for your help in supporting these organizations.

Please see the attached poster.  If you would like to support one or more of these organizations, follow the “click here” prompts directly next to the organization name. The links lead to sites that will enable you to send aid or make a donation. Clicking on the names of the organizations to the left, will provide more information on each of the organizations on the list.

We hope you are able to join us in sending relief aid to our fellow U.S. citizens, and we also invite you to share this poster with your friends, family and colleagues.

If you have any questions, please contact us via email at luprdrive@gmail.com.

Thank you all for your generosity,

Spanish Department
¡VIVA!
Alianza
Lawrence International

Cultural Competency Lecture Series-Oct 18 Event

Antisemitism and Intersectionality: Understanding the Subtleties of Anti-Jewish Oppression and Jewish Privilege

Postdoctoral Fellow of Jewish Studies Elliot Ratzman

What and where is antisemitism today? Jews are an admired, powerful, and successful—mostly white—subgroup within the US, yet antisemitism persists: Jews are targeted by the alt-right, seen as racially other, and subject to periodic violence. On the left, outrage over the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has led to robust boycott campaigns and made the Palestinian cause highly-visible on campuses and in protest movements regarding racism and policing. When does Israel-critique become antisemitism? Ratzman will argue for the importance of attending to antisemitism for intersectional analysis and activism, and help clarify how we can identify and distinguish antisemitism from anti-Israelism.

Join us October 18, 2017 in the Esch Hurvis Room (225) from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Find us online and on social media!
go.lawrence.edu/diversityoffice and
www.facebook.com/odi.lawrence

The new virtual tour is live!

After months of hard work, we are delighted to officially announce the launch of the new 360-degree virtual tour! The virtual walking tour is an immersive interactive user experience, and we look forward to using it to engage with prospective students, parents, alumni and the community. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Each visitor can curate their own tour experience with easy-to-use navigational tools and optional audio descriptions—voiced by a Lawrence student—of each building and points of interest on campus. They can also use the buttons integrated throughout the tour to contact admissions, schedule visits or apply online.

We built the tour to allow easy updates of the content and improve the quality of the tour. (Now that students have returned, we will be swapping out the current images with a livelier campus. We will also let everyone know when Björklunden and London Centre are added!)

I encourage all faculty and staff to take a virtual tour of the campus and provide me with your questions, comments and feedback. Our next step is to announce the tour to the alumni and Board of Trustees before announcing the tour to the general public, so we would love to hear your feedback and make any necessary adjustments first.

A special thanks to the team for their hard work all summer on this project:

Jay Dansand, Larry Darling, Christopher Gore-Gammon, David Jaglowski, Garrett Katerzynske, David Jaglowski, James Sweetack, Matt Schmeltzer and Ben Willard.

We hope you enjoy the tour.

Lauren Erlandson, Director of Digital Communications

New crosswalk cameras on College Avenue designed to improve pedestrian safety

In an effort to improve personal safety, Lawrence University, in collaboration with the city of Appleton, has acquired and is installing high-definition cameras on the two crosswalks on College Ave. in the middle of campus.

The high-definition cameras will be mounted in the median behind the pedestrian crossing signs and will be able to capture a higher level of detail at the crossings to assist the Appleton Police Department in an investigation should an incident arise.

Captured video information will be stored for 72 hours – the same as all other traffic cameras within the city – and is only reviewed if needed for evidence in an accident or harassment incident.

Lawrence is covering the purchase cost of the cameras while the city will oversee the cameras installation. The city also will manage maintenance of the cameras and all data captured by them.

“The mid-College Ave. crosswalks have seen a number of pedestrian-vehicle incidents over the years,” said Jon Meyer, Lawrence’s director of campus safety and director of campus services. “The safety and well-being of members of the Lawrence community is our highest priority and these new cameras will help us identify vehicles involved in crosswalk accidents as well as verbal harassment.”

In Oct. 2013, Lawrence student Shannon Grant sustained serious injuries in a hit-and-run incident while crossing the westbound lane of College Ave. in the crosswalk in front of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The case has never been solved. However, this new technology should significantly aid in any future investigations.

Students, faculty and staff should continue to be careful when crossing College Avenue.

Congratulations to Anna Simeth

Congratulations are in order for Anna Simeth! Anna was honored with the Appleton Education Association’s “Friend of Education Award” for her ongoing work on a Leadership Fox Cities community project: “Family Dinner Night.” She shared the stage with other community leaders recognized for their commitment to education, including Dr. John Mielke who was honored for his 26 years of service on the Appleton School Board. Please join us in thanking Anna and her LFC colleagues for their remarkable contributions towards making the Fox Cities a healthier community.

Monthly Health Tips from Laurie

If you follow medical news, you’ve probably heard of studies that link gut bacteria to various health conditions and medical concerns. Gut bacteria is perhaps known primarily for helping aid in the digestion of our food. But did you know that gut bacteria has been shown to influence the response of our immune system? Or that recent studies indicate that gut bacteria may contribute to depression, and the development of autism in young children?

Research will certainly continue to delve into this arena — but in the meantime, it appears beneficial to maintain healthy gut bacteria. Eating more prebiotic and probiotic foods can help. Prebiotics are generally high-fiber foods that good bacteria feed on, which helps them to proliferate. These include things like whole grains, artichokes, asparagus, garlic, onion, and bananas. Probiotics are fermented foods that carry living beneficial bacteria. Examples are yogurt, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut. Try incorporating more of these into your diet on a regular basis. And for optimal gut health, only use antibiotics when necessary – as antibiotics often kill both bad and good bacteria, which can contribute to digestive issues.

More information can be found in the August Newsletter.