MyLU Insider

Deanna Kolell

Author: Deanna Kolell

Unity Fest Volunteers Needed

The time is coming for this year’s Unity Fest, known in former years as the Cultural Festival! Unity Fest is a collaboration between the D&IC and CODA to come together and celebrate the campus communities with performances and food.

This year’s Unity Fest will take place Wednesday, May 21 from 5-7 p.m. in Wriston Amphitheater.

We are reaching out to ask for your help in making sure that our celebration can run smoothly. Fill out the Volunteer Interest Form to let us know how you would like to be a part of this year’s Unity Fest. There are several different types of opportunities with the time commitments listed.

Please reach out to venn.peters@lawrence.edu with any questions about the event or volunteer opportunities. Thank you for considering, and we hope to see you at Unity Fest!

Volunteer for LUaroo 2025!

As we approach the end of the academic year, we’re excited to once again host LUaroo, Lawrence University’s beloved, student-run music festival held annually over Memorial Day weekend. This year’s celebration will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 24–25, on Main Hall Green—and we’re looking for faculty and staff volunteers to help make it a success!

LUaroo is a two-day festival featuring a mix of on- and off-campus performers. It’s one of the most anticipated events of the year for our students—and your presence helps ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

We’re seeking volunteers to:

  • Provide a visible and supportive presence during the event
  • Help monitor the festival grounds
  • Assist with emptying trash and refilling water stations
  • Operate golf carts as needed
  • Help with light takedown tasks at the end of the festival

Interested in volunteering part of your weekend? Sign up here: LUaroo Volunteers 2025.xlsx

Campus Safety will be present throughout both days, and we’re aiming to have three faculty/staff volunteers present at all times to support our student organizers.

Thank you for considering lending your time and energy to this Lawrence tradition. Your support means the world to our students who have worked hard to bring LUaroo to life! 

Host an EPIC Experience!

We’d like to invite you to host an EPIC Experience for our incoming first-year students this upcoming academic year. It is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on incoming students and build meaningful connections through fun activities and mentorship.  

What’s an EPIC Experience? 
EPIC Experiences are meant to have students engage and explore something fun that interests them and allows them the chance to connect with each other and the Lawrence community while building community and fostering a sense of belonging.   

Why You? 
Why not you? We’d love to see you be part of this transformational experience for first-year students. There is a small stipend for your participation. It will only take up about 8-10 hours of your time for the entire academic year. The first few weeks on campus are often challenging and full of adjustment. Your participation would directly support student belonging, engagement, and retention.  

Next Steps:  

Questions?

Contact Kristi Koshuta, First Year Dean
920-832-7203
kristi.koshuta@lawrence.edu

Main Hall Forum

Language Outcomes in a Japanese-English Dual Language Program in the U.S.

Wednesday, May 7 | 4:30-6 p.m.
Main 201

This talk provides an overview of dual language immersion in the U.S., with a focus on two-way immersion (TWI) programs. In TWI programs, a balanced number of students from each target language group are enrolled in a class, allowing for greater exposure to the second language through peer interaction compared to one-way immersion programs. This study examines how elementary school children in a Japanese-English TWI program in the U.S. develop their speaking skills, as measured by the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), and their pronunciation accuracy, assessed through acoustic analysis (i.e., voice onset time).

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two Spirit People Day

Panel

Monday, May 5 | 2-5 p.m.
Warch 226-Mead Witter

Open panel discussions on the MMIW epidemic and its impacts on Native communities.

Tabling

Monday, May 5 | 3-5 p.m.
Warch Lobby—Near Mail Room

Posters explaining the issues of indigenous people who have gone missing and been murdered across the nation over the years and how it has had detrimental effects on the affected communities. There will also be resources on a university, county, state, tribal, and federal level, along with organizations that specialize in this type of work and how allies are able to help. At 5 p.m., we will go outside and hang up red dress around campus and also tie red ribbons across campus as well.

Spotlights & Showpieces: An Arts Trek

Thursday, May 8 | All Day Event
Meet at Wriston Turnaround, then go to Milwaukee (transportation provided)

Regardless of your major or class year, you’re invited to spend a day connecting with professionals in the visual & performing arts (VPA) at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and the Museum of Wisconsin Art! Not only will you get to network with employers, but this trek will provide a valuable learning experience in terms of both career exploration and professional development! See Handshake for details and to register by May 4.

Track & Field Midwest Conference Championships

Friday, May 9 | 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 10 | 10:30 a.m.
Whiting Field Track

Come out and cheer on your Vikings!

Volunteers are needed!

With any large event, we need many hands to help bring this opportunity to life for our student-athletes. If you are available and willing to volunteer, please sign up via this link. There are multiple shifts available, and some do require walking or standing.

All volunteers will receive & should be aware of the following:

  • Free Volunteer T-Shirt: All volunteers are required to wear the T-shirt while working so you can be easily identified by officials, coaches, & administrators.
  • Free Food from Hospitality Tent
  • Training upon arrival to their designated volunteer area
  • Please be advised to watch the weather forecast and dress for the weather in mind.
  • For health and safety, tennis shoes must be worn by all volunteers.
  • An email prior to the track meet will be sent with further instructions from Meet Director & Associate Athletics Director & Senior Woman Administrator Michelle Detwiler.

Please reach out to Michelle at michelle.detwiler@lawrence.edu or Head Track & Field Coach Elizabeth Krug at elizabeth.r.krug@lawrence.edu with any questions.

Higher Education Summit

WAICU is offering its Higher Education Summit this year:

May 28-30, 2025, at the Memorial Union, Madison, WI

Due to increased demand for critical content and collaboration, registration for the Wisconsin Higher Education Summit has been opened to colleges and universities ACROSS THE NATION, including technical and tribal schools.

SPACE IS LIMITED, SO SECURE YOUR SPOT NOW!

Group discounts now available – save by sending a team!

Register Today