Angela Vanden Elzen

You might have noticed a “new” addition to Main Hall green. After a 20-year absence from campus, the Rock has returned! In 1895, members of the senior class came upon the large boulder on a geology field trip to Mosquito Hill near New London and decided to make it their class gift. They hauled it back to campus, carved “Class of 95” into it, and set it in front of Main Hall. The story of the Rock has had a great many twists and turns in over 100 years, but we are happy to have it back on campus. Special thanks to staff members in Facility Services for getting the Rock spruced up and safely situated in its current resting place.

For more information about the history of the Rock, contact the LU Archives at archives@lawrence.edu.

The 5th Women and Identities in Gaming Symposium (WIGS) is happening this Saturday, May 5th, beginning at 12:30 pm in the Warch Cinema. This year’s guest speaker is Professor Shira Chess, presenting “Ready Player Two: Women Gamers and Designed Identity.” She’ll be followed by a presentation by student Alec Dumas at 2:00, and a panel discussion at 3:00. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Facebook event.

This year’s WIGS is sponsored by the LU Gaming Club and the Gender Studies Program, with help from the Mudd Library. For information about previous years’ WIGS events, see the collection in Lux.

Do you need to build some quiet, reflective time into your work week? Boost productivity, combat stress, and feel more centered by practicing chair yoga and mindfulness.

Visit the Mudd Library on Friday mornings from 10:30 to 11:00 am to learn some strategies for staying fully present and peacefully engaged. We meet in the Kruse Room on the fourth floor. All are welcome!

Mark your calendars for the Fox Cities Book Festival, October 9-15! Included in the festival’s wonderful schedule of events are three author readings on the Lawrence University campus as well as readings in the local community by two LU alumni and two LU faculty!

On campus events:

Reading by Callie Bates, Lawrence alumna and author of The Waking Land: Thursday, October 12, 4:30-5:30 pm, Main Hall, Room 201

Reading by Will Schwalbe, author of Books for Living: Thursday, October 12, 6:30-7:30 pm, Warch Campus Center

Reading by Benjamin Ludwig, author of Ginny Moon: Saturday, October 14, 2:00-3:00 pm, Wriston Art Center

Community events featuring Lawrence University faculty and alumni:

Two readings by Jerald Podair, Lawrence professor and author of City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the City of Los Angeles: Tuesday, October 10, 6:30 pm, Appleton Public Library and Wednesday, October 11, 6:30 pm, Neenah Public Library”

Crafting Compelling Fantasy Narratives” by Lawrence alumna Callie Bates, author of The Waking Land: Friday, October 13, 3:30-4:30, Kaukauna Public Library

“Scotland through the Eyes of the Author”, by Lawrence alumna Laura Vosika author of the Blue Bells Chronicles: Saturday, October 14, 10:30 -11:30 am, Gerard H. Van Hoof Library, Little Chute

Reading by Melissa Range, Lawrence professor and author of Scriptorium: Saturday, October 14, 11:30 am, The Draw, Appleton

Be sure to check out these, and the many other great Fox Cities Book Festival events!

You’ve heard about mindfulness and the scientifically-proven benefits that practitioners enjoy, including increased productivity, improved concentration and mental clarity, heightened compassion and self-awareness, better sleep, and deeper relaxation. Join us to learn some simple mindfulness techniques and gentle yoga stretches you can do at your desk. The practice is simple. Showing up is the challenge!

Join us on Wednesday, August 23 at 10 a.m. on the first floor of the Mudd Library for our final coffeehouse of the summer! As always, refreshments will be provided.

The 4th Women and Identities in Gaming Symposium will take place on Saturday, April 15th in the Warch Campus Center Cinema.

This year, we’re excited to welcome Josh Sawyer, Lawrence alumnus and Director at Obsidian Entertainment (makers of Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and more). At 1:00 p.m., Sawyer will present,”Better is Not Enough,” followed by a Q&A. In his presentation, Sawyer will discuss allyship in game development and community, as well as working in the games industry.

At 2:30, a panel featuring guest game design and programming students from Columbia College in Chicago along with Lawrence’s Professor Dan Proctor and current Lawrence students, will discuss various aspects of gender and identity in games and the gaming community.

Join and share the event page on Facebook!

For information about the Women and Identities in Gaming Symposium and previous years’ events, see the page in Lux.

WIGS was planned by a dedicated group of Lawrence Gaming Club students and the club’s faculty advisor/ LU librarian.

Join your friendly Lawrence University librarians for a brief session on critically interpreting news on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 p.m., on the first floor of the library. We’ll go over some tips used by fact-checkers to give you the tools to be able to determine what’s reliable and what’s not. Cookies will be provided, because research shows that cookies consumed while learning something new have a zero-calorie effect.