Student Life

Before the Lawrence community gathers for the May 13 inauguration of President Laurie Carter, there will be a celebration of kindness. 17 Days of Kindness begins April 27, with moments of gratitude, special activities, and giveaways planned to remind us to embrace kindness in our daily lives. It will continue through inauguration day. Look for more information to be shared in the days ahead.

Whether diving into a waterfall in a kayak, crossing the Atlantic on a stand-up board or risking it all as a fashion designer turning to building rafts, the characters in the 2022 World Tour Paddling Film Festival clearly are a different breed.

Local paddling club Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers will present five films from the series starting at 7 p.m. March 26 at the Cinema Theater in the Warch Campus Center at Lawrence University. Tickets are $10 in advance at newp.club or $15 at the door.

NEWP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the goal of encouraging and advancing paddle sport education and safety by offering kayak classes and group paddles open to the public.

The films range from five minutes to just under an hour and were all winners in the 2022 World Tour Paddling Film Festival. Here is the lineup.

• “Quality of Imagination” features a whitewater paddler who chooses his destinations based on where he can get the most air as he flips his boat over and over in rapids.
• “Last Known Coordinates” follows a stand-up paddler who attempts to go from Africa to the Caribbean while encountering major storms in his tricked-out board.
• “Voice Above Water” describes the devastation plastics are causing in the world’s oceans through the eyes of 90-year-old Indonesian fisherman.
• “Sheri” tells the inspirational story of a woman who was at the top as a designer of downhill ski clothing when illness robbed her of all of it, until a request from her son sends her back into prominence designing and sewing whitewater rafts.
• “Jotuun” follows three adrenalin-junkie friends taking on the waves and waterfalls of Iceland’s Jotuun River.

Viking Ambassadors in Service and Engagement (VASE) aims to get Lawrence students volunteering, making connections, and learning about issues in the Fox Valley community.

The CCE’s peer-led VASE programs allow you to explore an area of a specific community need that you’re passionate about and will connect you to meaningful opportunities for service and advocacy in the greater community.

Check out the links below for more information on each of our VASE programs, including how to register, weekly curricula and meeting times!

Arts & Education

Participants in the Arts & Education VASE program will engage with presentations and discussions led by guest speakers and the VASE coordinator to learn about the fields of arts engagement, how to organize outreach events, and explore systemic inequities in arts access. Further, students will become familiar with arts-related resources and organizations in Appleton while building a learning community of peers.

Child Advocacy

The Child Advocacy VASE program is designed to help students who are interested in working with children identify and promote healthy behaviors and advocate for the mental well-being of children. This program will engage students who are passionate about mental health and who hope to make a difference in the lives of local children.

Civics & Society

The 2022 Civics & Society VASE program, “Intersectionality & Inclusion in Civics & Society”, will teach students the importance of including diverse identities in government positions, and of protecting and furthering minority participation in civic actions like voting and protesting. Participating students will engage in various learning activities, including guest speakers, discussions, and trips. 

Environment & Sustainability

The VASE program in Environment & Sustainability will give students the opportunity to learn about environmental justice, climate change, environmental activism, and more. They will do this by participating in active learning activities, hearing from speakers who work on these issues in the Fox Valley, and spending time volunteering for environmental causes with organizations like Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and Riverview Gardens.

Fair Housing & Hunger

The Fair Housing VASE program seeks to educate Lawrentians about issues of homelessness in the Fox Valley. The local nonprofit organizations we will work with include Pillars, Harbor House, Loaves and Fishes, and Habitat for Humanity. Through in-person volunteering and reflection on the issues of homelessness, students will become equipped with knowledge and desires to make a difference.