Press Releases

Category: Press Releases

Three Lawrence University Musicians Win State Competition

Lawrence University students Alenka Donovan, Kelly Eshbaugh and David Keep earned first-place honors Saturday, Oct. 23 in the 2010 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition conducted at Lawrence.

Donovan, a violin performance and history major from Washington, D.C., won the young artists (19-26 years of age) strings division. She is a student of Wen-Lei Gu.

Eshbaugh, a trombone performance and music education major from Greenfield, won the young artists brass division. She studies in the studio of Nick Keelan.

Keep, a piano performance major from Traverse City, Mich., won the young artists piano competition. Keep is the 11th Lawrence piano student in the past 13 years to win the Wisconsin MTNA piano competition. He is a student of Anthony Padilla.

Donovan, Eshbaugh and Keep advance to the MTNA’s five-state East Central Division competition January 7-9 at Ball State University. Winners at the division competition advance to the MTNA’s national competition March 26-30 in Milwaukee.

The Lawrence saxophone quartet — senior David Davis (soprano), Sussex, senior Sumner Truax (alto), Chicago, Ill., sophomore Phillip Dobernig (tenor), Mukwonago and junior Will Obst (baritone), St. Paul, Minn. — was the only entry in the chamber music division and also was selected to represent the state at the division competition. The quartet studies with Steven Jordheim.

Other Lawrence student recognized in the state competition included:
• Junior violinist Gina Bordini, De Pere, alternate in the young artists strings division.

• Freshman Anthony Capparelli, River Falls, alternate in the senior (15-18 years of age) piano Division.

• Junior clarinetist Kinsey Fournier, Conway, Ark., alternate in the young artist woodwinds division.

• Junior James Maverick, Baton Rouge, La., alternate in the young artists piano competition.

• Sophomores Andrew Kim, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Alex Hurlburt, Wausau, honorable mention honors in the young artists piano division.

Musicians selected as alternates will attend the January division competition if the winners are unable to. A total of 23 students from around the state participated in the competition.

Stephen Sondheim Musical “Into the Woods” Comes to Lawrence University’s Stansbury Theatre

Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning musical of what happens after “happily ever after” is explored in four performances of the Lawrence University production of “Into the Woods.”

The musical will be performed Oct. 28-30 at 8 p.m. with an additional 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center, 420 E. College Ave., Appleton. Tickets, at $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students, are available through the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749.

“Into the Woods” blends popular fairy tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel with an original story of a baker and his wife, who attempt to reverse a curse that has been placed on them in order to have a child. The musical continues past the typical fairy tale ending to explore ideas of community responsibility and the consequences of one’s actions.

“Sondheim seamlessly weaves spoken words and song in such a way that the audience is carried from one storyline to the next with ease,” said Timothy X. Troy, professor of theatre arts and J. Thomas and Julie Esch Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama, who is directing the production. “The final effect is that we witness a large ensemble cast grow from simple storybook characters to people like us, full of contradictions and unable to know what the future holds.”

Troy previously directed a production of “Into the Woods” for Attic Theatre in 1992.

“This has been a wonderful process of rediscovery for me,” said Troy. “I’ve matured and gathered both joyous and challenging experiences like the characters do in the course of the play. My responses to the material have deepened, and my appreciation for Sondheim’s extraordinary skills has equally appreciated since my first encounter with his work.”

Phillip Swan, assistant professor of music, serves as music director for the production, which features a double cast.  Junior Alex Wilson and senior Evan Bravos share the lead role of the baker, while seniors Amanda Ketchpaw and Chelsea Melamed sing the role of the baker’s wife.

The production features guest lighting by Jason Fassl, artistic associate for First Stage Milwaukee and the resident lighting designer for Renaissance Theaterworks, and guest costume design by 2001 Lawrence graduate Emily Rohm-Gilmore.

First performed on Broadway in 1987, “Into the Woods” was nominated for nine Tony Awards and earned Sondheim a Tony for best score. It also earned the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for best musical.

Lawrence University Receives $3.9 Million Gift from Two Former Students

A $3.99 million gift from the charitable trust of two former Lawrence University students who met on campus more than 75 years ago will provide significant investment in campus facilities as well as support for student scholarships and the endowment officials announced today.

One of the largest gifts in Lawrence history, the $3,997,319.72 bequest from the Paul and Katherine Schmidt Trust will be directed toward three main areas: improvements in the campus physical plant, including residence halls; the Paul and Kay Schmidt Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was established in 1989 to support students with interests in economics or business; and Lawrence’s endowment.

“We are deeply grateful to Paul and Kay Schmidt for their loving and generous support of Lawrence University,” said President Jill Beck in announcing the gift.  “They always were faithful donors to the college throughout their lifetimes.  Our alumni as a whole support the college and conservatory in innumerable ways, at different levels of funding but with equal passion for the experiences they had at Lawrence.  We hope the entire community feels affirmed through the recognition and magnanimous support of Paul and Kay Schmidt.”

Both members of Lawrence’s class of 1939, Paul and Kay Schmidt attended the college’s homecoming festivities together in 1935 as a first date.  They eventually married and shared more than 68 years of marriage together.

A native of Park Ridge, Ill., Paul Schmidt participated in an executive program at Harvard University after earning a degree in economics at Lawrence. He spent most of his career with the Harold F. Pitman Company, a printing business, rising to rank of chief executive officer and chairman of the privately-held company based in New Jersey.  He retired in 1982, having helped the company grow into North America’s leading graphic arts supplier. He died in November 2009 at the age of 92.

Kay, a native of Chicago, passed away in February 2009 at the age of 91.

The Schmidts established their charitable trust in 1994 during the five-year, $60 million “Lawrence 150” campaign celebrating the college’s sesquicentennial.

“Just as their initial gift provided momentum for the Lawrence 150 campaign, this latest gift is a great boost to our current More Light campaign,” said Cal Husmann, vice president for alumni, development and communications.  “Deferred gifts like the Schmidts’ are playing an increasingly important role in our campaign and other fund-raising efforts across the country.”

The $150 million “More Light” campaign, publicly launched in October 2008, has raised $137 million to date.  The campaign is expected to conclude in October 2011.

Lawrence University Kaleidoscope Concert: A Musical Cornucopia

From Bizet to Broadway, Lawrence University’s biennial Kaleidoscope concert promises to strike at least one chord with every music lover. Showcasing the musical talents of nearly 350 Lawrence students, the third edition of the concert will be performed Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $7 for students, are available at both the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Box Office, 920-730-3760.

First performed in 2006, the 75-minute, non-stop musical whirlwind will feature a dozen student groups performing from all corners of the theatre, including the side balconies, main floor and upper balcony.

“Kaleidoscope is really the cornucopia of concerts. It is designed to cover a broad spectrum of musical offerings and give the audience a sampling of everything from intimate chamber music and funky jazz to musical theatre and Brazilian percussion,” said Andrew Mast, director of bands at Lawrence and the coordinator of this year’s concert.

“It will be the most ambitious thing Lawrence does musically this year and requires a lot of work on the part of our students to pull it off given in the short time they’ve been back in school,” Mast added. “But it’s a special opportunity to perform in a beautiful hall like the Performing Arts Center. I know everyone is excited about putting on a great show.”

Highlighting the concert’s repertoire will be three works with Lawrence connections, including two compositions that will have their world premiere. The Lawrence Wind Ensemble will debut “Arclight Alley,” written by 2006 Lawrence graduate David Werfelmann, while “Layaanjali,” a composition by Assistant Professor of Music Asha Srinivasan, will have its world premiere performed by the Lawrence Saxophone Ensemble. Director of Jazz Studies Fred Sturm will direct the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble in a performance of his recent composition “Signal Fires.”

The program also includes performances by Lawrence’s new gamelan ensemble, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, the Lawrence Concert Choir, Cantala women’s choir, the Sambistas percussion ensemble, a string quartet, opera and musical theatre excerpts and a six-hand piano performance.

The concert’s grand finale will feature a performance of the “Jupiter Hymn” from Gustav Holst’s seminal work “The Planets” by the entire Kaleidoscope cast under the baton of Lawrence President Jill Beck.

“The fast-paced nature of the concert, with no breaks between the relatively short, but audience-accessible works along with the constantly changing staging truly makes for a unique concert experience,” said Mast. “We hope the audience enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoy performing it.”

Lawrence University gratefully acknowledges Appleton Group Wealth Management, LLC for its sponsorship of the Kaleidoscope concert and extends its deep appreciation for its generous support of this special community arts showcase.

“NewsHour” Correspondent Discusses “Browning of America” in Lawrence Convocation

Award-winning journalist Ray Suarez discusses the cultural shift that is changing the face of the United States and why that change reflects a positive continuation of a robust immigrant tradition in an address at Lawrence University.

Ray Suarez

Suarez, a senior correspondent for PBS’ “The NewsHour,” presents “The Browning of America,” Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave., Appleton. Suarez also will conduct a question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. Both events, part of Lawrence’s 2010-11 convocation series, are free and open to the public.

Demographers estimate that by 2042, the United States will be a country with a “minority majority.” Suarez will examine the continuously widening definition of who is a “real American” and the impact of the country’s evolving ethnic make-up on schools, commerce, politics and the workforce.

Since 1999, Suarez has served as a senior correspondent for PBS’ “The NewsHour.” He previously spent seven years as host of National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” program. In addition to his PBS duties, Suarez hosts the monthly foreign affairs radio program “America Abroad” for Public Radio International and the weekly politics program “Destination Casa Blanca” for the Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, HITN TV.

Suarez is also the author of two books, “The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America,” and 1999’s “The Old Neighborhood: What We Lost in the Great Suburban Migration.”

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Suarez is a life member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and a founding member of the Chicago Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Mielke Family Foundation Honored with First Lawrence University “Collaboration in Action” Award

The Mielke Family Foundation, one of northeast Wisconsin’s most active philanthropic foundations, was recognized Tuesday, Sept. 21 with Lawrence University’s first “Collaboration in Action” award during the college’s second annual Report to the Community. Oscar Boldt, chairman of The Boldt Group, served as emcee of the event, while Dave Vander Zanden, CEO of School Specialty, was the featured speaker at the program, which attracted an audience of nearly 150 community leaders.

The Collaboration in Action award honors an individual or organization, who, in partnership with Lawrence, has provided exemplary service to the Fox Cities community. Richard Calder, president of its board of directors, and Dr. John Mielke, a member of the board, accepted the award on the foundation’s behalf from Lawrence University President Jill Beck.

For nearly 30 years, the generous support of the Mielke Family Foundation has enabled Lawrence to enhance its work on campus and build bridges into the community.

In 1982, the foundation established the Edward F. Mielke Professor of Ethics in Medicine, Science and Society, currently held by Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick Boleyn-Fitzgerald.

As holder of the professorship, Boleyn-Fitzgerald annually organizes the Edward F. Mielke Lecture Series in Biomedical Ethics that brings speakers to campus for community discussions on topics related to topical ethical issues.

In 1996, the foundation established the Bee Connell Mielke Professor of Education, currently held by Associate Professor of Education Stewart Purkey. It was the education department’s first endowed professorship.

In conjunction with the Bee Connell Mielke professorship, the foundation also established a community outreach program — the Mielke Summer Institute in the Liberal Arts. Directed each summer by Purkey, the program provides approximately 25 educators from Appleton and Shawano a week-long opportunity to examine a specific theme of cultural or social significance from a multidisciplinary perspective at Bjorklunden, Lawrence’s northern campus in Door County.

In discussing Lawrence collaborations in the Fox Valley, Beck highlighted the ArtsBridge program in which eight student-scholars and other Lawrentians worked with 132 area elementary school students to prepare ethnic dances, social studies projects and folk songs for World Arts Day; the Lawrence Scholars Programs, which brings alumni from around the world to campus to share their expertise with students, participate on panels, speak with classes and network with those who might be interested in internships and future career opportunities; and the college’s emerging innovation and entrepreneurship program, including a recent student-driven initiative to open temporary art gallery spaces in empty downtown Appleton storefronts.

“A great college-community relationship, like any successful partnership, is a constant act of collaboration, a commitment to one another’s welfare that is renewed every day,” said Jill Beck. “I am very proud of this partnership and the good work that we have done together.”

Lawrence’s community engagement efforts in the past year included more the 300 student volunteers who participated in the AmeriCorps M3C Fellows program, serving at local schools and nonprofit organizations; the establishment of the Young Band Project, a partnership between the Lawrence Academy of Music and the Appleton Area School district to provide twice- a-week band instruction to fifth-grade students at Lincoln Elementary School; and an outreach program supported by a federal grant to provide training and education to lower suicide risk. More than 120 educators, clinicians and nonprofit staff members from 13 area schools and 24 youth-serving organizations attended a day-long training session at Lawrence in March.

During the 2009-10 academic year, Lawrence faculty and staff members supported more than 150 Fox Cities’ churches, schools and organizations through volunteering and charitable gifts, including serving on boards and committees of nearly 40 local nonprofits.

Rhythm & Brass Opens the 2010-11 Lawrence University Artist Series

Embracing the description “beyond category” — Duke Ellington’s favorite expression of ultimate praise — the six-member ensemble Rhythm & Brass opens the 2010-11 Lawrence University Artist Series Saturday, Sept. 25 with its boundary-busting repertoire with an 8 p.m. performance in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

Tickets, at $22-20 for adults, $19-17 for seniors and $15-17 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office in the Music-Drama Center, 420 E. College Ave., Appleton or by calling 920-832-6749.

Since its founding in 1993, Rhythm & Brass has defied the constraints of time, geography and culture by incorporating influences as divergent as Josquin Des Prez, Pink Floyd, John Coltrane, Johann Sebastian Bach and Duke Ellington. Performing on trumpets, horn, piano, trombone, tuba and percussion, Rhythm & Brass blends the commonality of those disparate styles into a single concert experience.

Marty Erickson, who teaches tuba in the Lawrence conservatory, has performed with Rhythm & Brass on occasion. He said the group’s musical flexibility is one of the things that make them special.

“They are all truly world-class musicians in their own right,” said Erickson. “By adding a percussionist to the standard brass quintet instrumentation and occasionally moving their French horn player to piano allows the group to present a huge variety of music in their programs. And they do it all with amazing artistry. Concert-goers can expect to hear a huge variety of styles, everything from classical transcriptions and Beatles arrangements to early jazz funk and more.”

Described by the New York Times as being “startling without striking a note of pretension,” Rhythm & Brass made its Carnegie Hall debut in 1994 with celebrated jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker. It has since appeared at the New York Brass Conference, the Raphael Mendez Brass Institute and Kentucky’s Great American Brass Band Festival. Rhythm & Brass was one of the guest performers in July at the International Trumpet Guild’s annual conference in Sydney, Australia.

In addition to performing together, the sextet’s members —Wiff Rudd and Rex Richardson, trumpet, Charles Villarrubia, tuba, Alex Shuhan, horn and piano, David Gluck, percussion and Thomas Brantley trombone — have all toured nationally with various other groups.

The group’s discography includes “More Money Jungle…Ellington Explorations,” which celebrates American musical icon Duke Ellington, “Time in September,” which includes a commissioned work by two-time Grammy Award-winning composer Maria Schneider and “Christmas Time is Here,” which drew critical acclaim as one of the most creative holiday season recordings.

Nippon Foundation Grant Adds Books on Contemporary Japan to Lawrence Library

Lawrence University has been named the recipient of 40 books through the Nippon Foundation’s “Read Japan” grant program, which donates books about contemporary Japan to libraries around the world.

The books are from the foundation’s catalog “100 Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan,” which cover five categories: history; politics and international relations; economy and business; society and culture; and literature and arts.

Although the “Read Japan” program typically awards grant recipients 100 books, Lawrence already owned 60 of the titles from the catalog.

Associate Professor Jane Yang, chair of the department of Chinese and Japanese and the East Asian Studies program, said she selected titles that best fit courses taught at Lawrence.

“We added political, cultural and literary texts since these would best complement what we teach,” said Yang. “Our courses in international relations, cultural anthropology and literature and film can best make use of these new books.”

Among the books Lawrence will add to its collection are “The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Past, Present and Future,” Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the U.S.” and “Japanese Women Writers: Twentieth Century Short Fiction.”

Based in Tokyo, the Nippon Foundation was established in 1962 as a non-profit philanthropic organization. While early efforts focused on the domestic development of the maritime and shipping fields, the foundation more recently has expanded its activities into education, social welfare and public health, both within Japan and in more than 100 nations abroad.

President’s Matriculation Convocation Opens Lawrence University’s 162nd Academic Year

Lawrence University President Jill Beck officially opens the college’s 162nd academic year as well as the 2010-11 convocation series “Innovation Through Collaboration” Thursday, Sept. 16 with the annual matriculation address.

Beck presents “Expanding Student Opportunities in Research, Performance, Public Service and Environmental Activism” at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The convocation is free and open to the public.

President Beck

In her address, Beck will outline the steps involved in the process of innovation and highlight some examples in which Lawrence is practicing innovative approaches in curricular and co-curricular areas. Joining Beck in the presentation will be Professor of Music Janet Anthony, Assistant Professor of Government and Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs Jason Brozek, Associate Professor of History and Pieper Chair of Community Engaged Learning Monica Rico, Associate Professor of Government and Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science Dena Skran and students Sarah Ehlinger, Joseph Neumann and Katelin Richter.

Beck is in her seventh year as president of the college. Since assuming the presidency in 2004, she has focused her priorities on raising Lawrence’s national profile, increasing the number and spectrum of individualized learning experiences for students, fostering collaboration between the fine and performing arts and the traditional liberal arts and sciences, cultivating a desire for environmental sustainability on campus and in the lives of Lawrence alumni, creating greater diversity in the Lawrence community and engaging alumni, parents and friends of the college to enhance educational experiences.

Other speakers on the 2010-11 convocation schedule include:

• Oct. 5, 2010 — Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for “The NewsHour” on PBS, “The Browning of America.”

• Feb. 8, 2011 — Mary Jane Jacob, executive director of exhibitions and exhibition studies, 
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, “The Collective Creative Process.”

• April 5, 2011 — Timothy X. Troy ’85, Professor of Theatre Arts and J. Thomas and Julie Esch Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama, Lawrence University, “Unexpected Collaborators: The Geniuses Among Us.”

• May 17, 2011 — Sara Quandt ’73, professor, department of epidemiology and prevention, division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, “It Takes a Community: Collaborating to Reduce Health Disparities in the U.S.”

A Record-Setter: Lawrence Welcomes Largest-Ever Freshman Class

When the Lawrence University admission staff starting planning for this year’s freshman class, the goal was to enroll a slightly larger group of first-year students than it did in 2009.

As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

Lawrence welcomes its largest freshman class ever — 456 — Tuesday, Sept. 7 when new students arrive on campus to move in and begin a week of orientation activities. Classes for the 2010-11 academic year begin Monday, Sept. 13.

“We wanted a larger class. We just didn’t expect it to be this much larger,” said Ken Anselment, Lawrence’s director of admissions.

This year’s freshman class — 100 students larger than last year’s — was drawn from the largest applicant pool in Lawrence history, a record 2,625. Counting transfer students (17) and exchange students coming from abroad (20), nearly 500 new faces join the student body this fall.

“Given the state of the economy, colleges were nervous,” said Anselment of the prospects for the class of 2014. “People were predicting dire straits for private colleges, but things ended up way better than expected.”

Anselment credits several factors for the jump in applications and matriculants, citing the college’s emphasis on individualized instruction, its “curb appeal” and good old-fashioned hard work.

“Our philosophy that college should not be a one-size-fits-all experience and our exceptionally high number of individualized courses really resonates with students,” said Anselment. “The opening of the Warch Campus Center has been huge. And some of the other improvements, such as the College Ave. median project and the renovation of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, have the campus looking spectacular.

“A concerted effort by the entire Lawrence community, from the admissions staff to faculty, athletic coaches and alumni all reaching out to prospective students, has been essential to our success,” Anselment added. “Like the African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a whole university to enroll a student. And this year, did we ever.”

The new students bring a diverse set of interests and eclectic experiences with them to campus.

Amal Abbas spent a year fearing for her life every day as war raged around her Baghdad neighborhood. When a bomb destroyed the elementary school adjacent to the middle school she attended in 2004, Abbas’ mother gathered up Amal and her two siblings and fled for Amman, Jordan, leaving behind everything but the clothes they could carry. In May, 2008, with the help of the International Organization for Migration, Abbas and her family uprooted again, resettling in Chicago, a transition complicated by the fact they knew no one there and spoke minimal English.

With the help of a sponsor, Abbas attended — and excelled — at St. Scholastica Academy, an all-girls catholic school, for two years. When her best friend applied to Lawrence, Abbas followed suit. A campus visit in April sealed the deal.

“I fell in love with Lawrence. It felt like a second home,” said Abbas, who is believed to be the first student from Iraq ever to attend Lawrence. “I’m excited and nervous. This is going to be another whole new beginning for me.”

Henry Gergen of Beaver Dam spent 18 days in July on a six-country tour of Europe as the lead trumpet player for the Sound of America Honor Band, which is composed of all-state musicians from around the country. During a stop at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, final resting place of nearly 5,100 U.S. servicemen, most of whom died during the “Battle of the Bulge” in World War II, Gergen was given the honor of playing “Taps” at the grave of General George S. Patton. The students’ visit to the military cemetery was filmed and shown on Luxembourg television.

Emily Russell could be Lawrence’s version of the dog whisperer. The 18-year-old from Tulsa, Okla., began competing in dog obedience and agility shows just four years ago. By 2009, she was the no. 1 ranked junior obedience handler in the country by the United Kennel Club, the world’s largest all-breed performance-dog registry. In addition to showing her three-year-old golden retriever Layla, whose name was inspired by the Eric Clapton classic, Russell also visits nursing homes on a monthly basis with Aubrie, an eight-year-old therapy dog.

Walker Brengel of Whitefish Bay is following in the footsteps of three older brothers, all of whom also have attended Lawrence. While Henry and Taylor graduated in 2006 and 2009, respectively, brother Peter begins his junior year this fall. Like his siblings, Walker is a swimmer, but also an avid cyclist who once found himself pedaling along side seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong during a “Live Strong” ride in Milwaukee. He also is an aspiring artist who has been selling his artwork nationally since he was in the sixth grade.

The 456 freshmen represent 36 states and 32 foreign countries, among them Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam. International students account for just under 10 percent of the freshmen. Wisconsin supplied the most freshmen (128), but only three other states — Illinois (77), Minnesota (55) and New York (20) — sent more students to Lawrence than did China (15).

“We have young people from all over the world coming here to Appleton and we’re very proud of that,” said Anselment. “It’s fun to recruit students who are excited about the place — and their excitement has been palpable.”

Among those who reported their ethnicity, 17 percent of the incoming freshmen are domestic students of color, the highest level since Lawrence began tracking such numbers several decades ago.

The Class of 2014’s academic profile remains among the strongest of any institution in the state, with 26 percent of the freshmen ranked in the top five percent of their high school graduating class, while nearly 43 percent graduated in the top 10 percent of their class. Fifteen of this year’s freshmen graduated as their school’s valedictorian. Collectively this year’s freshmen carry an average high school grade point average of 3.66 with ACT and SAT score averages of 29 and about 1900, respectively.

More than 92 percent of this year’s freshmen class received financial assistance from Lawrence. The average need-based financial aid package exceeded $28,500.

“We’re proud to offer financial aid packages that help students focus more on fit than on finances,” Anselment said.