There are two commonly used phrases on Lawrence’s campus. One, the Lawrence bubble, and two, the Lawrence difference.
The Lawrence bubble refers to the Lawrence campus, which is nestled in the heart of downtown Appleton, and the culture Lawrentians all share. The Lawrence difference, meanwhile, refers to the often interesting, creative, wacky, unpredictable, quirky things that happen in the bubble. And life in the bubble can sometimes be a little confusing if you are not aware of “the difference.”
Thus, as an assist to incoming students, we have created this list of 15 additional words or phrases you will most likely come across while at Lawrence. It might just help ease your transition into life in the Lawrence bubble.
1: IHRTLUHC (i-hart-luke): This is the acronym used to reaffirm the Lawrence University Honor Code: “No Lawrence student will unfairly advance their own academic performance or in any way limit or impede the academic pursuits of other students of the Lawrence community.” Students are required to reaffirm the honor code on all assignments and exams by writing IHRTLUHC, or “I hereby reaffirm the Lawrence University Honor Code.” Don’t worry about forgetting the acronym, it’s too catchy.
Ex. “Don’t forget to reaffirm the Honor Code before you submit that assignment.”
2: Café (ka-fey): Refers to Kaplan’s Café and Coffee Shop, the casual dining establishment near the entrance of the Warch Campus Center. Here students can use “cul cash” to purchase an array of foods and beverages, including sandwiches, coffee, juice, pasta bowls and ice cream. A lot of ice cream.
Ex. “What did you get for lunch?” “I just got a bowl from the café”
3: Corner store (Kawr-ner stohr): Also known as C Store, Kate’s, or Kate’s Corner. All referring to Kate’s Corner Store located on the second level of the Warch Campus Center. This is where students can purchase bulk food, fresh fruits and vegetables, snacks, sack lunches, beverages and various personal items. This also is where you can get your Lawrence spirit gear. Think sweatshirts, hats, and mugs. It’s a one-stop shop.
Ex. “I’m going to grab some pretzels from the corner store before we go.”
4: Turnaround (turn uh-round): Also called the Wriston Art Center Turnaround, located adjacent to the Wriston Art Center. The turnaround is a common pickup spot for campus shuttle services. So, if you want to get to the grocery store or the mall, or you want to catch a ride to the Banta Bowl or Alexander Gym, you’ll want to know where this is.
Ex. “They’re picking us up at the turnaround.”
5: Banta (baahn-ta): Short for the Banta Bowl, home of Ron Roberts Field. It’s the stadium where Lawrence football and soccer teams play. Also, students who have cars but don’t have a campus parking spot can park in the Banta Bowl parking lot. Pro tip: If you’re at the Banta Bowl and don’t want to walk across the E. College Avenue bridge to get back to the main part of campus, there’s a beautiful bike trail that goes past the parking lot that will take you near campus. It’s a little longer hike, but much more scenic.
Ex. “I can drive us to the store; my car is at Banta.”
6: Bjork (be-york): Our affectionate name for Björklunden, Lawrence’s 441-acre estate on the shore of Lake Michigan. The property boasts a 37,000-square-foot lodge where Lawrence students stay for weekend seminars in their areas of study. The scenery is gorgeous. Oh, and it’s in Door County. It’s like you’re on vacation.
Ex. “I can’t wait to go to Björk this weekend.”
7: Viking Gold (vahy-king gohld): Viking gold is currency in a debit account that students can use at the corner store, most vending machines and to do their laundry. Students can replenish Viking Gold through their Voyager account, at the ID office in the Warch Campus Center, and at the cashier window in Brokaw Central using a cash or check.
Ex. “Come with me to Warch, I need to add Viking Gold so I can do laundry later.” “You know you can add Viking Gold on your phone, right?”
8: SLUG Hill (sluhg hil): The steep hill behind Memorial Hall, at the base of which lies the Sustainable Lawrence University Garden, known as SLUG. It’s a tradition to go sledding down this hill in the winter months.
Ex. “It’s snowed last night. Let’s meet up at SLUG Hill.”
9: Alex (al-iks): Short for Alexander Gym, located across the Fox River from the main part of campus. It’s the home of Lawrence basketball and volleyball teams, and houses the athletic offices. Go Vikes!
Ex. “Are you going to Alex to watch the game tonight?”
10: Culinary Cash (kul-i-nary kash)
Culinary cash, or cul cash, is used to purchase fare from Kaplan’s Café and food items from Kate’s Corner Store. Students have a set balance of cul cash for each term.
Ex. “I need to budget my cul cash so I don’t run short.”
11: Commons (kom-uhns): Short for Andrew Commons, this is the all-you-can-eat buffet-style eating establishment located in Warch Campus Center. Whether you’re there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the Commons offers a variety of specialty food stations. They also host the ever-popular weekend brunch at 10:30 a.m. Get there early to beat the lines and grab a table.
Ex. “Are you going to the Commons for breakfast?”
12: Swipes (swahyps): Swipes, or meal swipes, are used to get meals at Andrew Commons. The swipe refers to the action of swiping your student ID card to pay for the meal.
Ex. “I still have two swipes left to use.”
13: The Con (th-uh kon): This is what everybody calls the Conservatory of Music. Performance spaces and classrooms for the Conservatory are mostly located on the north side of College Avenue in the Music-Drama Center and Memorial Chapel.
Ex. “We’ll catch up later, he’s at the Con practicing.”
14: Voyager (voi-uh-jer): Voyager is the online system Lawrence students use to access important personal and academic information. It’s really the nucleus of life as a student. Here you register for classes, see your class schedule, request transcripts, change your meal plan, view housing assignments, view financial aid statements and much more.
Ex. “How do I check my financial aid for spring term?” “It’s on Voyager, let me show you.”
15: Senior Experience (seen-yer ex-peer-e-ince): Also called a capstone, the Chandler Senior Experience is the culminating project that completes a student’s major. Capstones range in nature and requirements depending on the area of study. From research projects to art exhibitions, the projects are all about demonstrating what you’ve learned on your Lawrence journey.
Ex. “I can’t go out tonight, I have to work on my capstone paper.” Or, “She’s giving her Senior Experience presentation in Warch in 10 minutes.”
