Events: President's Ball
Live jazz, a DJ, great food... it's no wonder the President's Ball is the highlight of Spring Term for most students.
Events: Cabaret
International students hail from 34 countries around the globe and account for over 17% of the campus population. Cabaret celebrates their rich cultural heritage.
Events: Trivia
For 50-hours straight, teams from around the world answer a frenzy of bizarre trivia overseen by a team of dedicated masters for the Great Midwest Trivia Contest.
Lunar New Year
An annual family-friendly celebration of Lunar New Year features multicultural activities. Celebrations have included guest performances representing a wide variety of Asian cultures and ethnicities. Free and open to the public.
Events: Cultural Expressions
Cultural Expressions concludes the People of Color Empowerment Week during Black History Month, and features student music, dance, and spoken-word talent.
LUgge
LUgge is Lawrentian for a feeling of coziness and contentment. It is associated with enjoying the simple things in life, like spending time with one's friends, relaxing in comfortable surroundings, and indulging in small pleasures like good food and drink. Winter Carnival activities are representative of the essence of LUgge, but LUgge isn't limited to Winter Term.
17 Days of Kindness
Community is a central feature of the Lawrence experience. Kindness is a key component of community, particularly a community like Lawrence's that values acceptance and belonging. 17 Days of Kindness is an opportunity to engage in cultivating acts of kindness.
LU Zoo Days
Organized by our student events organization (SOUP) during Spring Term when the weather starts to warm, Lawrentians from all over campus congregate on Ormsby Green to play games, listen to music, and enjoy an afternoon of fun in the sun. The best part about Zoo Days is that all the money raised by student clubs and organizations goes toward nonprofit causes.
LUaroo
Lawrentians look forward to Memorial Day weekend. Why? Because LUaroo, the much-anticipated, weekend-long mini-music festival on Main Hall Green featuring talented Midwest bands and LU Student bands, is the highlight of all the annual events at Lawrence.
Lawrence Arch
The Lawrence Arch was revealed in the Fall of 2022 and features a design inspired by Lawrence's Nordic traditions. The arch sparked two new traditions, a procession of the incoming class of students from the arch to Main Hall for the President's Welcome address, and a procession of graduates from Main Hall to the arch after graduation.
The Rock
This two-ton granite boulder next to Main Hall is now back in its original spot after being gone for two decades. It was brought to campus by the Class of 1895 and has been painted numerous times for different reasons. The Rock has also been the object of pranks and fraternity feuds. Visit Main Hall to see it.
The Viking Room
The Viking Room, or VR, was founded in 1969 as a bar and is a popular hang-out spot for students 21 and over. It's located in the basement of Memorial Hall and managed by students. The VR was previously a lounge and has a rich history evident in the scratched signatures and carvings on the surfaces of the booths and wooden tables.
Ormsby Lake
More like Ormsby Ice Rink during the winter. This classic nod to winter is a hot spot for fun on Ormsby Green during January and February. From skating and broomball to frolicking with friends, students come to the “lake” to get a break from studying during the dark days of Winter Term.
Weekends at Björklunden
Björklunden, located in Door County, is a 441-acre estate with a Swedish-inspired lodge by the Lake Michigan shoreline. Lawrentians enjoy going there for a weekend to relax and learn amidst a rigorous term of studying. Alumni and students participate in classes, clubs, organizations, and residence halls during their trip.
First-Year Studies
Dive deep into challenging ideas alongside every first-year at Lawrence. Our signature First-Year Studies program fosters intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking through small group discussions and thought-provoking works. Explore the program in detail and see how you'll be prepared to generate your own light at Lawrence University.
Honor Code
Since ~1962, Lawrentians have used "IHRTLUHC" on their papers to signify their commitment to the Lawrence University Honor Code, which states that no student will unfairly advance their academic performance or hinder the academic pursuits of others. Freshmen must sign the Honor Code, which promotes academic and social responsibility within the Lawrence Community.
Class Colors
Starting as a Milwaukee-Downer College tradition, which Lawrence adopted in 1988 (24 years after the merger), class colors are a tradition established to encourage unity. The newly graduated class's color is passed on to the incoming first-year class each year, and the flag is held in the class photo during Welcome Week.
What's Your Class Color?
Convocations
As a community of life-long learners, it’s important for Lawrentians to take time each term to gather and consider new ideas. The faculty Convocations and Commencement Committee invites individuals of high accomplishment and profound insight to address members of the college and Fox Valley communities on topics of broad interest. Three convocations are scheduled throughout the school year on Fridays at 12:30 p.m., a permanently reserved time.
Reunion
Reunions have been occurring at Lawrence annually since 1876. Today, over 1,000 people, including Lawrence and Milwaukee-Downer alumni, return to campus each summer to reminisce about their college experiences and celebrate each other’s distinguished achievements.
LU Traditions Features & Highlights
