Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ

Welcome home, Lawrentians.

We’re talking to you, alumni — in particular those of you who have signed up for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ’s 2019 Reunion Weekend. Nearly 800 of you will be back on campus this weekend, retracing old memories, reconnecting with friends and mentors and embracing new experiences.

We have drafted a helpful guide to hopefully get you excited about your return to campus. This isn’t the actual Reunion Weekend guide — the official booklet with a full itinerary will be handed out upon arrival orÌýis accessible onlineÌý— but we’ve pulled together some highlights, some tips to help you enjoy your stay in Appleton and some reminders of things that may have changed since you were last here.Ìý

If you’re on campus this weekend (June 13-16), we hope our guide will help you wrap your head around all the possibilities. If you chose to sit this one out, we hope it’ll get you thinking about next year. The light is always on.

Consider the possibilities

There are dozens of activities, classroom sessions, gathering points, photo ops available during Reunion Weekend. You can’t hit ’em all. But here are 10 to get the conversation started.

1)ÌýAlumni College,Ìýall day Friday, multiple locations.ÌýOne of the great draws of Reunion Weekend is the chance to engage in smart conversation on significant topics, led by faculty and/or alumni with expertise. This year’s topics range from The Great Migration and Chicago’s Bronzeville Neighborhood to climate change, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and The Beatles, among others. See aÌýfull listingÌýon the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ website.

2)ÌýAlumni Pride Reception,Ìý4:30 p.m. Friday, Diversity and Intercultural Center, Memorial Hall.This is the third annual reception, but this one comes with some news. It’ll be co-hosted by the Faculty/Staff Pride Group and the newly formed Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ Pride Alumni Network. The latter is a new initiative. Look for conversations about it at the reception and more detailed info to be released in late summer or early fall.

3)ÌýSupper club-style dining,Ìý6-8 p.m. Friday, Warch Campus Center.ÌýWe can’t take you all out to a supper club, but we can bring the supper club to you. Think fish fry, prime rib, and a full salad bar. Embrace your Wisconsin self, and save room for dessert.

4)ÌýAlumni Recital,Ìý8 p.m. Friday, Memorial Chapel.ÌýA whole lot of talented musicians have come through the Conservatory of Music. Some will put their skills on display for fellow alums, including Karen Leigh-Post ’79 (mezzo soprano), Laura Caviani ’84 (jazz piano and vocals), and Kirsten Lies-Warfield ’94 (trombone).Ìý

5)ÌýViking Room,Ìýcash bar, after 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Memorial Hall.ÌýThis is the 50thÌýanniversary of the VR opening as a bar. It was an on-campus hangout before that, but it didn’t become a full-service bar accessible to those of drinking age until the spring of 1969. Perhaps you carved your name into one of the booths all those years ago. Or bartending was part of your student work experience. Or you’re hankering for one of the VR’s specialty drinks (a Lawrentian, anyone?). Cheers to your return.

6)ÌýParade of Classes,Ìý10:30 a.m. Saturday.ÌýIt’s a march into Memorial Chapel for the 11 a.m. Reunion Convocation. The Convocation, complete with this year’s Alumni Awards, is always cool. But being able to walk in as a class, that’s even cooler.

7)ÌýAll-Reunion Picnic,Ìýnoon Saturday, in the plaza between Wriston Art Center and Seeley G. Mudd Library.ÌýWe all love a good picnic. Food and a cash bar will be available. And, we think, a balloon artist of impressive skill.Ìý

8)ÌýBoom!Ìýbook discussion,Ìýled by history professor Jerald Podair, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Harper Hall, Music-Drama Center.ÌýThis is courtesy of the 50thÌýreunion of the Class of 1969 because, well, they lived it.ÌýBoom,Ìýwritten by Tom Brokaw, explores the transitional events of the ’60s. That’s a sweet spot for Podair, who is all over 20thÌýCentury American history.

9)ÌýAlumni of Color Reception,Ìý2:30-4 p.m. Saturday, Diversity and Intercultural Center, Memorial Hall.ÌýHosted by Kimberly Barrett, vice president for diversity and inclusion and associate dean of the faculty, this marks a first-time event at Reunion Weekend.

10)ÌýCampus Tour,Ìýled by a current Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ student, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, departing from Alice G. Chapman Hall.ÌýIf it’s been a while since you were here, you’ll want to be on this tour. Much has changed (see below).

Well, that’s different

If you are a 1994 graduate returning for the 25thÌýanniversary, much has changed on the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ campus. To keep you from mistakenly wandering into Chapman Hall, formerly Downer Commons, looking for lunch, we’re highlighting four notable changes here since news broke that Nelson Mandela was elected president,ÌýFriendsÌýdebuted, and O.J. took that ride in the white Bronco (yes, that was all 25 years ago).

1)ÌýA shiny new campus hub.ÌýWarch Campus Center is, without question, phenomenal. You will most definitely want to take a look inside as it’s much more than just a dining hall. Built in 2009, it’s become a centerpiece of campus, home to two dining facilities, a movie theater, a campus store, meeting spaces of all shapes and sizes, and a must-see river view.Ìý

2)ÌýNew places to learn.ÌýTwo new buildings transformed the academic spaces on campus two decades ago. Briggs Hall, overlooking the Fox River, was built in 1997 to house instruction in mathematics and social sciences. Three years later, Science Hall was built, replacing Stephenson Hall of Science. It would be renamed Steitz Hall of Science in 2010. Both are worth a tour while you’re on campus.

3)ÌýA new place to live.ÌýHiett Hall, the most modern of the residence halls on campus, was built in 2003. Like Briggs, it is built into the hill on the north side of the river. It’s the only residence hall with suite-style living quarters. Many of our alumni visitors will be staying there this weekend.

4)ÌýA garden for growing knowledge … and vegetables.ÌýYou’ll find SLUG (Sustainable Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ Garden) along Lawe Street, just east of the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center. It’s a living, breathing outdoor classroom, with lessons in sustainability, conservation, geosciences and so much more. Take a walk through the gardens to see the wonders of the earth being well tended.

Bonus on-campus attraction I: The Rock is here.ÌýNo, not The Rock of Hollywood fame, although that would be fun, too. We’re talking about the 2-ton boulder that has been hauled, carved, moved, hidden, buried, lost, returned and painted since its initial arrival on campus in 1895. The Rock now rests in front of Main Hall, and for the first time will soon have signage that speaks to its significance as part of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ’s long and deep history. Pay it a visit. Paint it if you’d like.

Bonus on-campus attraction II: Bees are our friends.ÌýIn your walks across campus, you’ll find a couple of hexagon-shaped bee houses, one near Main Hall and one in the SLUG gardens, and an observational honey bee hive visible from the fourth floor of Warch. We love our bees and embrace their important roles in our ecosystem.Ìý. If you’re sticking around until Sunday, there will be an official unveiling of the observation hive at 10 a.m., followed by a pollination-themed picnic at 10:30 a.m. on the Main Hall lawn. All are welcome.

Reminder: Share your experience while on campus by using the hashtag #LUReunion

Things to do nearby

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ is, of course, part of Appleton’s downtown. If you want to explore a little while here, you’re in luck. The timing is fortuitous for these four possibilities:

1)ÌýDowntown Appleton Farm Market:ÌýOne of the most robust farmers markets in the state takes over College Avenue in the heart of the downtown from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays during the summer. It makes itsÌý.

2)ÌýHoudini Plaza concert:ÌýThe plaza serves as an outdoor gathering spot in the center of the downtown. If you are in town on Thursday, check out theÌýfrom 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Ask Your Mother, a popular regional band, will perform.Ìý

3)ÌýFox Cities Performing Arts Center:ÌýIf you haven’t been here in 25 years, well, you’ve missed one of the most significant developments in Appleton. The Fox Cities PAC opened along College Avenue in the city’s downtown in late 2002. It now hosts touring Broadway productions, concerts and a myriad of other arts offerings. If you want to check it out, area musicians will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in aÌý. The noted composer and arts advocate, who lived in Appleton, died earlier this year at age 95.

4)ÌýTrout Museum of Art:ÌýThe former Appleton Art Center transformed into the Trout Museum of Art in 2010. Located adjacent to Houdini Plaza, it regularly features both touring exhibits and art from its own permanent collection. Its newest exhibit,Ìý, opens on Saturday and runs through late August. It’s open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.