Fall Festival, an event that combines homecoming and family weekend at Lawrence University, takes place from Friday, Oct. 13, to Sunday, Oct. 17. This weekend provides students with an opportunity to share their lives at Lawrence with family members. On Friday, families and alumni may attend classes with students and visit with faculty members by appointment. A campus tour and meals at Downer Commons, Lucinda’s, and the Memorial Union Grill will be available for those who wish to explore Lawrence’s grounds and sample college cuisine.
The Fall Festival Dance will also take place on Friday at Riverview Lounge from 9 p.m. to midnight. On Saturday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., President Jill Beck will give her first State of the Campus address followed by a question and answer session at Lucinda’s in Colman Hall.
From 10:40 to 11:30 that same morning, faculty members will offer “mini-courses” for students and their families to attend. The course titles featured include “Death and Dying” by Professor Patrick Boleyn-Fitzgerald, in Room 201 of Main Hall; “A River Runs Through It: Effects of Urbanization on our Streams” by Professor Jeff Clark, in Room 102 of Science Hall; “What to Listen for in Music” by Professor Joanne Metcalf, in Room 146 of the Music-Drama Center; and “Gender and Film: Defining ‘Woman’ in Anthony Minghella’s ‘The English Patient'” by Professor Judy Sarnecki, in Room 401 of Main Hall. These lectures offer a sample of the intellectual discourse that occurs daily at Lawrence.
At 8 p.m., students and their guests are welcome to attend a concert featuring the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, to be held in the Memorial Chapel.
In addition, Comedian Alexandra McHale, voted Best Female Entertainer of the Year in both 2002 and 2003 by Campus Activities Today, will be performing in the Underground Coffeehouse at 9 p.m.
The many events of Fall Festival offer students a chance to share what they are doing at Lawrence with curious family members, providing all involved with a taste of the unique campus environment. By sharing Lawrence, students can reconnect with family members they have missed.