I found the recent The Lawrentian cover featuring a student portraying a “Mammy” in a satire play called The Negro-Striatal Function very disturbing–not because of the content of the play, but rather because the photo had been chosen to represent all of the events of POC Empowerment Week. Louric Rankine ’21, Vice President of the…
Letters to the Editor: Lawrence Compliant with New Title IX Guidance
In September 2017 the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) announced interim guidance pending new Title IX regulations it will issue in late 2018 or early 2019. Lawrence’s current policies and procedures are compliant with this interim guidance and remain in effect. The Department withdrew the prior administration’s 2011 and 2014 guidance, which had directed…
Letter to the Editor: ESAs are not an Epidemic
We believe that the article “ESA Epidemic” in the Nov. 3 issue of The Lawrentian had some information that could have been misleading to readers. Initially, the word “epidemic” poses some issues due to the negative connotation it carries. Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide crucial support for students who have them. We are fortunate that Lawrence…
Letter to the Editor
To my fellow Lawrentians: Lawrence’s latest convocation address specifically highlighted the theme of unity, and also highlighted the role of a liberal arts college in fostering that unity. The convocation also, however, touched on our country’s current state of polarization. We must now discern and face up to the most consequential factors that have led…
Letter to the Editor
Over the past week, individuals have discussed Judicial Board taking action on campus. While we would like to help in whatever way we can, we are not able to act without a complaint being filed. Here is the process to bring a case to the board: In order to address an issue in a formal…
Letter to the Editor: On Campus Scandal
Time has a mutating effect, but a few elements of the Lawrence experience remain constant over the decades—room parties, mayflies, midterms, nervous administrators, happy hours at the Viking Room and a juicy campus scandal about once per semester. The most recent example is the now-notorious screening of “Can We Take a Joke?” in the Wriston…
Letter to the Editor: I will not graduate from Lawrence, I will have overcome it
Lawrence University is an institution rooted in white supremacy. The message sent to students of color has repeatedly been an overwhelming “you do not belong here,” and while there were strides made to fix the racist orthodoxy of this campus, events this past week reminds us of the historical and structural oppression that is grafted…
Letters to the Editor: Snowflakes and Nazis: A Personal Commentary on Recent Events
At this point, I cannot hope to persuade anyone of anything. Views were cemented early on, and have only been further entrenched. Persuasion, however, is not my intention. I aim merely to introduce another perspective. I question the usefulness of this, when the quagmire of opinion is already neck deep. Yet, the community shows no…
Letters to the Editor: Recent Free Thought Event
The mission of Students for Free Thought is to create a place to examine controversial issues rationally, scientifically and objectively. Last Wednesday, May 17, we hosted an event to address the issue of free speech, especially as it relates to comedy. We showed a documentary that presents a perspective on this topic not usually voiced…
Letter to the Editor
After my group, Students for Free Thought, screened the documentary “Can We Take a Joke?” many seemed to get the wrong impression that members of the group only advocated for free speech because they wanted to say racial slurs and tell offensive jokes. This, however, is not the case. We advocate for free speech because…