The Level Up project features the construction of two new facilities: The Loop, an indoor training center, and The Hub, a fitness, recreation, and practice facility. Today’s Level Up Kickoff Celebration revealed that phase one of Level Up will soon be underway with construction of The Hub set to begin later this month. A construction timeframe for The Loop has not yet been established.����

The Hub is a major renovation project that will transform the lower level of the City Center East building in downtown Appleton into a state-of-the-art fitness and recreation center serving the entire campus community, complete with practice facilities for athletics and the music Conservatory.����

“The Hub greatly expands our ability to offer the variety of fitness and recreation options our students want, while providing much-need practice space for athletics and the music Conservatory,” said Chris Clarke, Vice President for Student Life. “More importantly, The Hub will bring students together outside of class with people they might not otherwise encounter any other way, which strengthens the sense of connection and belonging that contributes to students’ overall well-being.”����

Strengthening body, mind, and spirit��

The Hub features 56,000 square feet of fitness, recreation, and practice space that serves a variety of needs for the campus community:����

FITNESS & RECREATION��

• 9,000 square foot strength training and cardio center��

• Three simulator bays with more than 50 games to give students a variety of virtual experiences��

MUSIC CONSERVATORY��

• 2,000 square foot conservatory practice suite with student lounge and recording studio��

• State-of-the-art Wenger practice modules that allow student musicians to simulate a variety of performance environments, with record/playback features that allow musicians to hear their performance objectively and adjust in real-time��

VIKINGS ATHLETICS��

• Dedicated fencing training room to rival top-tier competitors��

• Cutting-edge batting cages that can track biometrics to provide data-driven feedback to adjust mechanics, timing, and power��

• Hockey practice area with synthetic ice where players can focus on skills training, such as stick-handling, puck control, and shooting accuracy��

Supporting the vision��

The space for The Hub in the lower level of the City Center East building in the heart of downtown Appleton was entrusted to ����vlog by local business leaders John Pfefferle, Paul Hoffman, and Thomas Janssen, whose transformational gift of property brought the University’s vision for enriching campus health and wellness into focus.����

“The Hub intentionally brings together wellness, athletics, and music, creating an environment that mirrors the way Lawrence students live, learn, and grow,” said ����vlog President Laurie A. Carter. “This kind of creative, integrative thinking is exactly what today’s world – and job market – demands. The Hub reflects the adaptability, collaboration, and innovation our graduates will need to thrive and to lead in their lives after Lawrence.”����

During her remarks at the Kickoff Celebrations, longtime Appleton resident, business leader and Lawrence Trustee Kathi Seifert reflected on Lawrence’s long history of campus/community collaboration over the decades.����

“The Hub is the latest extension of that shared vision and collective effort,” Seifert said. “Local business leaders placed their trust in Lawrence to steward forward their gift of this space to create something exception. The Hub is a bold new step forward for ����vlog and our community as well.”����

A space for creativity and connection��

During his remarks at the Kickoff Celebration, head softball coach Korey Krueger ’95 reflected on Virginia Woolfe’s “A Room of One’s Own,” a required text during his student days at Lawrence that stuck with him for decades. The book examined the need for an individual to have space and freedom to be truly creative.����

“The Hub will be a shared space for the entire Lawrence community to find that creativity, to have a space to create, grow, and thrive,” Krueger said. “The Hub is not just a project that will create a space: it is a project that will create energy, connection, and community – a room of one’s own – for everyone.”����

Practice is a crucial part of developing excellence in any endeavor, said Chris Jenkins, Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory, with four to six hours of daily rehearsal being the norm for Conservatory students.����

“With The Hub, we’re leveling up to a new rehearsal space that befits a world-class conservatory,” Jenkins said. “And our students are thrilled at the prospect of having the new practice suite available to help them level up their rehearsals and performances.”����

Joey O’Connor, who is graduating in June with degrees in Trumpet Performance and Music Education, remarked that finding available rehearsal space for the hours of daily practice required by musicians can be a challenge for Conservatory students.����

“The new practice suite at The Hub will be a game-changer for any musician who wants to be able to put in the hard work we know – and embrace – as the fuel to make us the musicians we aspire to be,” O’Connor said.����

“What gets me excited is the idea that we’re not talking about a first-year experience in isolation with academics,” Koshuta said. “We are really thinking about the holistic needs of students. I got that out of the Gardner Workshop. It was so amazing. I hadn’t even started yet, and here I am sitting in a room with faculty and staff who want to support the whole student.”

She would start her work in the Office of Student Life a week later confident Lawrence was all-in on its commitment to elevate the experience of first-year students in and out of the classroom. She spent her first weeks on the job reaching out to departments across campus, building relationships and laying the groundwork for collaborations that are expected to improve the student experience in everything from the pre-orientation preparations to Welcome Week activities to first-generation and transfer student transitions. She’s working closely with faculty leaders who are studying possible changes to the First-Year Studies course, with a target of Fall 2024.

Academics and campus life—residential living, mental health, career preparations, academic advising, community connections—are part of the same conversations. That, Koshuta said, is a must, and it was reinforced in the Gardner Workshop.

“To be at the table with people who are willing to have those conversations is really, really exciting,” she said.

Koshuta, a first-gen graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Education from UW-Oshkosh, comes to Lawrence following a stint as a manager in Enrollment Services at UW-Green Bay and four years as the director of student transition and success at Piedmont University in Demorest, Georgia. Much of her focus at Piedmont was in improving the student retention rate. Prior to that she spent 15 years teaching math at the high school and college levels.

As Lawrence’s first-year dean, she is back in a student-facing position. She finds that appealing. And the chance to bring positive change and build first-year programs and traditions that will be sustainable was a huge draw, she said.

“I’m all about building relationships,” Koshuta said. “I always have been. You keep people by building relationships, and you elevate people by the relationships you build with them.”

When I say there’s a student org for everyone, I’m not exaggerating. With dozens and dozens of student organizations to choose from, each dedicated to a specific interest and activity, you’re sure to find a group of people who just��get��you. From sea shanties to swing dance, from recess club to social justice organizations, you can explore Lawrence’s student organizations with the��, or meet potential new friends face-to-face at the annual Involvement Fair, set for 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in Warch.��

3. Also, tap into professional student orgs��

In addition to the many student organizations geared toward student engagement, Lawrence is also home to several professional student orgs, which help students prepare for their post-graduation careers and bond with others on a similar path. Aspiring doctors, lawyers, writers, bakers—and the list goes on—can get involved (plus get a pretty major head start) through membership in one of��.��

4. Share your gifts: Volunteer

Volunteering offers you the chance to connect with classmates, get to know the local community, and give back all at the same time. With six distinct��, each with a variety of programs, you’re sure to find your perfect volunteering niche. Use Lawrence’s����page to sign up.��

5. Be active with intramurals��

Sports: the OG team-building exercise. Whether it’s as an official Lawrence athlete, representing the Vikings in competition, or as part of a more laid-back, recreational team, playing a sport builds bonds across campus, regardless of academic area or professional interest.����

6. Make a difference in student government��

If you want to contribute to real change on campus, the������vlog Community Council��is definitely the way to go. Through the combined work of elected class representatives and appointed��committee��members, LUCC touches virtually all aspects of the university, from finance to student welfare, as it takes its place as a vital part of Lawrence’s shared governance.��

7. Make money and friends with student jobs��

Everyone who has worked part-time knows that there is no bond quite like the bond between coworkers. Student employment is no exception, which makes it a key outlet for getting involved with the campus community. There’s no shortage of jobs to choose from, but some of the most popular include food service in the Commons, the circulation desk in the Seeley G. Mudd library, or writing for the Office of Communications! (OK, maybe I’m a little biased toward that last one.) You can use����to find a campus job��that is��right for you.��

8. Trips��and togetherness

There’s nothing like a change of scenery to get to know your fellow Lawrentians in a new light. Day trips to High Cliff State Park, weekend excursions to beautiful��Bjorklunden, even international travel to gain field experience for an academic course—all these trips (and more!) can help you get involved with your studies and classmates in a more hands-on, distinctive setting.��

9. The Lawrentian/WLFM��path

If you want to get your voice out there, try your hand at cross-campus communications with��The Lawrentian��or WLFM Radio. As the official student newspaper of ����vlog,����is a hub for student news, opinions, photography, and more, while also providing a space for you to hone—or learn—journalistic skills. Likewise,����is broadcast-central for all things Lawrence, with student hosts leading talk shows, music broadcasts, and, annually, the��.��

10. Cultural resources��and beyond

Although we all share the “Lawrentian” label, our backgrounds and identities are key to shaping who we are as people and deserve to be nurtured in the university setting. Through resources in the��,, and the recently established��, students can connect with classmates and staff who understand their experiences and can offer additional support.��Likewise, the������connects interested students with��options for exploring��faith and spirituality.��

11. Matching interests with housing��

Have a specific interest or passion?��Immerse yourself in��it while connecting with other students who feel the same way��by living in��one of Lawrence’s��group houses.��Passion for art? Art house is a staple on the quad. Want to get off the meal plan and make your own healthy food?��SLUG house emphasizes sustainable living and eating.��Looking to share a��safe space for students of marginalized identities? Sankofa house might be the perfect fit.��Live to game? Gaming House could be the place for you.��These are just a few of the��current options,��and even if none of those��are for you, keep an eye out for new affinity housing options��as they shift, or propose your own.��

12. Is Greek life��for you?

Participation in Greek life isn’t as common at Lawrence as it is at some other schools, but Greek organizations and members still play a very active role on campus. If you’re looking for a more traditional, social group with a philanthropic orientation, Lawrence has you covered with three fraternities and three sororities to choose from. But if that’s not for you,��professional fraternities��offer performance, volunteer, and social opportunities for Lawrence musicians, and Beta Psi Nu is a social sorority aimed at empowering women of color. Formal recruitment generally takes place at the beginning of Winter Term, with informal admission��occurring��at various points throughout the year.��

13. Get fit, have fun��

It’s easy to associate wellness services with treadmills and counseling—and the Wellness Center does offer plenty of exercise equipment, mental health services, and health care professionals—but participation in wellness activities can also be a great way to get involved! In addition to����geared toward a particular aspect of health and wellness, Wellness Services hosts weekly activities that can be done with a group, including yoga,��meditation, and volleyball.��

14. Student Life is all about involvement��

I know, I know, this one’s a bit obvious, but it’s true! Student Life events are literally designed for the sole purpose of getting students involved, and the Student Life staff knows what they’re doing. I’ve made tie blankets and listened to comedians at the various weekly����(Student Organization for University Programming) events, and that doesn’t even mention the many beloved Lawrence events that are held annually, like��,��, and��.��

15. Explore downtown Appleton ��

Even though we love our little campus bubble, we can’t forget that Lawrence students are an essential part of the wider Appleton community. With a vibrant art, music, and food scene, Appleton regularly presents a vast array of events that allow students to get involved with the rest of the community. For information on the city and upcoming events, check out Appleton Downtown Inc.’s����or��.��

Access for everyone

As college students, there are plenty of obstacles preventing us from spending time outside. But nothing is insurmountable.

Providing new opportunities and resources is a key aspect of Lawrence’s outdoor clubs. Rowing Club provides its members access to the Fox River four days a week, meeting regularly for early morning practices on the water.��

ORC facilitates camping trips during reading periods and academic breaks and provides camping equipment available for independent checkout throughout the year.

And for Lawrence’s sailors, the barriers, particularly access to water and the cost of sailboats, are even greater. But Henke is determined to break down those walls and enable other young people to experience the sport he loves.

“Very few people, especially college students, can afford their own boat,” Henke said. “Since [Lawrence] pays the sailing school, we get access to the boats, and people don’t need to spend a dime to get out there. So, I’m really trying to remove that paywall, to remove that barrier, between people and sailing.”

In addition to providing access to equipment, these orgs aim to give��all��students the opportunity to experience the club, regardless of prior skill level—college is all about trying new things, right? From Camping 101 events to sailing lessons on land, student organizations focus heavily on recruiting new members to their neck of the woods and providing training for beginners.

Building a connection

We’ve all been a bit starved for human connection lately, and right now, the safest way to connect with others is in an outdoor setting. And as far as these student org leaders are concerned, it’s also the best.

Facing forces of nature necessitates a connection with and a reliance on the people around you—sometimes literally. If you’re trying to steer an eight-person canoe through a heavy layer of fog, you better be working as a team.

“You’re moving together, so … you truly have to be in sync with another person,” McShan said. “If you’re in a bad mood and other people are in a bad mood, it will affect the boat. You’re doing all this together.”

And even if the boat’s a little bigger, Henke said the same principle holds true. If you’re out in the middle of the water with two other people, there’s no better environment to make friends and build connections, all while exploring key interests away from academia.

“If you’re not doing anything outside of your classes, if you’re not meeting people, if you’re not pursuing interests, then I think you’ll burn out,” Henke said. “This is what makes a person happy and well-rounded.”

Whether it’s on the water or in the middle of the woods, spending time in the great outdoors means stepping away from the rest of the world. Your tie to life back home is the people who dare to step out with you.

What you experience will be unique to that moment in time, Meade said, and the people standing next to you are the only ones who will��understand��exactly what you went through. Some of Meade’s closest friends are people she’s met on camping trips, and that bond has persisted years later.

“In a completely different environment, you have no choice other than spending time with each other,” Meade said. “What other opportunities do you get to do that? Just take a step back and be present with this group of people. You’re going on this journey, this adventure together.”

Adventure awaits off-campus, and no one has to wait until after graduation to experience it. The outdoors has unequivocally made Meade’s, Henke’s and McShan’s lives better, and through their student organizations they’re committed to sharing that love with the rest of the campus community.

But if camping, sailing, and rowing don’t speak to you, don’t worry. There are plenty of other student organizations that enable students to get out, get active, and get connected. Explore the full��, starting with LU Recess Club, LU Geological Society, LU Rock Climbers, and the Sustainable ����vlog Garden.

She will begin her new duties in mid-November.

The associate vice president role was created to provide student-focused leadership in the creation, assessment, and coordination of student success strategies, said Ken Anselment, vice president for enrollment and communication. It builds on ongoing efforts to foster inclusive excellence and equitable outcomes for all students, with an emphasis on improving retention and graduation rates while eliminating the equity gap for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

“Ashley’s history of achievement in student success, including her impressive work with summer onboarding programs for new students, will bolster our efforts to improve the student journey from the time they choose to enroll at Lawrence to the time they graduate,” Anselment said.

Lewis said the foundation for that work is already in place at Lawrence. Her work will help accelerate those efforts as Lawrence develops a long-term strategic plan focused on equitable student success.

“Lawrence is doing excellent work,” Lewis said. “Ensuring that the student, parent, and family experience is superior, from recruitment to retainment, takes a strong, united, and diligent village. I welcome the work ahead of us as we—faculty, staff, administration, and local community—collaborate to strategically and thoughtfully develop practices and processes that improve upon retention, persistence, and equity for all students.”

Lewis earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D in Communication, Culture, and Media Studies from Howard University. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg. She also has taught at Howard, the University of Maryland, and Shippensburg.

Wisconsin has more than 40 state parks; the closest to the Lawrence campus is High Cliff, situated on the east side of Lake Winnebago. Named for the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment, this gorgeous slice of nature is a 20-minute drive from downtown Appleton. It encompasses nearly 1,200 acres, with more than 26 miles of trails suitable for hiking, running, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. There also are opportunities for swimming, boating, and camping. You’ll need a state park sticker on the car to enter. A one-day pass will cost you $8 per carload ($11 if out-of-state plates). If you plan multiple visits, a sticker good for the calendar year will cost you $28 (add $10 if out-of-state plates). Stickers are available on site.��.

While we’re exploring the great outdoors, how about a day floating down the Wolf River? But let’s be clear. There are a couple of different options here. There is the casual float down the river with friends on giant inflatable tubes and there is the more adrenaline-filled whitewater rafting trek if you’re feeling more adventurous. Choose carefully. Both options are available within a reasonable drive. For the more placid float, you’ll find outlets near New London, about a 35-minute drive from campus. For the more adventurous version, your best bet is to go an additional hour to the north. Do a digital search for Wolf River tubing or Wolf River rafting to find available locations and details.��.

Lawrence is a one-hour drive to the shore of Lake Michigan. If you go straight east along U.S. 10, you’ll come to the Point Beach State Forest near Two Rivers, a wonderful introduction to the joys of Lake Michigan’s western shoreline. The more than 2,900 acres of state land stretches across six miles of the Lake Michigan coast. There are more than 17 miles of hiking trails and several beaches. Be sure to check out the Rawley Point Lighthouse, which dates back to 1894 and, at 113 feet, is the tallest octagonal skeletal lighthouse on the Great Lakes. And if the history of the Great Lakes is an interest, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in nearby Manitowoc is worth a visit. You’ll need that state park admission sticker for entrance to Point Beach.��.

You will have opportunities to explore Door County, thanks to Lawrence’s beautiful Björklunden property. You could spend a month or more in Door County and not run short of new things to explore. From state parks and beautiful beaches to shops and restaurants, it is one of the wonders of the Midwest. Björklunden, known as Lawrence’s northern campus, will be a great introduction. Take advantage of every opportunity to go there. The 441-acre estate is situated on the Lake Michigan shore just south of Baileys Harbor. It was bequeathed to Lawrence in 1963 by Donald and Winifred Boynton and has now been an important part of the Lawrence experience for decades. See����and��.

If aviation is an interest, you will want to pay a visit to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh. Located less than 30 minutes from Lawrence, this is a world-renowned museum showcasing everything and anything tied to flight. From aircraft of past wars to the wonders of space flight, you’ll find it here. And for one glorious week each summer, the grounds of the EAA become the gathering place for the world of aviation, with thousands of enthusiasts bringing homebuilt, classic, experimental, and state-of-the-art aircraft to Oshkosh for the EAA AirVenture Fly-In. It is literally a sight to behold both on the ground and in the air.��.

Whether you’re a football fan or not, Lambeau Field should be a destination. Located just 30 minutes to the north of the Lawrence campus, the stadium is one of the most iconic in all of sports. There is no logical reason a city of 100,000 residents should be home to an NFL team. And yet it is. The Green Bay Packers have been among the most successful teams in the history of the NFL. That success, the team’s community ownership, and the history that has unfolded in Green Bay puts Lambeau Field on the bucket list for many sports fans. But you don’t have to go to a game to enjoy. Stadium tours are available daily, and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is housed within Lambeau.��.

Lawrence’s location along the Fox River adds to our campus beauty. If you want to further explore the river, you won’t have to go far. Fox River Tours operates two touring boats, one based in Appleton and one in De Pere, between mid-May and late October. The one in Appleton is a 32-passenger restored canal boat known as River Tyme Too. Look for tour options that include passage through the hand-operated locks and narrated lessons in river history. Another bonus: It docks not far from campus.��.

This means eating well and getting enough sleep. I know that our schedules can get really crazy and sometimes we just don’t have time to sit down in the Commons for an entire meal, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on food. I recommend stocking your residence hall room with snacks and fruit—think protein or granola bars, apples, crackers, muffins and yogurt (if you have a fridge). You also can grab a to-go meal from the Café or a paper bag lunch from the Corner Store and eat it on the go. Most professors will let you eat in class, so you don’t have to worry about not finishing your food in time—as long as you’re not disturbing the class, of course.

You also need to make sure that you’re getting ample amounts of sleep—at least seven hours. This is something I struggled with my first and second years, so I know that it’s easier said than done. For some reason, I would leave a bulk of my homework to finish after practice, and then I’d stay up as long as necessary to finish my assignments, which would sometimes take until well after midnight. Don’t do that. It might be hard, but pick a reasonable time to stop doing homework—no matter how much you have left—and just go to bed; your body needs that rest.��

When you’re in season, it might seem like there’s no time to complete assignments. Between practices, lifts, traveling, and every other team activity, getting your work done is challenging. What helps me to stay on top of my work is really just knowing my schedule and committing blocks of time to work on assignments. Get a routine going. If you know that you have an hour or two between classes, use that time to get easy assignments out of the way. If you have an away game, bring your work with you, find a seat on the bus with an outlet and take advantage of the free WiFi to get some work done. Wake up early at the hotel and chip away at your workload. Don’t wait to do assignments until after you’ve come back from games or practices—it’ll just cause you more stress and, in the end, you’ll have less time to get it done right. ��

More often than not, one of your teammates will have taken the same class as you or had the same professor. Use them as a resource. They can give you insider tips on how to do well in the class. Or maybe one of your teammates is a tutor and can help you with a paper or they know how to help you solve a problem. Also, sometimes your teammates will know some resources to help you that you hadn’t thought about. A lot of the time, my teammates and I will study together even if we’re working on different assignments. Ask your teammates to do the same because just being around that kind of atmosphere can help put you in that homework mindset.

Sometimes your mind can’t focus and you need to give your eyes a break from looking at screens or books. Ask a teammate if they want to go to the gym and get a small workout in, go for a walk along the river or just stroll down College Avenue for food or beverages. Balancing the student-athlete life also means incorporating time for activities that don’t involve either. I know that I can’t sit for hours on end trying to complete one assignment, so taking breaks to reset my mind helps me to be more productive.

It’s important to remember that you’re a person first, then student and then an athlete. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with something in your personal life, talk to your coaches and let them know that you’re not at your best. Your mental health is important and should not be overlooked. The coaches at Lawrence also understand that the classes are challenging and stressful, so if you’re falling behind on an assignment or you have a big test coming up, discuss your concerns with them to see how you can come to a solution so that you’re not sacrificing one over the other. And if you get injured, no matter how insignificant you think it is, let your athletic trainer and coaches know. Not communicating these things with your coaches can affect your performance in the classroom and in games or meets. ��

Speaking as a senior captain, my last piece of advice is to simply have fun. Don’t be too serious about it all. Give your best effort, of course, but don’t burn yourself out trying to do everything perfectly. You’re not going to remember all the shots you miss or the pitches you didn’t swing at. It’s the memories from team dinners, karaoke bus rides, inside jokes, and the friends you make that you’ll take with you after you graduate. Not to sound cheesy, but enjoy it while it lasts.