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We’ve had a lot of fun on the �鶹ӰԺ news wire during 2019, getting to know students and faculty, catching up with alumni, and showcasing the innovative work being done in classrooms, performance spaces, and athletic venues across campus.

As we bid adieu to the year and prepare to welcome 2020, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite moments of the past 12 months, superlative style. (Also look in the coming days for favorite alumni moments and our top 10 most-read stories.)

Let’s start with the superlatives — 19 strong, with story links — in no particular order:

1 … Most boastful moments of the year

Rankings continue to put �鶹ӰԺ in elite national company. In the Princeton Review’s “Best Value Schools,” . It also put �鶹ӰԺ on its . Only about 13% of eligible four-year schools make that list. With five recent graduates teaching abroad on Fulbright awards, �鶹ӰԺ landed on a . And �鶹ӰԺ landed at , which follows the money in terms of alumni giving at private, not-for-profit colleges. 

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2 … Most emphatic reminder of bonds between �鶹ӰԺ, Appleton

The bonds between �鶹ӰԺ and the Appleton community are deep and important. highlighted a study that shows �鶹ӰԺ’s annual impact on Appleton and the greater Fox Cities totals nearly $70.3 million — from employee earnings, goods and services, construction projects, off-campus spending and visitor spending. It also showed contributions to the community go well beyond economics, highlighting ongoing cultural and charitable relationships, including . 

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3 … Most likely weekend to be filled with sleeplessness

When we talk about traditions that continue to engage and amuse, it’s hard to beat �鶹ӰԺ’s Great Midwest Trivia Contest. For the 54th edition, we gave you , the 37 being a nod to the very specific start time of 37 seconds past 10 p.m., the kickoff to 50 hours of madness that is annually a highlight of winter term.

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4 … Brightest lights of Lawrentian generosity

There are many such examples. It’s tough to narrow it down. But we highlighted a few that were particularly notable in 2019, from the  (continuing after being launched in late 2018), to an , to a . There is much to be thankful for.

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5 … Newest degree on the block

The unveiling of a new degree program is no small thing. The , opening the Conservatory of Music to a more expansive group of student musicians. With a foundation in jazz and contemporary improvisation, the degree is built to accommodate a wider range of music making. The possibilities are many, and the excitement is palpable.

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6 … Favorite hometown connection on a Presto! tour

Voice professor  as part of the �鶹ӰԺ Conservatory’s annual Presto! tour, a spring outing that embraces both performance and community outreach. For Holiday, doing so in his hometown made it all the more special and presented opportunities to share his love of �鶹ӰԺ with prospective students. For the Conservatory, it was one more opportunity to .

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7 … Strongest embrace of a Wisconsin winter

Have you seen the ice rink that is the annual handiwork of Chuck McKee ’68? It’s a sight to behold. He and his wife, Lesley McKee ’68, have deep bonds with �鶹ӰԺ that continue to this day. They live a couple blocks north of campus. Each winter for the past 25 years, Chuck, a retired doctor and �鶹ӰԺ Hall of Fame football player, has , drawing a bevy of friends and acquaintances for pickup hockey games (and from time to time �鶹ӰԺ hockey players looking for ice time). They’ve also been known to throw a party or two on the ice, one of which landed their rink in the pages of Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

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8 … Most eye-opening testimonial to �鶹ӰԺ’s strength in STEM

A report from the Council for Independent Colleges put �鶹ӰԺ in some pretty notable company regarding the number of students earning degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields on their way to successful completion of doctoral degrees. , sandwiched between Harvard at 16 and Princeton at 18.  

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9 … Best use of a camera in a garden setting

There’s nothing like a midsummer arrival of goats to liven up one of the quietest stretches of the campus calendar. When the students tending to the SLUG garden garnered a sustainability grant to bring in 10 goats to do some weeding, well, we turned a GoPro camera into . The goat initiative was just one of  on campus, and played a part in �鶹ӰԺ’s .

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10 … Most madness-filled athletics flashback

In the college basketball world, March Madness shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. Fifteen years ago, the �鶹ӰԺ men’s team went where no Vikings had gone before, winning an NCAA tournament game (and then some) for the first time in the program’s 101 years. We revisited the , catching up with that 2003-04 team that had �鶹ӰԺ dancing like never before.

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11 … Biggest artful addition to campus

When  came to campus to share a journey that has taken her to tribal lands across the country (and beyond), she was looking to redirect the narrative on indigenous people. In addition to a convocation address on her work with photography and art installations, she led Native students in the  on the side of the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center.

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12 … Most toast-worthy �鶹ӰԺ tradition 

A lot was happening back in 1969. Among the changes at �鶹ӰԺ was the transition of the Viking Room from an alcohol-free student hangout to a full-fledged campus bar. The popular spot in the lower level of Memorial Hall . 

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13 … Funkiest alumni celebration of �鶹ӰԺ roots

We love it when �鶹ӰԺ alumni stay connected, return to campus, and share their passion for this place that helped shape them in their adult lives. If it gets a little quirky, so be it. Members of , a funk band that started at �鶹ӰԺ and is now based in Minneapolis, wear their quirkiness like badges of honor. The Porky’s crew — seven Lawrentians strong — returns often, and we are forever thankful. 

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14 … Best use of a swimming pool in a non-traditional way

The opera presented at �鶹ӰԺ in late March was probably a bit different than any you’ve experienced before. For starters, the musicians — and some instruments — were in the water. Held in the pool at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center, the opera included violins and cellos and keyboards and fancy attire — and water. Lots and lots of water. .

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15 … Newsiest inspirations in the sciences

When the Nobel Prizes were announced this fall, there were some scientists and economists at �鶹ӰԺ nodding in agreement. Research being done by faculty members Megan Pickett, Allison Fleshman, Dylan Fitz, and Hillary Caruthers — and their students — is . A book that is part of Freshman Studies also got Nobel attention.

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16 … Most savvy change in study abroad opportunities

�鶹ӰԺ students continue to thrive with study abroad opportunities. , resulting in an uptick in numbers over the past year. Students continue to .

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17 … Newest on-stage effort to embrace inclusivity

When �鶹ӰԺ reimagined Leonard Bernstein’s Mass in early 2019, it came with a significant twist that drew in a slice of the population that often feels left out.  The students in the production spent considerable time learning American Sign Language (ASL) and Pidgin Signed English (PSE), used throughout the live performances.

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18 … Rockiest tradition that endures

The Rock has been part of �鶹ӰԺ since the class of 1895 first hauled the big boulder to campus and carved their signature into it 124 years ago. While the traditions and squabbles that have been part of that history haven’t always been embraced by school administrators, that history was finally recognized with signage that went up this summer. .

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19 … Most buzz-worthy research on campus

Biology professor Israel Del Toro , securing a  via the Bee City USA initiative. His research work includes assists from students and outreach to the Fox Cities community.