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#wluSummer: A Bustling Time in Lexington

By Eric Owsley
July 1, 2014

Classes may not be in session, but that doesn’t mean Washington and Lee’s campus is quiet during the summer months. Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s happening on campus and around town: Summer Research Scholars: Learning doesn’t stop when class ends. Many students remain on campus during the summer as part of the Summer Research Scholars program. This program provides students with opportunities to research a subject of their interest in one of two ways: students can assist a professor in his or her research, or they can complete their own research under the supervision of a faculty advisor. This enables undergraduates to work closely with the W&L faculty on research projects that would typically be carried out at the graduate level. Students researchers present their findings to faculty and their fellow Summer Research Scholars at lunch seminars throughout the summer, enabling them to reflect on and synthesize their findings. More information: http://myw.lu/TjS3pO. Volunteer Opportunities: Looking for volunteer opportunities to fill the long summer days? Lexington offers many ways to get involved in the local community. If you want to get outside and work with your hands, the Campus Garden located in W&L’s back-campus is always looking for volunteers to help tend the fruits and vegetables. Campus Kitchens (CKWL), associated with the Garden, also needs volunteers to help cook and deliver food to local residents in need. Learn more: http://myw.lu/1sFxggH. If you want to spend some time with animals, the local SPCA is a great place to volunteer. Get some exercise while walking the dogs in the woods behind the SPCA or play with the kittens, helping to socialize them for their future homes. Whatever your volunteer interests, get out in the community this summer and give back! Learn how you can help: http://myw.lu/1pBVbYP. Lexington Entertainment: Lexington and Rockbridge host a variety of special events and performances throughout the summer. These are ongoing all summer and include:

Exploring Rockbridge: Lexington is especially beautiful and welcoming during the summer months. Don’t forget about these natural activities and attractions:

Campus Construction: Walking around campus this summer, you will notice two large construction sites. The first is the site of the new Center for Global Learning, which will connect the renovated 8,600 square-feet of DuPont Hall with 17,700 square-feet of new construction. The Center will house classrooms, seminar rooms and instructional labs, as well as an atrium, garden, courtyard and an international tea shop. There will also be new venues in the building for special events and exhibits. The center will contain several language departments, offices for visiting international scholars and the Office of International Education. More information: Campus Programs: Though class isn’t in session, campus is far from empty. Beginning in the summer of 2012, W&L has hosted over 165 students each summer for the Virginia Governor’s Full-Immersion Language Academies program. For three weeks, the students live in W&L dorms with RAs and speak only in the language they are studying. They attend lectures, participate in cultural activities and use the language as if they were living in a native-speaking country. More information: Admissions Tours and Information Sessions: Summer is a perfect time to tour W&L’s picturesque campus. With flowers in bloom and bright green leaves on the trees, campus is at its most beautiful. When coming to campus, the best way to find your way around is to hop on a campus tour with one of our current students and learn about what W&L has to offer. Also sign up for an information session led by one of our admissions counselors to learn more about our admissions process. Rising high school juniors and seniors and their families are encouraged to participate in Virginia Private College Week from July 28 – August 1, hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV). W&L is one of 25 private colleges in Virginia offering campus tours and information sessions about admissions, financial aid and academic programs. Students who visit at least three institutions during the week will receive three application fee waivers. Students may use these waivers to apply to any three CICV colleges for free. We love meeting and talking with interested students and parents, so stop anyone on campus if you have any questions! For more information on visiting W&L and touring campus, visit: http://myw.lu/1sFzmx7. Pre-Orientation & Orientation: The Leading Edge pre-orientation trips for incoming first-years are a great way for students to meet others before beginning their first year at W&L. Students have the option of participating in either the Appalachian Adventure or Volunteer Venture. In the Appalachian Adventure, students hike for a week on different sections of the Appalachian Trail and camp each night in shelters along their route. Students carry all of their food and cook meals each night on gas stoves. These arduous hikes challenge the students and create bonds between them that last once they arrive back on campus. The Volunteer Venture trip also provides a way for students to make close friends before arriving on campus, while engaging them in meaningful volunteer work. The program introduces students to the contributing factors of poverty in cities surrounding W&L: Roanoke, VA; Lexington, VA; Washington, DC; Greensboro, NC; Charleston, WV; and Richmond, VA. Students become a part of the community in which they work, interacting with the individuals who they are helping and seeing the effects of their hard work firsthand. Whichever trip you choose, the Leading Edge pre-orientation trips are a great way to meet other first-years before beginning classes in the fall. Learn more about the trips: http://myw.lu/1v6KCP3.