When I first got to Lawrence in the fall of 2024, the first thing I picked up on was the particular sayings and turns of phrase returning students around me used. These Lawrence-specific terms were, and still are, used to refer to students’ most and least favorite parts about going to school here. The phrase “Lawrence Busy,” for example, refers to the hectic schedules many students take on, as well as the jam-packed courses that attempt to cover extensive material in 10-week terms. If you haven’t done your homework yet because you were busy catching up on sleep after a late-night meeting, then you too have experienced what it’s like to be “Lawrence Busy.”
It feels like everyone at Lawrence, to some extent, has fallen victim to this stressful phenomenon. Everyone is busy, and nobody has as much free time as they would like. This is exactly why, for this article, I embarked on a mission. I set out to find the first Lawrentian who, when hearing about the Lawrence Busy, asks if you are referring to “Lawrence Freetime.”
I knew I was successful in my endeavor when I found sophmore Ian Mackey. Ian Mackey is in the five-year dual degree program, seeking degrees in math and trombone performance with a jazz emphasis, and might have as much free time as you can while still a full-time student at Lawrence. I was surprised to hear how sparse his schedule is, both credit and time-wise…