Lawlor Hall’s Unusual Events Bring Its Residents Together

by Jewell Strock

LawlaPalooza is an event where the units in Lawlor play a bunch of random games in the parking lot, and then, to win, pull a truck down the middle of dorm row. While this event may seem silly, even pointless, LawlorPalooza kicks off the semester with a fun way to introduce Lawlor Hall to the new residents of Cedarville University. And it breaks the ice for the guys residing in Lawlor. 

LawlorPalooza is one of the multiple events that showcase the strong community in Lawlor Hall. Resident Director Nick Boucher said, “The community is tight-knit. There are constantly sweet things happening in Lawlor and I truly think that just the sharing of living space plays a huge role.”

Lawlor is one of the male dormitories located next to the main entrance of Cedarville’s campus. Lawlor is the only male unit-style dorm on campus, and this layout helps with the community. 

Besides LawlorPalooza, Lawlor also participates in Gridiron, which is a football game against The Hill. It occurs at the end of October. This event gets guys to invest time and sweat into playing a giant flag football game. But it also allows them to get to know other guys in the dorm. 

Another event Lawlor is known for is dodgeball. It gets the entire dorm into a unique bracket where RAs and CLCs have their own teams and eventually play each other. LawlorBaller, which happens in the spring, is a 3v3 basketball tournament. Lawlor also has an all-dorm trivia night hosted by Nick Boucher and the RAs.

Lawlor also hosts LawlorNight. It’s an upcoming event that will focus on Hebrews and approaching the Lord. This event was created to emphasize a time of devotions and worship within Lawlor. Lawlor’s units also do individual activities to strengthen the communities within each unit.

The RAs also play an important role in the community. Sophomore CJ Reed said, “The RAs are great. They lead unit meetings and small groups that are great for bonding the unit and holding one another accountable in growth.”

Senior RA Mitch Carr said, “The RA team this year is incredible. We had a high turnover rate due to a lot of guys graduating last year.” Eight out of the nine RAs are new this year. The RAs regularly hang-out and uplift each other through these get-togethers. 

“Being an RA isn’t the easiest job but knowing that the other eight guys are as passionate about discipleship as you are and are there for you when you have a hard week is one of the coolest things. Being an RA is by far one of the greatest roles I’ve been able to have on campus.” Carr says.

The events and traditions of Lawlor, the RD, the RAs and the residence make up the strong community as well as Lawlor for Life.

“I’ve officially joined the ranks of a Lawlor for Lifer this year, which is actually a sweet thing,” Carr said. “I look back on what’s coming on four years of dorm life and there’s so many blessings and memories that I’ll take with me after I graduate.”

“Some of my favorite people that have come out of my dorm are men who spent their four years at Cedarville inside the units of Lawlor. Some of these men were RAs and some of them had no role on my staff at all. However, most if not all of these men were recognized as Lawlor for Lifers because of their hearts towards investing and discipling the students younger than them,” Boucher said. Boucher has continuously supported everyone who has lived in Lawlor. He has created a strong community with the many Lawlor events and has encouraged unit activities and spiritual growth.

Lawlor is a great dorm to live in based on the tightness of the community. “I have loved it,” Reed said. “There are a lot of great guys who push one another to grow spiritually. There is a good balance of spiritual growth, but also a good amount of spiritual fun.”

“Lawlor’s community is about growing together through the high and low moments of the semester and striving for the Gospel together,” Carr said. Lawlor provides its residents with a strong community and ways to connect with each other. 

Jewell Strock is a sophomore International Studies major and a writer for Cedars. She enjoys drinking matcha and listening to music 24/7.