DYER Fellows Daniel Andrade ’25, Swetha Tadisina ’25, and Daniel Weispfenning ’25 felt firsthand the disconnect between Lafayette College and the rest of Easton.
While Lafayette is an integral part of the city, it can at times feel isolated. Students are often hesitant to venture down the hill and visit the bustling and burgeoning downtown scene, and businesses experience the challenge of serving an important population “up the hill”.
Seeing this problem, the three took to action and created the Lafayette Easton Alliance (LEA).
“LEA is proudly student-led. We want to see the Lafayette community exchange ideas, culture, and spaces with Easton. We’re excited to be strengthening the relationship between Lafayette and Easton, its home!,” said the trio.
The Lafayette Easton Alliance has hosted a number of events designed to shrink the distance between Lafayette and downtown. For instance, they brought a group of students to Easton’s famous Garlic Fest, opening the door for students to experience one of downtown’s premiere and famous attractions. They also organized a lineup of Lafayette student musicians to perform at Easton’s Winter Village. This not only allowed for students to experience Easton’s magical winter offerings, but also for Eastonians to hear a small sliver of the talent at Lafayette.
The second edition of this Winter Village event will take place Friday, December 6th, and six Lafayette students are already confirmed to perform.
From bringing Lafayette musicians to various downtown venues, to partnering with businesses to offer discounts to leopards, to creating a pathway for students to consult with Easton establishments, LEA has been exploring some bold initiatives.
💡 Want to connect or support their efforts? Please email us at dyercenter@lafayette.edu.