Commencement weekend is almost here, and we wanted to give our Deac families a way to be a part of all the action, whether you are here on campus or whether you want to follow along at home.

For those of you who use Twitter and will be on campus this weekend, we encourage you to tweet your Commencement experiences using the hashtag of #wfugrad.  Our crack team of social media experts here will be pulling together tweets and adding them to a Storify series they are working on.  And if you can’t be here – but want to see what Commencement is like – set your Twitter search for #wfugrad and you’ll get to see all relevant tweets.

There is initial coverage of Commencement on our social media web page, where they share pictures of graduates and their best memories of Wake Forest.  It’s a really cute feature and you should check it out, Deac families.

For those of you who are data wonks, we have a list of past Commencement speakers, as well as a ‘did you know’ section with fun facts.

There is also a link for a Commencement Live webcast for those of you who might want to watch the ceremony online.

Finally, if you have not discovered the new Quad Cam, you want to check it out and bookmark it.  This is a new feature and will allow you to get a glimpse of the Quad (Hearn Plaza) any time.  It will be especially fun to watch as the 10,000 chairs get set out and you see the amazing setup – and even more amazing fast takedown – of all the chairs and equipment.

 

 

The ZSR Library sent out its zsreads e-newsletter this week, and one of the featured articles was about outdoor reading rooms.  These outdoor spaces have become more popular and are a wonderful way for your students to stop, take a few minutes pause and read a book or a magazine for a few minutes and try to find some “me time” in the midst of their busy schedules.

Thought you might enjoy reading their story below.  You can also subscribe online at their website to begin receiving this library publication (see subscribe section at the top left of the page).

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This spring, two outdoor reading “rooms” opened on campus. One is just outside the east (Starbucks) entrance to the library. The other is located on the patio near the south side of Reynolda Hall. ZSR Library sponsors the collections in both locations. Each reading room features a selection of books (mostly fiction) as well as current magazines and newspapers.

These rooms are part of a larger initiative whereby WFU commissioned the Biederman Group to enliven outdoor spaces on the Reynolda Campus. Biederman’s most famous project is Bryant Park in New York City. In addition to the reading room, the Reynolda Campus quads now feature an outdoor piano, board games and other fun enhancements. Take a break this summer and relax in the sunshine with a good book or magazine.

Today’s Daily Deac is an invitation for New York City Wake Forest parents and families.  One of my colleagues in Employer Relations is sponsoring an event in NYC and wants all area Deac families to know they are welcome – encouraged, even! – to attend.  Here is the text of her email invitation below.

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It’s no surprise that many of our students want to live and work in New York City—it’s an energetic, vibrant city that offers growth and challenging professional opportunities for our students.  With this is mind, we are excited to let you know about Wake Forest Connects – NYC.  

On June 5th, we will host a networking event designed to help connect current students with Wake Forest alumni, parents, and friends who live and work in the New York area. The event will kick-off with an industry panel who will share advice, tips and strategies for effective networking.

Following the panel discussion, students will have an opportunity to participate in structured networking (in small groups of 8-10) with a wider group of industry professionals.  The evening will end with an open networking reception for all participants at the LCL: Bar and Kitchen (co-sponsored by Scott Gerber P ’17).

 

We’re caught in a bit of a slow news cycle, Deac families.  Commencement is still a week away, and our students are either home for the summer or (more likely) are at Beach Week, that glorious refuge of sun and fun when exams are done.

Much of the campus is wrapping up its yearly work – entering grades, spiffing up the campus for Commencement weekend, getting everything ready for the new students who will arrive this fall.  The Parent Programs office, too, is coming to the home stretch.

And we need help.  From 632 of you to be exact.

Normally in the Daily Deac we don’t talk about fundraising, because there is so much more newsworthy things to tell you about each week.  But one of the reasons Wake Forest is as special as it is – and can provide everything it provides to its students – is because there are a lot of people who believe in what we are doing here, and who support the University’s Parents’ Campaign of the Wake Forest Fund with gifts beyond tuition.  Those Wake Forest Fund dollars get used in a lot of ways – to recruit (or keep!) the best faculty, to create innovative new programs and capitalize on opportunities that will benefit our students, to technology and library facilities and student aid….and so much more.

My office is responsible for the success of the Parents’ Campaign of the Wake Forest Fund.  We have a participation goal of 3,100 Wake Forest families (current and past parents/families) that we are trying to reach.   Right now we are at 2,468.  Which means we need 632 more families to make a gift to the Parents’ Campaign of the Wake Forest Fund.  And that’s where you come in.  We need your help to get there.

So here is my plea to you today…

If you are a regular reader of the Daily Deac, I hope you’ll consider a gift, of any size.

If your student has grown and developed in positive ways while at Wake Forest, I hope you’ll consider a gift, of any size.

If you love the Quad and this beautiful campus, I hope you’ll consider a gift, of any size.

If you bleed Gold and Black, I hope you’ll consider a gift of any size.

[You get the idea.]

 

We do a lot of amazing things here, but we don’t do it alone.  We do it with your support – and the support of alumni and friends too.

If you will help us by being one of the 632 families we need to reach our goal before June 30th, here’s how to do it:

Make a gift online at our secure online site.  Be sure to check the box for Parents’ Campaign, and choose a designation within the Wake Forest Fund (most of our parents choose one of these: Wake Forest Fund, Wake Forest Fund for the College, Wake Forest Fund for the Library or Wake Forest Fund for the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy)

Mail a check (payable to Wake Forest University) to:  P O Box 7227, Winston-Salem, NC 27109.  You can specify the designation in the memo line (again, most of families choose between the Wake Forest Fund, Wake Forest Fund for the College, Wake Forest Fund for the Library or Wake Forest Fund for the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy)

We don’t need you to send a million dollars – a gift of any size from 632 Deac families will allow us to reach our goal.  If all our regular Daily Deac readers made a gift, we’d get there!

Thank you for considering a gift – and for all you do for WFU.   Go Deacs!

Today’s Daily Deac has been guest written by the Office of Sustainability.  This is a great message for our senior families!

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Many members of the Class of 2013 will leave Reynolda campus behind this spring, but all Demon Deacons carry Wake Forest values with them wherever they go.  These values include our campus-wide commitment to sustainability.

For a third year, the Office of Sustainability is asking graduating seniors to solidify their commitment to environmental stewardship and social justice by signing the Green Graduation Pledge.

Seniors will have the opportunity to sign the pledge when they pick up their tickets for graduation from the University Bookstore on Friday May 18^th and Saturday May 19^th from 9-4pm.  The first 250 signatories will receive a coffee mug printed with the Green Graduation pledge, which reads:

I pledge to take into account the social and environmental consequences of any future endeavors and to work to improve the sustainability of the communities in which I work, live and play.

Though we say goodbye for now, we know the Class of 2013 will always fly the colors black and gold and live the color green.

If your student is not graduating, you will hopefully have him (or her) home for the summer.  If having deep conversations is part of your normal parent-child dynamic, the summer might be a great time for you to ask some questions that might help your student unpack his or her experience this year.

This is not a time to grill your child necessarily, because I don’t want to suggest that you put him or her on edge or on the defensive.  But you might want to have an adult conversation where you ask your student about some of his/her Wake Forest experiences and reflect on your own college experiences as applicable.

Here are some thoughts for posing some deep questions (thanks to the Mentoring Resource Center for ideas!)

What were some of the things you loved best (whether classes, people, experiences) and why did you love them?

What did you not enjoy, and why?

What surprised you this year?

Where did you feel like you grew the most?

If you were starting Wake Forest all over, what would you do differently and why?

What were the differences between the best and worst decisions you have made?

What has made you the happiest?

How can I best help and support you during your college journey?

Also, parents, I encounter many students who feel apprehension about pressure to please their parents – either by choice of major, by being involved in the same organizations their parents were in, via their GPA, etc.  This pressure may or may not be coming from you, but some of your students feel it, even if they are just imagining that pressure.

If you are not intentionally putting pressure on them, be explicit and tell them so.  Sometimes they need to hear that their parents or family is OK with them just as they are, and that they are not expected to walk your same path.  Acknowledging that to them may release a considerable amount of pressure for them.  As smart as your kids are – and they are plenty smart – sometimes they still need to hear the obvious: that you love them for who they are, unconditionally.

 

For parents and families of graduating seniors, we like to offer you a few thoughts and suggestions on the happiest day of the year on campus: Commencement.

Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to begin saying prayers and sending positive thoughts for the ideal weather day – sunny and  maybe 75.  That’s your goal.

From having worked many Commencements past, here are some tips I have learned along the way.  Take them as you will.

Weather:  pay attention to the weather forecast for the days leading up to Commencement, and pack clothes accordingly.  That could include rain wear, umbrellas, light jackets, or your warmest, lightest clothing.  Keep an eye on the weather.

Attire: you will see everything from suits and ties and dressy spring suits for women, to sundresses and golf shirts and slacks.  The tendency is to be a little more dressy perhaps, but Deac men should give themselves the option of taking off the jacket and loosening the tie if it gets warm.  Deac women, think about if you tend to be hot or cold natured and determine whether you want the option of a jacket or sweater or pashmina.

Shoes: the Quad grass will be dewy in the morning.  If you wear your fanciest and most impressive shoes, it is almost certain they will get wet, and about an equal chance of getting mud or grass on them.  Use your impressive shoes if you go to Baccalaureate (as it is inside), but beware of your best pair of shoes on Commencement day.

Sunscreen: is a must.  Or a hat.  Or both.  You will be outside for 3+ hours, and while there are some trees, there is not enough to bring huge areas of shade.  If you are sensitive to light, be aware of this.

Older relatives:  personal story – my grandmother wanted very much to see me graduate, but she was very sensitive to too much heat and sun, and was not great about being able to walk a long ways.  While we do our best to make everyone comfortable, if you have relatives for whom an outdoor event would not be good for them, consider that before you all come.  Each family needs to make the decision that is best for them.  There is a live feed of Commencement into Pugh Auditorium (in the Benson Center), which is indoors.  Space is limited.

Seating on the Quad: bring some paper towels or a washcloth from your hotel (please return them!) to wipe off your chairs at Commencement.  While the staff tries to go through and wipe the dew off the chairs, they are not always able to get to all 10,000 chairs before guests arrive.

When to arrive Commencement Day: everyone asks this, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.   My own parents were in line at 6 am because they wanted to be among the first to get on the Quad and find their seats.  They then had a 3 hour wait, so they read the paper, took a stroll, etc.  For other families, they might want to arrive later.  You must ask yourself how important it is to you to get there early and have lots of options about seating vs. how much you want to avoid waiting.  Know that there will be traffic, and there will be lines as you check in.

Bathrooms:  there are many.  Residence halls and Reynolda Hall are open, but there will be lines.  You might fare well to consider going to the Benson Center (a short walk) or Scales Fine Arts Center (closer to the Quad) if you don’t want to wait.  Because we read every student’s name, you will be able to see how long it takes as they begin and can plan your restroom break accordingly.

I was at the ZSR Library early yesterday – well, early for students, 8:30 am – and when I walked in to Starbucks it was already well-saturated with studying students.  They have moved into ‘finals fashion’ – old t-shirts, exercise pants, etc.

It’s not just the Starbucks that is busy.  Here are a few shots of the other nooks and crannies of the libraries.  They are pretty fairly packed.  Many thanks to my library friend in the ZSR for giving us a glimpse of what our students are doing there.

Good luck to our students as they continue their studying for exams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finals continue, and today your poor students have miserable, cold, and rainy weather to accompany their studying and tests.  We wish them the best as they wrap up the semester and finish their time on campus.

As promised, we are going to continue our look back at the year in pictures.  Today we will see the spring semester through the eyes – and camera lens – of our very own, very talented Ken Bennett, University Photographer, as well as some special candid shots provided to us from the crack staff of the ZSR Library, who are seeing more of your students these days than I am.

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It’s Friday and final exams begin.  While your students are busy studying, taking exams and/or packing their belongings in their residence  hall, we thought we’d give you a look back at the 2012-13 academic year in pictures.  Special thanks to our remarkable University Photographer, Ken Bennett, for his wonderful work.  We’ll do the fall semester today, and the spring semester next week.

Disclaimers: this is just a glimpse of probably 6,000+ pictures from the academic year, and we did not include classroom shots (you know your students are in classes) or some of the special events on campus.  Here goes – from Move-In Day in August to finals in December.