A message from the Vice President for Campus Life: Supporting One Another

The following message was sent out to students from Penny Rue, Vice President for Campus Life

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For many of us, early November on campus brings anticipation of travel and turkey, as well as time with family and friends from home.  Midterm exams have likely been returned and we are preparing for the final push of academic preparation heading into the final weeks of the semester that wait for us after Thanksgiving Break.

I’ve worked with students on college campuses for the better part of four decades, and one of the constants I’ve found is that this time of the fall semester can also be particularly challenging for many of our fellow Deacs.  Anticipation and anxiety about academic performance can cause us to isolate, feeling that we don’t have enough time to connect, socialize with, and support one another as we have been.  And yet we also know that it is in times of stress like this when looking to another, and looking out for one another is what is makes us inhabit such a special place.

We also know from the great work of the Office of Wellbeing that striving for balance is key, and those efforts are particularly important to emphasize in the coming weeks of the fall semester.  That means that while we focus on academic preparation we also need to be placing a high priority on sleep, keeping our body moving, connecting and taking breaks with friends, connecting with something greater than ourselves, and limiting substances which may get in the way of being our best selves.

Support can be found in so many places at Wake and I encourage students to utilize all that we offer – even if for the first time.  This can include RAs, Wellbeing coaches, tutors, a helpful ZSR librarian, someone in the Writing Center, a nurse in the Student Health Service, or a counselor at the Counseling Center.

In recent years our campus has emphasized the power of effective bystander intervention in times of potential crisis and greater risk.  Absent such circumstances, being a bystander can also mean encouraging those around us to practice wellbeing.  Let us look to ourselves to ask for help when we need it, and to one another to offer support and a listening ear.  It is that commitment to caring that makes this such a wonderful community.

Sincerely,

Penny Rue, PhD
Vice President for Campus Life
Wake Forest University
Division of Campus Life