It’s a drizzly gray morning, Deac families. It’s warm outside, maybe in the mid-60s, and supposedly the sun will come out a little later today. We need a little brightness to perk up your students, who are no doubt dragging with classes ending and finals looming.
Here’s a bit of brightness for you: college pranks. Last week, my colleagues at the Wake Forest magazine stumbled upon this story of a Mickey Mouse prank pulled on Wait Chapel. Written by alumnus Kerry King (’85), this is a fun story. While Wake Forest cannot claim the elaborate college pranks (also known as hacks) of MIT, this is certainly one for the ages.
In more serious news, Wake Forest celebrated an important milestone this past week, kicking off a celebration of fifty years of integration. Called “Faces of Courage,” the University is embarking on a yearlong celebration and reflection of how Wake Forest became the first major private college in the South to accept non-white students.
One of the events associated with the Faces of Courage series will be with the Deacs Read online book club (while advertised for Wake Forest alumni, Wake Forest parents are also welcome!) In September, the Deacs Read group will read The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. I have read this book myself, and it was fascinating, painful, and deeply interesting.
The Warmth of Other Suns is getting some play in many different arenas of Wake Forest life. Each year, we offer a list of suggested Summer Reading books on the Parents’ Page section called “Information for First Year Parents.” You don’t have to be a first year parent to read this section – and I particularly recommend our Summer Reading list if you are looking for new books and new ideas. We solicited suggestions from the crack team at the ZSR Library as well as the President’s office. I have read many of these myself, and have found some delightful reads within this list.
