I think it’s been 6 months since I have been working from my dining room table, and I miss being able to see campus every day. So I am always extra happy when there is a photostory that let’s me see what I am missing. Today there is a photostory about Study Spaces, giving a glimpse into the outdoor and indoor spaces that our students are using to study, either alone or together (hat tip to my friend Ken Bennett, photographer extraordinaire). Speaking of the outdoors, folks will be happy to know that we have a new process for students in quarantine to get some outside time so they can have a little fresh air and sunshine.

Another great visual I discovered yesterday was the new Wake the Arts website. There are a couple of videos on there that I commend to you (with the caveat that these were shot pre-COVID, which is why you are not seeing masks). Wake the Arts is “a movement to infuse the arts into every aspect of the Wake Forest experience. Through this shared connection we will elevate Pro Humanitate to develop Wake Forest graduates who are empathetic, curious, and interdisciplinary problem solvers. We believe that all knowledge becomes more impactful when combined with the power of expression.”

The arts have always played an important role in life at Wake Forest, but because of the pandemic, perhaps it will take on an even greater significance: how many of us have relied on bingewatching TV shows, watching movies, listening to (or playing) music, etc. during this time of quarantine to stay sane? Whether your student is a maker of art or a consumer/admirer of art, we are fortunate to have a rich arts tradition at Wake.

Another pandemic trend seems to be jigsaw puzzles, and happily our Student Union has our students covered. There is going to be a jigsaw puzzle challenge coming up; read more here. Your students can sign up for this via The Link.

In statewide COVID news, NC has just rolled out an app called SlowCovidNC, which will allows users to know if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. The state is hopeful for broad adoption of the app. You can learn more here and your students can find it on the App Store if interested. We have downloaded it in our household because Mr. Daily Deac still has to go to work at his office, and his particular job is such that he might come into contact with someone casually who he doesn’t know (and might not see again), and while I am not dining in restaurants, I do have to stand and wait for my take-out sometimes; in those cases, contact tracing might be problematic.

Last up today: for those of you who have been listening to podcasts in the time of COVID, there is a series, DRAFTED, that features former WF football star Essang Bassey (’19) as he prepares for the 2020 NFL Draft. Bonus: the series is narrated by Keegan-Michael Key. And a quick look at the extended forecast suggests that we will get up to 80 degrees on Sunday, but only highs in the mid- to high-60s after that. Could this be Actual Fall?

 

— by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)

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