First up, I need to make a correction to yesterday’s Daily Deac, where I mentioned the housing selection message that went out. For incoming transfer students, they are selecting housing the same as the continuing students (’22s-’24s). Transfer students won’t be assigned housing like a first-year student would; they will select it next week. Apologies for any confusion for transfer families. For those still familiarizing themselves with this process or finalizing their plans, go.wfu.edu/housingselection is the best resource hub for all students participating next week.

For any of you with students here in town over the summer, I am sad to report that we did not have a chance of seeing the Ring of Fire eclipse that happened today. This morning, we awoke to lots of clouds and a steady drizzle, making skygazing pretty much impossible. Perhaps you got to see it where you are.

Speaking of stargazing, one of the classes we offer here is Astronomy, via the Physics department. Here are a few shots of the lab work they do. In these photos, students were learning to calculate the diameter of celestial objects using a telescope and basic trigonometry (which is waaaaaay beyond my skill set, it must be said). The observation deck of Olin Hall apparently must be bathed in red light to maintain the students’ night vision.

Wake Forest students learn to calculate the diameter of celestial objects using a telescope and basic trigonometry, in their astronomy class in Olin Hall on the evening of Thursday, March 28, 2019. The observation deck is bathed in red light to maintain the students' night vision. Wake Forest students learn to calculate the diameter of celestial objects using a telescope and basic trigonometry, in their astronomy class in Olin Hall on the evening of Thursday, March 28, 2019. The observation deck is bathed in red light to maintain the students' night vision. Wake Forest students learn to calculate the diameter of celestial objects using a telescope and basic trigonometry, in their astronomy class in Olin Hall on the evening of Thursday, March 28, 2019. Nathan Shepherd ('22) and Michelle MacDougald ('22) look through their telescope. The observation deck is bathed in red light to maintain the students' night vision.

Even though today’s weather made it a wash out to see the eclipse, we have had a couple of other eclipses in recent years. Back in 2017, students in our Worldwide Wake Pre-Orientation program were here to see a solar eclipse, and all the way back in 2014, we had a lunar eclipse, seen here over the great Deacon statue at our football stadium. Many thanks to Ken Bennett’s photo archive for these great shots.

First year students in the Worldwide Wake pre-orientation program watch a near-total eclipse of the sun from the Magnolia Quad on the Wake Forest campus on Monday, August 21, 2017. First year students in the Worldwide Wake pre-orientation program watch a near-total eclipse of the sun from the Magnolia Quad on the Wake Forest campus on Monday, August 21, 2017. Indy Cousin, '21, from Kansas City, reacts as she sees the eclipse. First year students in the Worldwide Wake pre-orientation program watch a near-total eclipse of the sun from the Magnolia Quad on the Wake Forest campus on Monday, August 21, 2017.A total eclipse of the moon was visible from BB&T Field on Wednesday, October 8, 2014.

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

 

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