Upcoming events and getting involved
I saw this the other day and it struck me that it might be a very useful reminder for your Deacs, particularly our newest Deacs. It’s the idea that you can take yourself out of social situations where you feel uncomfortable. You don’t have to stay somewhere or do something out of some sense of politeness or being afraid of drawing attention to yourself. You can listen to your inner voice and take actions that feel right for you (even if that is different from what others around you are doing). Anyway, I liked this and wanted to share it with the Daily Deacdom in case it is helpful to your Deacs.
At the start of the semester, it’s normal for students of all years to be trying to find their niche on campus. One of the best ways to do that is to get involved in campus activities. There are a few options coming up that I want to highlight.
Student Union is hosting the Deacon County Fair on August 28th from 3-7 pm on Davis Field: “Join us at the Deacon County Fair on Davis Field as we celebrate making it through the first week of the fall semester! We will have tarot card readings, face paintings, a rock wall, inflatables and so much more! This is an event you will not want to miss!”
Our Student Involvement Fair is on August 31st from 3:30-6 pm on Poteat Field. This is an event where every student organization has a table advertising their group and what it does. Your Deacs can stop by tables of interest, check out those groups’ offerings/what they are all about, and sign up for that organization’s distro list so they will begin to receive emails about upcoming activities. Urge your Deacs (of all years) to go! It is so helpful for students to have a manageable number of extracurriculars.
Penny Rue, our VP of Campus Life, gave some great advice about getting involved and going to events. She called it “friend-dragging” – meaning, if you are heading to an event, look for a friend/hallmate/someone who might need some encouragement or a buddy to go, and take them with you. I’m a pretty strong introvert and I am not inherently a “joiner” – so it was great to have friends ask me to come along with them to things – much less scary for me that way. So encourage your Deacs to look out for each other and bring someone along if they can.
There are also options for smaller-group interactions and events. Here is one great example:
The Program for Leadership and Character invites students into personal reflection on issues of leadership, character, and the good life. We will have a discussion group, “What is College For?”, that considers the nature of the good life and how we can live such lives in college and beyond. All students are welcome to sign up and join us as we consider topics such as vocation, gratitude, service, and leadership. The deadline to sign up is September 1. Discussion groups will begin during the week of September 6 and will meet once per week for one hour each time over the next three weeks (September 13, 20, and 27). Students may sign up here.
Connection to campus – and each other – comes with involvement and effort. Students can check out The Link and the Corq app for lots of options for events and engagement opportunities. Once students download the Corq app and select Wake Forest as their campus, they will sign in with their WFU gmail account to view and register for student-only events. Corq is going to be key to your Deacs knowing about campus events.
My encouragement to all students is that when events are planned, show up! You never know what benefit it will have. Talk to other students there and introduce yourself; you might make a new friend. Introduce yourself to faculty and staff at these events (they will be wearing black or gold nametags); you never know when a faculty or staff member could help you. Go to these events with an open mind and a spirit of discovery; you may learn new and amazing things, or develop a new perspective.