Tuesday roundup
Happy Tuesday, Deac families! Today well cover a wide swath of news, events, and questions. Let’s go!
Our men’s basketball team had a huge, monster victory over UNC this past Saturday night, plus a win over Boston College last night. UNC is our longtime rival; in the event you missed the game – or if you simply want to relive the glory of this big win – you can revisit the triumph in this cinematic recap. The Quad got a mighty rolling afterwards, too.
Poet Laureate Joy Harjo is coming to campus tomorrow. Harjo, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and renowned performer and writer, will give a poetry performance, Poet Warrior: An Evening with Joy Harjo, in Wait Chapel at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The poetry performance is free and open to the public and the media, but registration is required by all attendees. To register, go here.
The Healthy Minds Study is underway! This is an important annual survey administered nationally to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to examine their mental health and emotional wellbeing. The results from this study will be used to evaluate mental health on campus and adjust the focus of resources and programs. This year’s survey takes place January 24 until February 18. Students received a link to take the confidential survey in their WFU email. Urge your Deac to complete their survey (remind them that prizes are given to 3-4 survey participants each week!)
For our P’25s and transfer families: this week’s issue of Letters So Dear was sent to your Deacs yesterday. I missed bringing you last week’s Letters So Dear, but you can see the archive for past issues.
This Thursday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. My colleagues from the Chaplain’s office shared some information; click here to learn about the timeline, importance, and how to observe the day. They also have some events that you can see in their newsletter. There is also an academic lecture, Conscious History: Polish Jewish Historians before the Holocaust, on January 27, at 4:00 pm.
The next Face to Face speaker series event will be with cellist Yo-Yo Ma on February 16th. This time, there is not a dedicated student-only event in Wait Chapel, so I am told we are encouraging all students to come to the Keynote Address at the LJVM Coliseum at 7:30 pm. Entrance is free for students (with WFU ID); parents and families can purchase tickets here.
I also wanted to share a few of the questions that we have been receiving of late.
Where can my student find out what is happening on campus? The Corq app and The Link are two of the best ways for students to see upcoming events geared towards students. There are also a variety of digital screens and posters in the Benson University Center, plus flyers and table tents can be on tables in the Pit and the Benson Food Court. Many student organizations and campus offices have active Instagram accounts too that students can follow.
When will we know the date of Family Weekend 2022? The date is typically announced at the end of January or early February, once our football schedule is known (Family Weekend typically occurs on a weekend with a home football game). The ACC has said it will release the schedule on January 31st at 7 pm. Once we see the football schedule, we still have some due diligence to do – checking hotels to see if there is availability, working with other campus partners to help determine which weekend is Homecoming vs. Family Weekend, etc. – so it may be a little while between the official football release and the actual Family Weekend announcement. I’ll put it on the Parents and Families page and give the date in the Daily Deac as soon as I get it.
When will the full schedule for Commencement weekend be published, who is the speaker, how many tickets can my family have, etc.? Typically those details are announced later in the spring. The Commencement website has some basic info for travel-planning purposes: “The undergraduate Class of 2022 Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 16, 2022 at 9 a.m. A series of optional events, including a Baccalaureate service, departmental open houses, and more are traditionally held throughout the day on Sunday (May 15, 2022).”
My high school senior just got accepted to Wake – what do I need to know? First of all, YAY! Congratulations! We have an Incoming Families website that has some basic information that will help you get started. Later this spring, after Regular Decision students have been notified, there will be a lot more information for incoming families.
My student wants to come home this weekend and we want them to get a COVID test before they come home. Where can they get a test? We cannot offer asymptomatic tests on campus for travel/peace of mind, but there are a variety of local resources that students can use. For students who do not have their own car, there is a Wake shuttle that runs to Hanes Mall, River Birch, and Target; the CVS on Robinhood Road is directly across from River Birch and accessible via crosswalk at the stop light, so students can check for testing options there.
My student took a test on their own and tested positive – what do they do? They need to contact WFU Best Health (email wfuwellness@wakehealth.edu or call 743-223-4217) and they will walk your student through all next steps. Note: WFU Best Health is our COVID-positive intake channel – please have your student notify WFU Best Health, not Student Health Service (the offices communicate cases between them, but WFU Best Health is the starting place for students who have tested on their own and it is positive).