A New Semester
In this Issue: Upcoming events; First Day of Class welcome messages from Dr. Wente and Vice President Shea Kidd Brown; MLK event with gold medal winner Briana Scurry; Rogan Kersh’s ‘Best of 2022’ list; Email to resident students; Info for P’23s
I am at a conference for much of today, so this is a pre-post.
Happy belated FDOC (First Day of Class), Deac families! The spring semester is underway, and here are a few tidbits for you
Upcoming events
January 24 – Spring Involvement Fair, 5-7 pm, Benson Center. Encourage your students (of all years!) to attend the Spring Involvement Fair and meet with student leaders of organizations currently seeking new members! Meet new friends, discover new interests, and get engaged at Wake!
First Day of Class welcome messages from President Wente and Vice President Shea Kidd Brown
President Wente sent the following message to students, faculty, and staff on the first day of classes. Her message references many events that will take place this spring, the first of which is described in the next section below, our 22nd annual MLK address.
Shea Kidd Brown sent students a message reflecting on her first year at the university and sharing her Top 10 Lessons from the Forest. Read it here.
MLK event with gold medal winner Briana Scurry
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Address will be held on Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in Wait Chapel. This year’s featured speaker is Briana Scurry, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, National Soccer Hall of Famer and best-selling author. In June 2022, Scurry published her memoir, My Greatest Save: The Brave, Barrier-Breaking Journey of a World Champion Goalkeeper. And in July 2022, Paramount Plus released the documentary “The Only,” which elevates Scurry’s experiences as a talented, tenacious, and barrier-defying goalkeeper.
Winston-Salem State University and Wake Forest have collaborated for 22 years on the “Building The Dream” keynote speaker program. Our institutions are humbled by Ms. Scurry’s willingness to speak to students, faculty, and staff on this special occasion. While we hope your Deacs will join us in Wait Chapel in person, I want to note that this event will be live-streamed, so families can watch it too!
Rogan Kersh’s ‘Best of 2022’ list
For our older Deac families, you may recall that each year, our alumnus and former provost, Rogan Kersh (’86) publishes a ‘Best of’ list with the year’s best in movies, music, books, restaurants, and more. In addition to being an extraordinary teacher and scholar, Rogan is one of the most prolific livers of life that I have ever met. He has an enviable capacity to read (astonishing given his busy job!), but he also has his finger on the pulse of arts and culture, news and politics, and travel. If you are looking for a book to read, music to enjoy (he has playlists!) or other amazing experiences, read Rogan’s list. I know I look forward to it every year!
Email to resident students
The Office of Residence Life and Housing sent this message to all resident students. It includes information about 2023-24 opening and closing dates for residence halls, how to report facilities issues, the required occupancy verification process, and tips from IS.
Info for P’23s
Attention P’23s! The OPCD, Alumni Engagement, and Department of Counseling are offering a series of workshops in February and March just for your students. Year One 101 will cover everything from making the most of transition to managing finances and mental health as a young professional to all the ways the Wake Forest Alumni Community can support them from graduation on. Space is limited and pre-registration is requested. Also, be sure to check out the parents and families section of Out of the Forest for information to help you prepare for your student’s transition from college to career!
Hope your Deacs are having a great first few days of class!