Upcoming events of note – and a correction
In this Issue:
- Today we will talk about a few upcoming events that might be of interest to your Deacs
- We also have a correction on the sleep information shared yesterday
Happy Wednesday, Deac families! Although it is Spring Break, there are a few events coming up that might be of interest to your Deacs.
Visit by Gandhi’s grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi (March 13 and 15)
On Monday, March 13, historian and biographer Rajmohan Gandhi will explore connections between his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy for peaceful, nonviolent change and the words and work of civil rights activist Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Wake Forest Professor of Humanities Corey D.B. Walker and Associate Professor of History Raisur Rahman will lead the conversation with Gandhi.
The event, “Gandhi, King and the Future of Humanity” will be held from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in Porter Byrum Welcome Center, Kulynych Auditorium. A reception will follow.
On Wednesday, March 15, Professor Gandhi will offer a biographical look at the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The talk, “Lessons for the 21st Century” will be held from 6-7:15 p.m. in Carswell Hall, Annenberg Forum. Light refreshments will be served prior to the event from 5 – 6 p.m.
An Evening with Professor S. James Gates Jr. (March 16)
A pioneering theoretical physicist, Dr. Gates is one of the most distinguished scientists in the nation. He is Past President and Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists. Dr. Gates served on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the Obama administration and was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Obama.
Dr. Gates will reflect on his path through supersymmetry in space-time, advising President Obama on Science and Technology, and working to increase diversity in Science. The event is at 7 p.m. March 16 in Wait Chapel.
Murder Mystery Dinner (March 16)
The Charlotte Murder Mystery Company will be hosting a murder mystery party with the theme of Death Ahoy! on Thursday, March 16th at 7 p.m. in the Magnolia Room. Throughout the night, students will have to look through clue packages and have the opportunity to question the suspects in order to solve the mystery and figure out who committed the murder and why. A taco buffet dinner will be provided to students as they uncover the case. There is limited space for this event so students must RSVP.
Puppies on the Quad (March 17)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Woof Forest are teaming up to bring our students Puppies on the Quad. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our Deacs to take a break, pet some puppies, and just relax. This event will be on Manchester quad on March 17 from 2-4 p.m.
We also have a correction on the sleep information we shared yesterday
Yesterday I shared information from the Chronicle of Higher Education about the importance of sleep. This information was written by ChatGPT, the AI (artificial intelligence software). Today, the Chronicle ran a correction:
“Today’s Footnote doubles as a correction. Some careful readers have pointed out that the “study” in yesterday’s ChatGPT-authored Footnote is an amalgamation of unrelated facts — not an actual study.
The chatbot wrote that a recent study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that college students who slept for seven to eight hours a night had higher GPAs than those who slept for six hours or less. There was indeed a recent sleep study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which found that “every hour of lost total average nightly sleep was associated with a 0.07 reduction in end-of-term GPA.”
But no recent studies produced the numbers (a 3.27 GPA for the average sleepers vs. a 2.74 GPA for the short sleepers) that this “study” purported to find. There was a 2001 study in the College Student Journal which found that long sleepers had higher GPAs than short sleepers, and the numbers were similar to the ChatGPT-referenced study. Close, but no cigar — that study was not recent and not in the Journal of Sleep Research. And the numbers were off.
The scientist quoted in the fake study, Dr. Fawziah Lalji, focuses on “applied research around population and public health of communicable diseases,” according to her profile on the University of British Columbiawebsite. She has not, by any accounts, published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
Take this as a warning about chatbots, even if they’re used as an example for the Footnote. We regret the error.”
Though it has been in the 60s and even the 70s within the past few days, cooler temps are coming, as you can see in our five-day forecast.
It’s been so warm that our tulips and other flowers have been blooming earlier than usual. I am hoping the flowers withstand the next week or two of cooler temps. Here was the view from Alumni Hall this morning.
