Catching Up on the News

In this Issue:

• Lifelong Learning options (in person)
• Phi Beta Kappa article with a dual Wake connection
• Alumnus named Time’s “Dreamer of the Year”
• Wake Study Space
• LDOC/finals begin on Monday

This week has been full of Late Night Breakfast and finals prep and other goodies, and there are several news stories I meant to share earlier with you, but did not have space to. So today is a Jambalaya day in that I am throwing it all in the pot at once for you 🙂

Lifelong earning options

For those of you within driving distance (or who have a generous ability to travel) and who want to scratch the itch to learn new things, our Lifelong Learning program has a variety of options for you:

“Registration is open for the Lifelong Learning Spring 2024 term.  Come join WFU alumni, families, and friends in-person for personal enrichment classes taught by WFU Faculty and community experts.

Classes for this Spring are:

• A Personalized History of Austria
• History of Flamenco in Spain
• Ancient Roman Civilization
• What the Buddha Taught
• Are We Ready for the Next Virus Plague? 
• Philosophy, Poetry, and the Planet”

While these courses are often taken by Wake alumni, they are open to everyone – families, friends of WFU, and more. And it is never too late to take classes and learn something (case in point: I got my doctorate at the tender age of 49!) so consider it if this is something you are interested in.

Phi Beta Kappa article with a dual Wake connection

If you are a member of Phi Beta Kappa, you might get their periodic e-newsletter, the Key Reporter. In the December issue is a story on Wake Forest’s own Mark Vail, Worrell Chair of Politics and International Affairs. The whole feature is a testament to the Wake Forest educational experience, but particularly the last few paragraphs describing Mark’s teaching philosophy stand out. Here is a taste:

“’Students will sometimes ask me, “What do you want us to learn in your class?”‘ Vail said. ‘I don’t know yet!’

‘The Latin root of “education” means to draw out,’ Vail continued. ‘My job is to expose you to different kinds of ideas and perspectives. To introduce you to the process of intellectual self-discovery in a way that you might not [come to] on your own. To teach you to look at the world in a new way.’

With the towering glass-plated business school glistening across the quad, Vail knows that it’s not always easy to assure students that there’s merit to this—to educating rather than training. And yet, during lectures, within office hours, and over coffees, he purports his truth: that a looser and more enigmatic approach to his class and to the educational experience as a whole are acceptable, even beneficial, towards both a successful career and a fulfilling life.”

It’s a great profile on its own. But even better, the author, Will Zimmerman (’23), was one of Wake Forest’s May 2023 inductees into Phi Beta Kappa!

Alumnus named Time’s “Dreamer of the Year”

This is such a fun story. Time Magazine has named Wake Forest alumnus Syd Kitson (’81, P’08, ’09) the 2023 “Dreamer of the Year.” Kitson founded Florida’s Babcock Ranch, the first solar-powered town in the country, while preserving much of the surrounding land as a nature preserve:

“Syd Kitson is a real estate developer and former professional American football player who left the playing field for a different green venture. His ambitious project, Babcock Ranch, is a sustainable, master-planned community in southwest Florida: a blueprint that has come to life through his groundbreaking vision.

Babcock Ranch is the first solar-powered town in America, spanning over 18,000 acres and taking over eight years to come to fruition. ‘We bought 91,000 acres. That’s 143 square miles, an area five times the size of the island of Manhattan. We sold 73,000 acres to the state of Florida, meaning 90% of the original ranch is in preservation forever’ explains Kitson. The development provides a model for sustainable living by integrating green technologies and eco-friendly practices into its design and operation.”

More on of Time’s coverage of the “Dreamer of the Year.”

And our very own Wake Forest Magazine was on the ground with Syd in 2017 when his dream to build the town of the future was just beginning; read more.

Wake Study Space

Library spaces tend to fill up during finals week, so your Deacs may be looking for additional places to study. The Office of the Dean of the College – with help from many campus partners – has expanded hours for several academic buildings. Students can visit the Wake Study Space webpage for the full list of study spaces at Wake Downtown and the Reynolda (aka Main) Campus.

LDOC/finals begin on Monday

Today is LDOC (Last Day of Class). Woohoo!

Final exams begin on Monday the 11th and run through Saturday the 16th. You can see the schedule here.

My ’27 took his first final this morning at NC State and called me about 20 minutes before it started because he was nervous and needed a pep talk. While not all students have the same needs that mine does, if you think your Deac could benefit from a little familial reassurance before finals, think about sending a text or some other gesture of support.

Wishing all our Deacs the best in their final exams, and safe travels as they begin to make their way home for Winter Break!