Friday wrap up
In this Issue:
- Free professional headshots for students
- Airport shuttles to Greensboro and Charlotte
- Ride boards
Yesterday was a great deal of fun with ESPN on campus. I wasn’t able to be on the Quad in the 2-3 p.m. hour, but I got there about 3:30. Most of the set had been taken down and the crowd had dispersed, but I did get to see our alumnus Matt James, aka The Bachelor. While I didn’t talk to him myself, he was talking to anyone who wanted to chat with him, and flashing his megawatt smile.
So nice to see Wake grads come back to campus with that much joy in their hearts. And MJ was in an I LOVE THE PIT shirt, which is a hot commodity (you can’t buy them, you have to be gifted one at an event like Pitsgiving).
On to today’s news…
Free professional headshots for students
Yesterday I attended the launch party for IRIS photobooth, a new photobooth that will take professional headshots (for free!). Hear more from my friends in the OPCD (Office of Personal and Career Development):
“Does your student need a Professional Headshot? Having a professional headshot is key for your student’s LinkedIn profile, Handshake account, and more. Students can stop by the OPCD office in Reynolda 230 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get a high-quality headshot for free!
The OPCD’s free, self-service photo booth features studio-grade lighting and cameras, plus we have blazers your students can borrow if needed. Students can take as many photos as they like, and their final image will be sent directly to their WFU email.
Pro Tip: Is your Deac planning to attend the Career Fair on September 17? Encourage them to drop by the photo booth while they’re already dressed up! It’s a great way for them to check an item off their to-do list. Learn more at opcd.wfu.edu/opcd-photo-booth.”
I saw several students taking their pictures yesterday, and they will no doubt be helpful in the job/internship search. So encourage your Deacs to do the same!
Airport Shuttles to Greensboro and Charlotte
Around this time of year, I often get questions about how students get to regional airports. My friends in Transportation and Parking Services have the answer:
“Is your student is heading home for Fall Break? Transportation and Parking Services offers convenient airport shuttle services during designated break times. Shuttles run to and from Greensboro (GSO) and Charlotte (CLT) airports, making travel reliable and stress-free. Registration is open now through October 3, so be sure to book in advance and review our schedule for departure times.”
For flights to/from the Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU), families can contact Black Tie Transportation, a for-hire car service. Of course, students can always Uber, ride with a friend.
When families ask me, I always tell them my preference as a student was to fly into Greensboro because it is so much easier to get to campus from Greensboro than from Charlotte or Raleigh. Even if the cost to fly into Charlotte or Raleigh is cheaper than Greensboro, the cost of ground transportation from Charlotte or Raleigh to Winston-Salem may eat up much of that ‘savings.’ And even if that means you make a connection in Charlotte or Raleigh vs. flying direct to Greensboro, that was still less hassle for me. There are so many flights between Charlotte and Greensboro/Raleigh and Greensboro that even if you miss your original connection, there is almost certainly another flight you can get on to Greensboro.
Again, that is what worked for me. You will have to determine what works best for your family.
Ride Boards
I also get asked sometimes whether Wake has a ride board for students seeking rides. When I was a Wake student back in the ancient days, we had a map of the Southeast and you could put a post it note on the map with your phone number and could seek rides that way.
The short version is we do not have a ride board (physical or electronic) on campus, but sadly it is not for lack of trying.
The long version is that colleagues have worked with ride share efforts over the years. They tried promoting many college ridematching platforms, but unfortunately those had no traction. We even had a Wake Forest entrepreneurship student create a platform just for Wake students, tailored to their needs, but still it was not something students used.
I am told that in behavioral research with students, the primary reasons students said they did not want to use ridematching were 1) it’s too easy to call an Uber, 2) I don’t want to ride with someone I don’t know, and 3) my sorority/fraternity/student organization already has a method for ridematching, and I’d rather use that.
We pride ourselves on the efficacy of our behavior change campaigns, but this one has been a tough nut to crack, despite many valiant attempts.
Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy weekend!