News and Notes
Today I want to hit news from a variety of fronts:
I saw a message earlier this week about applications are open for Hit the Bricks Directors: “Help plan one of the fall’s biggest traditions – Hit The Bricks! Directors will be tasked with leading a committee that helps plan various aspects of the event, and assist with the behind-the-scenes work to make Hit the Bricks a great event for all of Wake Forest. Applicants should be passionate about Hit The Bricks while also possessing the leadership skills to effectively manage a committee. Current sophomores and juniors who will be on campus for Fall 2022 are eligible to apply.”
I also see that our Spring Involvement Fair will be held February 2nd from 4-6 pm in 4th floor Benson. This fair provides exposure to the hundreds of clubs and student organizations on campus. No matter your Deac’s year, urge them to go and sign up for some organizations. The way to feel connected on campus is through involvement 🙂 Your Deacs can check out the Corq app for details.
We are once again offering the Sleepin’ Deacon challenge, which involves learning more about sleep: how much you need, tips for more restful sleep, and more. I did this a few years ago and found it both fun and helpful. Your Deacs can learn more at go.wfu.edu/sleepindeacon2022.
The Office of Residence Life and Housing sent a message to students about fire alarms. The message explains some sensitivities in how our fire alarms work, how we monitor and respond to trends, and shares reminders of how students can help avoid triggering an alarm.
In weather news, Mr. Daily Deac went to work today and I watched him slide a bit as he tried to get up our street. He said what I have been hearing from other friends: that neighborhood roads are tricky – most of them totally unplowed/unbrined – but once you get to a main road, they are pretty clear, but use caution if you are driving.
We will have normal operations tomorrow (see message). The message also mentions there is a chance for another storm this Thursday evening through Saturday morning. As always, we anticipate the forecast will evolve today, but it is a good time to encourage your Deacs to have what they need in their house/apartment/residence hall room. Don’t think you want to trudge to the Pit in the snow? Hit the POD (sundry shop) on campus and get some things you could cook in your microfridge or kitchen, etc. Are you almost out of contact solution? Be sure to get some. Need a book from the library for that paper that is due next week? Get it today. You get the idea. And they should watch their email for any weather-related updates.
In COVID news, thankfully we have a relatively low COVID case count, but we do have some students who are being contact traced (for exposure to a COVID-positive person, which may lead to quarantine) or told they must isolate (if they test positive themselves). We have a flow chart for quarantine and a flow chart for isolation, so your students know what to do. While I hope you won’t need them, keep those handy just in case.
If your Deac is sent to isolation, they receive a very detailed email (we refer to it as an intake email) that tells them everything they need to know about services such as how to get meals delivered (they must fill out the meal delivery request form!) and available supports. For parents and families, you may want to ask your Deac to share that email with you. This serves two purposes: 1) it helps you know what their instructions are and the details of quarantine/isolation, and 2) it ensures the student reads their email. I won’t share the intake email here, because some of the details in it could change (for example, if they are at Deacon Station or the Best Western Plus), so it is most accurate to get the message straight from your Deac.
A note about meal delivery to quarantine and isolation: with the possibility of additional severe winter weather on Friday, Deacon Dining will be delivering extra meals Thursday to cover students’ needs for Friday and Saturday. If your Deac is not signed up for meals delivered by Deacon Dining and would like them, they should check their intake email for details on meal delivery and sign up before 3 pm Thursday, January 20th. (If they are already signed up for meal delivery, no further action is required on their part).