Go Deacs! And Go to Events!

Tonight is a big night in DEACTOWN: our opening football game at 7:30 tonight against VMI. Here are a few things your Deacs may experience:

• Wake Forest Athletics is proud to provide complimentary transportation for students for every home game to ensure all students have a safe and easy option to get from campus to Truist Field. The pick up and drop location is located in lot P, directly behind Wait Chapel. Shuttles run continuously beginning three hours before kickoff and one hour after the game concludes. The pickup and drop off location at Truist Field is located behind the Wake Forest indoor tennis center on Shorefair Drive.
• And a reminder to all students that there is a clear bag policy.
• The free DEACTOWN Student Tailgate is BACK. This revamped space behind the East stands of Truist Field was developed in partnership with student leaders, members of the Wake Forest faculty, the Wake Forest Office of Student Life, Wake Forest Office of Diversity and Inclusion, University Advancement, and the Office of Alumni Engagement. The space will open for students three hours prior to kickoff, where they will enjoy an elevated tailgate experience featuring a stage with live music and a large video screen to watch games from around the country. Additionally, free food opportunities will be available from local food trucks for students while supplies last, while additional food will be available for purchase.  

• Athletics will be hosting a tailgate for the Class of 2026 prior to Opening Night at Truist Field. Freshmen are invited to enter via Gate Four at Truist Field and proceed to the East Concourse to enjoy free food, live music, and more. Free t-shirts will be available while supplies last. 
• And members of the Class of 2026 will be invited onto Truist Field for the traditional “Freshman Field Run.” This once-in-a-lifetime experience allows each member of the freshman class to sprint across Truist Field.

Read the full opening night details here. Many thanks to our partners in Athletics for all they do for our students! GO DEACS!

Looking ahead to other campus events, I took a look at The Link and found a handful of events coming up that might be of interest to your Deacs:

• Inter Fraternity Council Cookout on Sept 7th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for spring fraternity rush
• Casino Night in Bostwick and Johnson lobbies on Sept. 8th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Bostwick and Johnson Lobbies. There will be Blackjack, Texas Hold’em, Roulette and Bingo! Charcuterie Board, Cake and Mocktails will be served.
• Game Night at ZSR on Sept. 9th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Join us for an evening of fun with board games, card games, tabletop games, video games, snacks, pizza, giveaways, and more! The WFU Board Game Club, Rook & Bishop (chess club), and Esports and Gaming club will be joining us!

With these and other events, students should check out The Link and see the detailed listing of the events, which ones require RSVP, etc.

And by the way, the above is not an all-inclusive list. Your Deacs can browse the Events section of The Link for future events of interest (though check back often, things can be added at any time).

As tends to happen every fall (pre-pandemic as well as now), the start of school typically brings a rise in illnesses (students sometimes refer to it as “freshmen plague” or “frat flu”). For some it is allergies (exposure to new pollens can be a shock to the system), for others it could be a cold, strep throat, flu, COVID, general crud.  When you have a lot of students burning the midnight oil and not getting enough sleep, potentially being in close contact at a party (or in romantic encounters), and sharing food or drinks, germs can spread.

Parents and families may want to offer a gentle reminder to your Deacs to do the simple things like wash your hands, if you are sick, don’t keep socializing or going to class/limit your contact with others, etc. For any students with COVID, they are given explicit instructions for their isolation and what they can/cannot do, and reinforcing that message is helpful. 

— by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)

September 1, 2022