Thursday Thoughts

In this Issue:

• Support for students impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton
• Staying here for Fall Break? Here are some ideas for your Deac
• Wake Forest receives national funding to advance public health
• Campus Climate Community Forums

Hurricane Milton has come and gone, leaving a lot of damage and chaos in its Wake. My heart goes out to all the Wake Forest alumni and family in the area. May you and yours be safe. On a personal note, I was relieved to hear from one of my Wake besties in the Tampa area who reported her family is safe and that while they have damage, it was not as bad as they first expected.

I have a few items today – read what serves you and scroll past anything you don’t need.

Support for students impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton

This was included in the WFU Should Know student e-newsletter this afternoon, and I thought families might like to see it too:

“Support for students impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Last week, Provost Michele Gillespie sent a message to all faculty after Hurricane Helene to acknowledge that this disaster has personally impacted some of our students. The same holds for Hurricane Milton. Faculty were encouraged to be mindful of the individual consequences these storms have had for some of our students and were urged to extend grace and flexibility wherever possible.

Students, if Helene or Milton has affected you and is impacting your academics, the first step is to talk to your faculty about the situation and work together on potential solutions. For undergraduate students, if you need additional assistance after your conversations with faculty, you can find academic support through the Office of Academic Advising. Students experiencing personal hardships due to these storms are encouraged to prioritize their emotional wellbeing during this time; reach out through We Are Wake or 336.758.CARE (2273).”

Staying here for Fall Break? Here are some ideas for your Deac

We are a week away from the start of Fall Break. While a good number of our students might go home, or to a friend’s or roommate’s house, other students will stay here in W-S. I have heard students talk about how nice it is to “have the campus to themselves” during Fall Break and to enjoy a quieter time.

If your Deac is staying here for the break, here are some suggestions of local things they might like to do.

Visit Pilot Mountain – about 30 minutes north of campus is a state park with wonderful views and hiking options. Note that due to Helene, all state parks west of I-77 are closed through Oct. 31.

Spend a day at Tanglewood – this park in Clemmons, NC is a great place for a walk or run, or you can sign up for horseback riding, pumpkin patch hayrides and more.

Dine out – Winston-Salem has a plethora of great food options, both downtown and in the surrounding areas. Students can see some of Wake families’ recommendations on where to eat.

Visit Reynolda House, Museum of American Art – It’s free for students with their Deacon OneCard.

Check out downtown Winston-Salem – there are a number of art galleries on Trade Street that are worth a visit, or go to Bailey Park and enjoy the green space, or walk/run/bike the Long Branch Trail.

Take time for self-care – not having class means that students have time to sleep late, do yoga or get gentle exercise, meditate, listen to music, or whatever else helps recharge their batteries.

And remember: students staying on campus for Fall Break should plan ahead and be aware of hours of operation for dining venues, shuttles, building access (e.g., gym, ZSR, etc.) and more.

Wake Forest receives national funding to advance public health

Senior leaders from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited Winston-Salem to see the impact Wake Forest’s Public Health AmeriCorps program is having in the community. The federal agencies awarded the University more than $200,000 to continue the program for a third year. The program aims to address urgent public health needs in communities and train the next generation of public health leaders. Read the full story.

Campus Climate Community Forums

This morning, students, faculty and staff received an invitation to participate in upcoming community forums on campus climate:

“These interactive sessions will discuss the findings of the University-wide survey on the Wake Forest community’s sense of belonging and comfort with our campus climate, and will allow participants to provide input and feedback.”

The student forum will be held on October 30. Students can register here (while RSVP is not required, it is helpful for planning purposes.