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Spooky Season

by Betsy Chapman

In this Issue:

As we get closer to Halloween, I thought it might be nice to highlight a few options for students looking for some Spooky Season fun. Here are a few events (in addition to Project Pumpkin coming up on the 27th) that students might enjoy.

And for students looking to buy their own pumpkins to carve, students with cars might have passed the church on Reynolda Road between the Wake campus entrance and the Polo Road stoplight. That church has been selling pumpkins every year for as long as I have lived in Winston-Salem (and probably even before I arrived), so that might be their closest spot to get a pumpkin. But many of the local grocery stores have them too.

Halloween Game Night this Friday at ZSR

For any of our Deacs who are looking for some pre-Halloween fun, ZSR is hosting a Halloween Game Night this Friday from 7-9 p.m.:

“Join ZSR Library for an evening of Halloween fun! In addition to games with our partnering student organizations, there will be snacks, a costume contest, tarot card readings, and raffle prizes! Costumes are encouraged!”

Haunted Trails (Monday, Oct. 26)

The Anthony Aston Players (AAP) at Wake are students involved in the University Theatre, and each fall they put on a scary event for our students to enjoy. This year, they are hosting Haunted Trails on Monday, Oct. 26 from 7-10 p.m.:

“Welcome to CAMP FLOCKAGONA, where AAP’s annual scare fest hits the great outdoors on Wake’s very own Cross Country Trails, located just up the road from Palmer and Piccolo and next to the University Activity Space. After being dropped off in the woods, audience groups are brand-new campers trying to find their way to their cabin via flashlight…only to be tormented by all the horrific surprises that a summer camp has to offer. Let’s just say these aren’t very happy trails…”

Uncover the Mystery: The Tarot Reader event with Finley Turner

I saw this event on the Events.wfu.edu calendar and thought some of our students might enjoy this Halloween-adjacent opportunity:

“Join us in Special Collections & Archives at ZSR Library on Thursday, October 29 from 4-6pm, for an enchanting evening celebrating alumnus author Finley Turner’s latest psychological thriller, The Tarot Reader! Set right here in Winston-Salem, the novel follows a phony psychic whose fake vision lands her dead center in a very real murder investigation.

Get into the spirit of the book with live tarot card readings, browse a fascinating pop-up display of historic tarot and occult materials from the Special Collections & Archives, and enjoy light refreshments. Whether you’re a thriller fan, a history buff, or just curious about what the cards hold for you, this is the perfect pre-Halloween event.”

P’30 message: processing midterm grades and keeping perspective

While this isn’t spooky season proper, grades can be a scary thing for our students 🙂

Yesterday I forgot to include a link to our weekly message for first-year/P’30 families. Our topic this week is: Processing Midterm Grades and Keeping Perspective.

Most of our students – but especially first-year students – are highly anxious about their parents’/families’ reaction to their grades. From my own student days at Wake through years of academic advising, what I experienced is that first semester grades can often be the lowest a student might get. It truly does take a while for students to acclimate to the heightened academic expectations of college – especially while they are adjusting to all the other parts of college.

So to the degree that you can help your ’30 focus on setting themselves up for success (e.g., using the free resources of CLASS and the other academic centers, studying at a time and place that is conducive to learning, balancing work and play, etc.) vs. focusing solely on grades, you will be helping more thank you know.

And since orange seems to be everywhere at Halloween, I thought I’d share one of my favorite pictures of Wake, taken long ago. Check out this sunset.

Orange sunset

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