Stories this week at Wake Forest

Students Prepare for Project Pumpkin

Wake Forest University students will offer a safe alternative to trick-or-treating through city streets for nearly 1,500 Forsyth County children Wednesday, Oct. 30. Project Pumpkin, a Halloween event started in 1989, will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in front of Wait Chapel. In preparation for the event, students will visit community agencies in the next two weeks to help children decorate candy bags.

Why Do We Like to be Scared?

According to psychology professor Robert Beck, people like controlled fear — the kind that haunted houses and scary movies provide. Beck says we seek an “optimal level of excitement.” For some, a Dracula movie can provide that. But, for others, the optimal level is only reached through sky-diving, bungee-jumping or another high-risk behavior. Although not everyone likes to be scared in the same way, Beck says, “no one likes to be pushed beyond the `optimal level’ to the panic level.”

U.S. Supreme Court Clerk to Lecture

William K. Suter, clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, will lecture at the Wake Forest School of Law at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the Worrell Professional Center auditorium. Suter, the liaison between the Supreme Court and the public, will offer insight into the operation of the Supreme Court and explain court procedures. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Categories: Community, Events, Speakers, Student