Stories this week at Wake Forest

THINKPAD EXCHANGE — Wake Forest’s 1,012 freshmen picked up their brand new IBM laptop computers Aug. 21. On Aug. 26, juniors will trade in their old ThinkPads for the new model. The ThinkPad exchange will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Information Systems building. Since 1996, Wake Forest has provided students with laptop computers, replacing them after two years. Students keep the computers after graduation. For more information, contact Rachel Cook at cookrj@wfu.edu.

GOING HOME TO AN EMPTY NEST — Parents of freshmen all across the country will be going home to either an empty house or a quieter one, after dropping their new college student off this fall. Johnne Armentrout, assistant director of Wake Forest’s counseling center, says although it’s a tough transition for the student, this time can be especially hard for parents. She leads a “College Transition” program for parents each fall during freshman orientation. The program addresses topics like marriage enrichment, the typical freshman experience and the changing parent/child relationship. It begins tonight at 7 p.m. To arrange an interview with Armentrout, contact Cheryl Walker at walkercv@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

NEVER TOO EARLY TO VISIT CAREER SERVICES OFFICE — William Currin, director of Wake Forest’s Career Services office for 14 years, says when jobs are scarce, like in today’s job market, employers have the advantage over the hundreds of prospective employees. One way to up the odds of landing a job upon graduation is to be prepared. “It is important for students to get hard-nosed exposure to the working world as early as possible,” he says. Currin encourages students at the beginning of the sophomore year to visit the Career Services office, begin creating a resume and start networking. To arrange an interview with Currin or for more information, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

TRIAD COMMUNITY SUBJECT OF MUSEUM EXHIBIT — In the early 1980s the Cambodian Khmer, a people forced out of their homelands by war and economic devastation, found their new home in the Piedmont Triad city of Greensboro. An exhibit exploring their culture and history will open Sept. 3 at Wake Forest’s Museum of Anthropology. “Across the Temple Gate: The Cambodian Side of Greensboro” features color photographs and text that bring the community to life. Media are invited to visit the exhibit before it opens to the public. To arrange coverage, contact Cheryl Walker at walkercv@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

MORE THAN CASINOS AND POW-WOWS — Tourists visiting the flashy casino town of Cherokee often underestimate the enduring elements of the American Indian culture behind the commercial façade. Margaret Bender, assistant professor of anthropology at Wake Forest, says the things that most outsiders have contact with offer little insight into true Cherokee culture. Bender spent three years studying the Cherokee writing system and how it helps shape their cultural identity for her book, “Signs of Cherokee Culture: Sequoyah’s Syllabary in Eastern Cherokee Life.” To arrange an interview with Bender, contact Cheryl Walker, walkercv@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.