Stories this week at WFU

STUDENTS VOLUNTEER DURING SPRING BREAK — Two Wake Forest student groups will volunteer in Atlanta and New Orleans during spring break March 8 – March 16. Wake Forest students have been participating in such service trips, known as Wake Alternative Breaks, since 1995. Each trip is student-initiated and the cost per student is partially subsidized by the Wake Forest Volunteer Service Corps. Both groups will consist of 10 to 12 students volunteering in various ways with local agencies from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. Student leaders who have participated in previous Wake Alternative Breaks plan the trips and daily activities. For more information or to arrange an interview with volunteers, contact the News Service.

NEW DIRECTOR LOOKS TO FUTURE DURING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH – As this weekend marks the beginning of celebration of March as Women’s History Month, a Wake Forest professor focuses on the future of women’s studies at Wake Forest. Anne Boyle, professor of English at the university, took over the director’s position of the women’s studies program in January. She hopes to expand the program during her leadership to include gender studies, more research and community outreach. A favorite among students, Boyle has won several awards for teaching and advising students. She is available for interviews relating to the women’s studies program at Wake Forest and her role in shaping its future. To arrange an interview, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

DOES WAR THREATEN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF U.S. CITIZENS? – Peter Irons, professor of political science and director of the Earl Warren Bill of Rights Project at the University of California, San Diego, will give a free, public lecture, “Can the Constitution Survive Another War?,” at Wake Forest at 7 p.m. March 5 in the law auditorium, Room 1312, of the university’s Worrell Professional Center. An expert on civil liberties and the author of more than 11 books on constitutional law, Irons plans to discuss the threat posed by the “War On Terrorism” to the constitutional rights and civil liberties of U.S. citizens. “The Bill of Rights has never been in greater peril in our nation’s history,” Irons says. The lecture is the fifth in the ongoing series, “Living with the Legacy of Sept. 11,” sponsored by the university’s political science department. To arrange coverage of the lecture, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

WFU STUDENTS CONTINUE DEBATE ABOUT POTENTIAL WAR IN IRAQ – Students at Wake Forest University have engaged in rigorous campus debate this year about the possibility of a U.S. war with Iraq. Scores of students gathered in campus meeting rooms and auditoriums to watch President George W. Bush’s State of the Union Address last month and since then various campus groups have organized discussion forums around the threat of war. Debate has been lively, civil and, at times, heated, but students, faculty and staff have agreed throughout the process that the debate needs to take place. William Fleeson, associate professor of psychology and an organizer of the campus group “Faculty Raising Dialogue” says the question of going to war is one of the most important things a society can consider. “This issue is on the minds of Wake Forest students,” Fleeson said. “I think we have a responsibility to discuss this issue as a community.” To arrange an interview with Fleeson or to get more information about campus events arranged around the question of a U.S. war with Iraq, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 337-758-5237.

EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO COMMENT ON WAR-RELATED ISSUES – The News Service has prepared a list of university experts available to comment on stories related to a potential war in Iraq. Sources range from experts on international law to presidential communication. To request the list, contact the News Service.