Stories this week at WFU

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KNEE PAIN: SHOULD YOU POP PILLS, EXERCISE, OR BOTH? – As supplements come under tighter scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration, a Wake Forest study is examining whether the benefits of one of the most popular supplement combinations for knee osteoarthritis can match its claims. Steve Messier, professor of health and exercise science and lead investigator of GATES (Glucosamine/chondroitin And Training Exercise Study), says despite their popularity, no one knows for sure if glucosamine/chondroitin supplements like Flex-A-Min actually work. He hopes to find the answer with this new study. Participants are now entering the exercise phase of the study, which requires half the group to take the supplements and the rest to take a placebo. They will continue with their assigned group throughout the exercise portion, and then researchers will evaluate which group showed the most improvement in mobility. Messier is now available for interviews about GATES, which is one of the first studies to examine the effectiveness of these supplements that have become a multi-million dollar industry. Participants are also available for interviews. To arrange coverage of the study, contact Sarah Mansell at 336-758-5237.

FINANCE, MARKETING AND STRATEGY: WFU BUSINESS BOOT CAMP – With innovative class titles like “What Does a Fat White Boy from East Tennessee Know about Diversity” and “The Reason I am Not a Math Major,” a Wake Forest’s summer business program for non-business majors from colleges across the Southeast hopes to entice future leaders of the business world. “It’s really a business boot camp,” says Jack Wilkerson, dean of the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy and one of the faculty members of the program. Students in the month-long program, called “It’s All About Business,” receive tuition, housing and a laptop computer for free. Approximately 30 students are enrolled in the program, including several from Winston-Salem and Greensboro schools. The program, sponsored by the Babcock Graduate School of Management and the Calloway School, started June 1 and ends June 30. (The university also operates a summer business program within the Calloway School curriculum.) To arrange coverage, contact the News Service at 336-758-5237.

LEARNING ABOUT THE LAND OF CEDAR AND SEA – Children in grades 1-5 will take an imaginary journey to America’s Northwest Coast during the Wake Forest Museum of Anthropology’s summer camp. In “Exploring the Land of Cedar and Sea,” children will learn about the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast, create bentwood boxes and button blankets, study authentic artifacts, play games and hear stories. The weeklong camp runs from 9 a.m. to noon June 16-20. For a more detailed schedule of activities or to arrange coverage, contact Cheryl V. Walker at 336-758-6073 or walkercv@wfu.edu.

RISING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STUDY SCIENCE, MATH AT WFU – Sixty rising high school students from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system are taking part in the SciMax Student Enrichment Institute at Wake Forest from now through June 20. During the two-week program students will develop and carry out experiments on four-inch-long Madagascar hissing cockroaches, design and launch homemade hot air balloons and learn about statistics by using bags of Skittles candy to simulate population growth. “The students get excited about the activities they do, while they are learning the principles behind the activities and they are gaining academic skills that will serve them in all of their classes in high school,” says Angela King, senior lecturer in chemistry at Wake Forest and director of the program. The institute is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation and is being carried out through a partnership between the university and the local school system. For more information or to be there when rising high school students meet big hissing cockroaches, contact Jacob McConnico at 336-758-5237 or mcconnjn@wfu.edu.

QUAD GETS A FACELIFT – Wake Forest’s grassy center of campus is one step closer to being surrounded by a brick pathway. Workers started transforming the south end of the Quad in front of Reynolda Hall immediately following commencement. Two diseased Magnolia trees were taken down and the sidewalk is being replaced with brick. The north end of the sidewalk was replaced with brick last summer. Work is expected to be complete by the start of fall classes. For information on other summer campus construction projects, contact the News Service at 336-758-5237.