Stories this week at WFU

GOING HOME TO AN EMPTY NEST – Parents of freshmen all across the country, including the 1,009 Wake Forest freshmen who moved in Aug. 20, will be going home to either an empty house or a quieter one after dropping off their new college student this fall. Johnne Armentrout, assistant director of Wake Forest’s counseling center, says although it is 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, which begins tonight, addresses topics like marriage enrichment, the typical freshman experience and the changing parent/child relationship. To arrange an interview with Armentrout, contact the News Service.

TECH-THEMED RESIDENCE HALL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE TRAINING – The 12 freshmen and two upperclassmen living in Technology Quarters, a technology-themed residence hall at Wake Forest, have moved into their rooms on the third floor of Luter Residence Hall. The program, a first of its kind at Wake Forest, allows students interested in technology to live together and learn about new technology. Throughout the year, the students will take part in informational technology seminars through the university’s Information Systems (IS) department and share technical expertise with each other. Participants will also be called upon to help the university test new equipment being considered for use on campus. At 2 p.m. Aug. 26 in Room 123 of the IS building, the group is going to gather for training on their brand new handhelds. To arrange interviews or to cover the Tuesday training program, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237. Read the full story on Tech Quarters on the News Service Web site.

WOMEN STORYTELLERS EXHIBIT OPENS AUG. 26 – “Pixerina Witcherina,” an exhibition featuring contemporary women artists who address the complex history of women and storytelling, will open Aug. 26 at the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery on the campus of Wake Forest. The title of the exhibit was taken from an invented language used by British author Virginia Woolf to share secrets with her niece. It refers to the polarization of women’s roles in fairy tales as either innocent, flirtatious “pixies” or evil, plotting “witches.” To arrange an interview with the exhibit’s curator, contact Cheryl Walker at walkercv@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

CLASSES BEGIN – Classes for the fall semester begin Aug. 27 for undergraduate students and students in the Graduate School of Arts and Science, Divinity School and Calloway School of Business and Accountancy.

SUMMER SMOOTHIES SHOULD BE MORE THAN JUST A SNACK – In these dog days of summer, a sweet and cool smoothie can be the perfect treat to beat the heat, but a Wake Forest nutrition expert cautions against using it as a snack between meals. “The smoothie is a great source of many vitamins, minerals and fiber, but it is also loaded with calories,” says Gary Miller, an associate professor of health and exercise science. “I recommend eating it as a light lunch or sharing one with a friend for a snack.” Miller is available for interviews about late-summer and back-to-school nutrition. To arrange an interview with Miller, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

WFU RESEARCH SUGGESTS CHANGE NEEDED IN CARDIAC REHAB – Using behavior counseling to teach older adults to add physical activity into their lives leads to better long-term outcomes than standard exercise therapy, says new Wake Forest research. The research, published in the July issues of Health Psychology, was conducted on the campus of Wake Forest by Wake Forest Professor of Health and Exercise Science Jack Rejeski and colleagues. “Despite the fact that structured exercise is the cornerstone of treatment in rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease, most insurance carriers support time-limited therapy,” said Rejeski, director of Wake Forest’s behavioral physiology laboratory who has researched and taught at the university since 1978. “Traditional rehabilitation provides neither the motivation nor the instruction for these patients to continue treatment when their time is up, so they quickly revert to old behaviors.” Rejeski says may mean changes in how cardiac rehab programs approach treatment in the future. For more information or to arrange an interview with Rejeski, contact Sarah S. Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

WAKE FOREST CELEBRATES ‘FOSTERING DIALOGUE’ YEAR – During the 2003-2004 academic year, Wake Forest will celebrate the theme “Fostering Dialogue: Civil Discourse in an Academic Community.” As part of the celebration, the university will host a number of events, lectures and performances designed to explore how free people with passionate interests and beliefs can communicate openly without turning dialogue into discord. A majority of the theme year events are free and open to the public. A calendar listing and additional theme year information is available on the Internet at http://themeyear.wfu.edu. To arrange coverage of theme year events, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237. For more information or to arrange an interview with Rejeski, contact Sarah S. Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

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