Stories this week at WFU
ISRAELI PRIEST, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE NOMINEE TO SPEAK AT WFU — The Rev. Elias Chacour, a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen and priest in the Melkite Catholic Church, will discuss “Building Peace on the Desktops of Students” at 1 p.m. Jan. 22 in Wake Forest University’s Wait Chapel. A book signing will follow the free, public lecture. Chacour, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times (1986, 1989 and 1994), has been an international ambassador for Middle East peace through non-violence for more than 30 years. He is president and founder of Mar Elias Educational Institutions, a school for young people from a variety of faith traditions in Ibillin, a small Arab village in the Galilee region of Israel. Chacour’s talk is sponsored by the Wake Forest University religion department, Divinity School and Centenary United Methodist Church. For more information about the event, call 336-758-5120.
Contact: Jacob McConnico, mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
WAKE FOREST HOSTS 7th ANNUAL MLK BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT — The 7th Annual MLK Invitational Basketball Tournament will be held Jan. 22 in Reynolds Gymnasium on the Wake Forest campus. Intramural teams from North Carolina A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University, Johnson C. Smith University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are scheduled to participate in the tournament. Games begin at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
Contact: Pam Barrett, barretpm@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
WFU PROFESSOR AVAILABLE TO COMMENT ON TRIP TO ADVISE IRAQI ELECTION ADVOCATES — Allan Louden, Wake Forest University political communication expert, is available to speak with the media about his recent visit to Amman, Jordan, to teach young, Iraqi election advocates how to prepare for the general assembly elections in that country Jan. 30. Louden said the group was focused on unifying the people of Iraq to form a nation of voters. “They were focused on unity — not differences,” Louden said. “There was no way of telling which were Shiite and which were Sunni Muslims — both may have been present — but it was not an issue.” During the four-day seminar, participants learned about the democratic voting process through mock press conferences, political debates and elections. Contact Louden directly at 336-758-5408 or louden@wfu.edu.
Contact: Maggie Barrett, barretmb@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
WFU CELEBRATES THE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER — Wake Forest will celebrate the year of the rooster with costume, crafts, food and games at its sixth annual Chinese New Year Festival Jan. 29 from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Reynolds Gym, Room 201. Organizers expect the festival to top last year’s attendance of 700. At 1 p.m., the festival will feature performances of a Chinese wedding ceremony, the traditional lion dance, martial arts demonstrations and a children’s dance. The event is free and open to the public. Chinese food items will be available for a small charge. Media are invited to attend the event. Media are also encouraged to attend a dress rehearsal for the performers at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 in Reynolds Gym. Interviews with organizers can also be arranged.
Contact: Pam Barrett, barretpm@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237; day of event: Cristina Yu, 336-399-8073.
‘HE’S HIRED!’ APPRENTICE WINNER SPEAKS ABOUT SUCCESS — Bill Rancic, winner of NBC’s first season of the hit reality show “The Apprentice,” will speak at Wake Forest at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Benson University Center, Room 401. Rancic, who is promoting his new book, “You’re Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of ‘The Apprentice,'” will speak about his time on the show, his business and the secret for his personal and professional success. A book signing will be held following the lecture. Media representatives are invited to attend a media session at 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Pam Barrett at barretpm@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
PRESIDENT, CEO OF SEVENTH GENERATION TO DELIVER BABCOCK LECTURE — Jeffrey Hollender, president and chief executive officer of Seventh Generation, will deliver the Babcock Leadership Series lecture, “What Matters Most,” at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 in Room 1312 of the Worrell Professional Center at Wake Forest University. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seventh Generation is a leading national brand of non-toxic and environmentally safe household products. The company’s name is derived from the Iroquois belief that, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
