Media Advisory: Wake Forest to welcome class of 2019
Nearly 1,300 first-year students will move into Wake Forest residence halls on Friday, Aug. 21. Students begin moving into their rooms on the south side of campus at 8 a.m.
Follow the excitement of move-in, the joy of learning new traditions and the pride of students, parents, faculty and staff by using the class of 2019’s hashtag #WFU19.
Here’s the complete orientation schedule. Classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Fun facts about #WFU19 include:
- First-year students hail from 43 states and 18 countries
- 77 percent were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes
- 10 percent are international students
Story ideas:
Serving Winston-Salem before classes start — Before orientation begins, more than 100 Wake Foresters will spend four days (Aug. 17-20) volunteering in the local community through the Students Promoting Action and Responsibility in the Community (SPARC) program. The 82 student participants and 24 student leaders will get to know their community and meet community partners who work regularly with Wake Forest students. They will engage in service areas such as hunger, homelessness, environmental conservation and youth empowerment. Photo Opportunities: Second Harvest Food Bank: Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. – Noon; Harmony Ridge Farm: Aug. 18 and 20from 9 a.m. – Noon; Campus Kitchen: Aug. 18 from 9 a.m.- Noon; Habitat for Humanity: Aug. 19 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Back in time: family connections go back 125 years — First-year student Jack Runge will move into Bostwick Residence Hall 30 years after his mother lived there. But, Runge’s family connections go back much farther: a total of six generations. His great, great grandfather George Monroe Beavers, graduated from Wake Forest in 1898 and his great, great grandmother’s uncle earned his degree in 1887.
New students choose to live in ‘Wellbeing Community’— For first-year students seeking to live with others who share a strong interest in pursuing a healthy, well balanced lifestyle, Wake Forest is offering a new housing option: The Thrive Wellbeing Community. The community offers a substance-free environment; social and educational activities within the Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem communities; networking with staff who are experts in the fields of fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing; and the development of a personal health plan. About 50 students will live together in the Wellbeing Community in Babcock Residence Hall.
Student athletes to help first-year students move in – From 8 a.m.-noon, football players, volleyball players women’s soccer players and student athletes from several other Wake Forest athletic teams will help move boxes and suitcases for first-year students during move-in day (Aug. 21). Coaches from baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis and golf will also participate.
College-to-career planning from the start – As a national leader in providing college-to-career guidance, Wake Forest inspires students to take charge of their personal and career development from their first days on campus. In fact, it is one of the only schools in the country that incorporates personal and career development into its orientation for first-year students. On Sunday, Aug. 30, new students will launch their college-to-career journeys from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Wait Chapel. The program ends with students throwing paper airplanes to signify the beginning of their four-year flight plan.
‘Book Club’ approach to first-year summer reading — Trying a new twist on the summer reading assignment for first-year students, Wake Forest took a ‘book club’ approach. From John Grisham’s “Gray Mountain” to Levitt and Dubner’s “Think Like a Freak,” to Susan Cain’s “Quiet,” incoming students could choose from 22 different books for their summer reading. All of the books for Project Wake, fit this year’s theme, “Exploring Difference, Embracing Diversity.” Professors and campus leaders from more than a dozen departments and offices will lead book discussions on Sunday, Aug. 23, during orientation. “It introduces them to the kind of intellectual discussion we value here,” said Senior Associate Dean for Academic Advising Christy Buchanan.
Help for helicopter parents — When students leave home for the first time to attend college, both they and their parents often need help making the transition. James Raper, director of the University Counseling Center and Dr. Joanne Clinch, clinical director with the Student Health Service, lead a special orientation session for parents. They help parents understand common issues during the college years, when to be concerned and when to give their children space to learn for themselves. Raper and Clinch are available for interviews.
Does having a smart roommate lead to better grades? – Wake Forest economics professor Amanda Griffith says the answer may be yes. Griffith’s research shows that, for men, the ability of one roommate as measured by high school achievement can have significant impact on the other when the roommates are enrolled at smaller, liberal art institutions. Though there were no significant peer effects found between male roommates at larger institutions – perhaps because students at larger institutions spend less time with their assigned roommates – Griffith says the study does suggest that choosing friends with strong academic skills is more likely to lead to a successful college career.
About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.
