Move-in day: Wake Forest Welcomes Class of 2020

Students from 45 states (including Hawaii) and 24 countries will begin moving into their rooms on the south side of campus at 8 a.m.

Follow the hashtag #WFU20 to see the excitement of students and their parents during move-in.

The complete “New Deac Week” orientation schedule can be found here. Classes begin Aug. 30.

• 77 percent were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes
• 10 percent are international students
• Nearly 20 percent are from North Carolina

STORY IDEAS

Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity

Community Service before Classes Start — Before orientation begins, nearly 100 Wake Foresters will spend four days (Aug. 22-25) volunteering in the local community through the Students Promoting Action and Responsibility in the Community (SPARC) program. The 66 student participants and 27 student leaders will work with community partners on issues such as hunger, homelessness, environmental conservation and youth empowerment.

Photo Opportunities:

• Second Harvest Food Bank: Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Harmony Ridge Farm: Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. – Noon;
• Campus Kitchen: Aug. 23 from 9 a.m.- Noon;
• Habitat for Humanity: Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Class of 2020: Students Available 

• Nicole Rogers, from Walnut Cove, N.C., attended South Stokes High School. She has worked on her parents’ strawberry farm for years — doing general farm work, designing their website and coordinating social media. She also founded a charity to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem by planting, harvesting and selling watermelons.
• Andrew Maider from Halfmoon, N.Y. is a professional yo-yoer. He competes on an international level and placed second in North America. His yo-yo tricks go way beyond “walk the dog.”
• Katherine Quinn, from Jamestown, N.C., was born in Vietnam and adopted by a family in the U.S. around the age of five. She decided to reach out to her Vietnamese family when she was a young teenager and has become an Ambassador for Children of Vietnam. An accomplished violinist who likes blue grass, she plans a career in psychology, neuroscience or medicine. Contact the news office if you would like to arrange interview with these or other incoming students.

Student Athletes to Help First-year Students During Move-In – From 8 a.m.- 2 p.m., football players, cross-country runners, and members of the cheer and dance teams will wear their jerseys and help move boxes and suitcases for first-year students during move-in day (Aug. 26). Coaches will also turn out to help. Catch football players from the offensive line at Collins Hall from 9 – 10:30 a.m. or players from the defensive line between 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. at South Hall.

Inside Scoop on First Day – Dean of Residence Life and Housing Donna McGalliard is available for interviews during move-in on Aug. 26. Find out what’s new for students as they move into residence halls and meet roommates.

Faculty Help Build Community in Residence Halls – In Wake Forest’s Faculty Fellows program, professors work closely with new students by creating programs, hosting dinners and hanging out in the first-year residence halls. Their goal is to help with the adjustment to college life and strengthen the connection between students and faculty beyond the classroom. And, it’s working! Data from the past year’s participants shows the following benefits to students: increased sense of belonging and more confidence in approaching faculty members outside the classroom. Contact the news office to arrange interviews with faculty fellows during move-in day.

Summer Reading Choices: From ‘Divergent,’ to ‘Consider the Lobster’ – With Wake Forest’s book club approach to summer reading, first-year undergraduate students can choose to read one of 33 different books related in some way to citizenship before arriving on campus. Participants will gather for small group discussions led by faculty or staff on Sunday, Aug. 28 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Here is a link with more details about the summer academic project, Project Wake: Citizenship.

Start College, Start Career Planning – As a national leader in providing college-to-career support, Wake Forest encourages and supports students from their first days on campus as they begin thinking about their academic interests and personal passions. In fact, Wake Forest is one of the only schools in the country that incorporates personal and career development during its orientation for new students. Experts on career development – Mercy Eyadiel, Associate Vice President, Career Development & Corporate Engagement and Mike Summers, Associate Vice President, Career Development & Corporate Engagement – are available to discuss why personal and career development must be a top priority for higher education.

Emptying the Nest without Becoming Helicopter Parents — When students leave home for the first time to attend college, it is normal for both they and their parents to 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 appropriate space to learn for themselves. Raper and Clinch are available for interviews.

New Way to Watch the Weather –  When students and their families travel to Wake Forest for move-in day, they can get detailed real-time information about weather on campus thanks to recently-installed WeatherSTEM stations on top of the Miller Center and the scoreboard at  BB&T Field. The WeatherSTEM stations use a combination of weather instruments and sensors to take environmental measurements and offer frequently updated details on temperature, humidity, the heat index, barometric pressure and much more. Each station includes a sky camera. On Twitter, the stations can be followed @WakeForestWxSTEM and @WFUFootballWxSTEM.