Stories this week at Wake Forest

Students to Face Famous Whale in All-Night Reading

Students will begin a non-stop reading of Melville’s novel “Moby Dick” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. Students will camp out in front of Wait Chapel, eat clam chowder and read the 470-page novel aloud until it is finished, which should take about 23 hours. English instructor and event organizer Ralph Black said, “Moby Dick is lyric poetry at its best and it is best to experience the story read aloud.” University president Thomas K. Hearn Jr. will begin the marathon event by reading the first chapter. Other faculty members and administrators also have been invited to read. The event is open to the public.

Trappist Monk to Spend Week on Campus

Francis Kline, abbot of South Carolina’s Mepkin Abbey and a Juilliard-trained organist, will present Marcel Dupre’s “The Stations of the Cross” at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Wait Chapel. Kline’s performance is part of a weeklong visit to Wake Forest by the abbot, who is a resident scholar during the university’s Year of Religion in American Life. The organ recital is free and open to the public. “The Stations of the Cross” is based on a series of 14 poems about the crucifixion of Christ by renowned French poet Paul Claudel. Edwin Wilson, Wake Forest professor of English and provost emeritus, will provide the narration for the performance.

Climbing Mount Everest

Dr. Beck Weathers will relate his experiences climbing Mt. Everest in “Surviving Everest Against All Odds” at 8 p.m. tonight in Benson University Center’s Pugh Auditorium. When a violent storm swept over Mt. Everest in May 1996, the amateur climber was seriously injured. Eight other climbers, including three professional guides, died. Weathers lost his right hand and part of his left to frostbite. A colonel in the Nepalese army risked his life to fly his helicopter up 22,000 feet to make the second-highest helicopter rescue in history. The talk, sponsored by the university’s Student Union, is free and open to the public.

The Secret Life of Cults

A look into the world of cults and its members is the focus of “Heaven or Hell: The Secret Life of Cults” on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Benson University Center’s rotunda. Carlton Mitchell, an emeritus religion professor and a cult expert, will discuss cults and take questions from the audience. The discussion is part of Benson University Center’s Discovery Series.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events, Speakers, Student