Stories this week at Wake Forest

Wake Forest to Hold Irish Festival

The “wearing of the green” will last a week at Wake Forest University’s Irish Festival featuring Irish poetry, dancing, film and music March 16-21. Beginning Monday, March 16, with a film series, the festival continues throughout St. Patrick’s Day week. The festival is supported by Wake Forest University Press, the major publisher of Irish poetry in North America. The celebration of Irish culture will feature several events, including a candlelight vigil for peace in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, March 17, on the steps of Wait Chapel. Wake Forest professors and students will read the writings of noted Irish poets and perform Irish music twice during the week. For a complete schedule, call the News Bureau.

Golden Gate Bird

Since a Wake Forest University biologist began following the flights of albatrosses on Jan. 22, the birds have made lengthy journeys from their nesting grounds on Hawaii’s Tern Island. Now, one female black-footed albatross is off the coast of San Francisco-a flight of more than 2,700 miles. “She can definitely see the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate bridge!” said David Anderson, the Wake Forest biology professor heading The Albatross Project. Because the birds on Tern Island have never been tracked before, biologists are now getting the first hard data on where they fly. Two other birds have also made long trips, but in a different direction-north toward the coasts of Canada and Alaska. Maps of their flight paths are available on The Albatross Project’s web site at http://www.wfu.edu/albatross. Many local schoolchildren are following the flights of the albatrosses through e-mail and the web site.

During Lent, Add Something to Focus on Spirituality

During the days of Lent, people often give up their favorite things or worst habits, but adding something is a good exercise as well, according to Wake Forest religion professor Fred Horton. Lent is a time to focus on our relationship with God and seek ways to become better Christians, says Horton, who is also an Episcopal priest. So along with “giving up” something for Lent, he suggests Christians “add” something, such as a morning prayer, to their daily schedules.

Note: Wake Forest students will be on Spring Break March 7-15.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Community, Events, Research