Stories this week at Wake Forest

WAKE FOREST TO HOLD IRISH FESTIVAL

Irish poetry, dancing, film and music will highlight Wake Forest’s Irish Festival March 15-20. The celebration of Irish culture will feature several events, including a candlelight vigil for peace in Northern Ireland at 5 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day-Wednesday, March 17-on the steps of Wait Chapel. Wake Forest professors and students will read the writings of noted Irish poets and perform Celtic harp music at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 18, in Reynolda Hall’s main lounge. A “community day” featuring Irish food, music, dance, storytelling and crafts will be held at Reynolda House Museum of American Art from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 20. The festival is supported by Wake Forest University Press, the major publisher of Irish poetry in North America. For a complete schedule, call the News Service. Arrangements can be made for a live shot at the candlelight vigil.

PROFESSOR LINKS SPANISH AND THE BOTTOM LINE

Conducting business in a language other than English is a necessity in the increasingly global marketplace, says Ton Pujol, an assistant Romance languages professor who helped launch a “Spanish for business” program at Wake Forest. Through this program, students become proficient in using Spanish in a business context. Students learn skills such as resumÈ writing and doing job interviews in Spanish. They also study Spanish vocabulary commonly used in business and how to be sensitive to cultural differences during business transactions.

ROLE OF RELIGIOUS RIGHT IN 2000 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

“It is a real soul-searching time for the Religious Right,” according to Bill Leonard, dean of Wake Forest’s Divinity School. “They are divided.” Some leaders want to return to the pre-1980 strategy of being less in the public domain and others feel they have worked hard for Republicans and want to continue to be highly visible in national politics, Leonard says. He doesn’t think Elizabeth Dole or George W. Bush can win the Republican nomination without addressing the Religious Right. Leonard can comment on how the Christian Coalition and other religious conservative groups may influence national politics in the next year.

DIRECTOR OF CARTER CENTER’S INTERFAITH HEALTH PROGRAM TO SPEAK

Gary Gunderson, director of the Interfaith Health Program at the Carter Center in Atlanta, will speak at Wake Forest’s 11 a.m. chapel service on Thursday, March 18, in Davis Chapel. Gunderson will arrive Tuesday and will be available for interviews regarding his work with the Interfaith Health Program. The program’s goal is to foster congregational efforts to provide health education outreach programs, especially in places where residents are most at risk because of income or age.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events, Research, Speakers