Stories this week at Wake Forest

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL AT WFU

World cultures will be the focus of an International Festival Series from March 27 to April 1. All events are free and open to the public. Events during the week will include a foreign film series, a concert of Latin salsa music and African dance workshops. The celebration concludes on April 1 with an international festival from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will feature music by a Caribbean steel drum band and a mariachi band; performances of traditional dances from Africa, Ireland, China, India and Native America; samples of food from around the world; and demonstrations of acupuncture, Tai Chi, the art of mendhi, Japanese origami, and various Chinese arts, such as painting and calligraphy. The celebration is sponsored by the Center for International Studies, the Dean of the College, the Benson University Center, the Student Union, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and Career Services.

ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE EXPERT TO LECTURE

John R. Searle, the Mills Professor of Philosophy of the Mind and Language at the University of California at Berkeley, will present “Rationality in Action” at 3 p.m. on March 28 in the Benson Center’s Pugh Auditorium. Known for his work on the relation of the mind to the brain and on artificial intelligence, Searle has hosted his own BBC series on “Minds, Brains and Science.” The event is free and open to the public. To interview Searle, please contact the News Service at 336-758-5237.

WFU BEGINS DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING PROGRAM

Wake Forest is one of the first organizations in North Carolina to implement the American Heart Association’s Public Access to Debfribrillation program, or PAD. Through the program, Wake Forest is training key staff members and students to use automated external defibrillator (AED) machines, which are designed so non-medical personnel with only a few hours of training can operate. Wake Forest will have six AED machines placed on campus. The small, portable machines will be in several University Police squad cars, the Student Health Service and with other groups undergoing the training. For interviews about the training initiative contact the News Service, 336-758-5237.

WFU PREPARING FOR VISIT TO BIRTHPLACE

Wake Forest alumni and students are preparing for a three-day visit to the town of Wake Forest, carrying into the 21st century a tradition of making pilgrimages to the historic campus where the university was founded in 1834 and remained until 1956. The celebration of the university’s heritage will be held March 31-April 2. Most of those attending the event will be alumni who completed their studies on the university’s original campus, which is now occupied by a Baptist seminary unaffiliated with the university. Students are expected to travel to the “old campus” by bus on Sunday morning, April 2. The buses will leave Wake Forest’s Winston-Salem campus and arrive at the “old campus” in time for a church service, a luncheon and tours.

COULD THE REPUBLICAN TICKET INCLUDE DOLE?

Politics professor Jack Fleer can provide commentary on the likelihood that one-time presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole will join George W. Bush as his running mate. Fleer’s expertise includes national, state and local politics. He teaches “Political Parties and Voting Behavior” and other courses on American politics. Fleer and other members of the university’s politics and communication departments can offer insight into topics related to the presidential race such as campaigning and voter behavior. Please contact the News Service at 336-758-5237 to arrange an interview.

GOT WATER?

Water is especially important as the weather gets warmer and people are spending more time outside exercising and doing other activities. It’s a “wonder substance,” said Gary Miller, an assistant professor of health and exercise science who specializes in nutrition. “Water is the most important nutrient in our body,” he said. Every single system in our body depends on water to maintain proper function. Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, removes toxins, and helps to dissolve vitamins, minerals and other important functions. To interview Miller, call the News Service at 336-758-5237.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events, Research, Speakers, University Announcement