Stories this week At Wake Forest University

MEDIA Q&A WITH DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN— Following her convocation address on Feb. 21, presidential historian and journalist Doris Kearns Goodwin will meet with the media for a brief press conference at approximately 12 p.m. The convocation ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Broadcast media are also invited to tape the first 10-15 minutes of her convocation speech in Wait Chapel. To arrange coverage of the ceremony and reserve a spot at the press conference, contact Sarah Smith at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

GOODWIN TO TALK WITH WFU STUDENTS, FACULTY IN PRIVATE Q&A— Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak with a group of approximately 40 history and political science students and faculty at 3 p.m. on Feb. 21. The private question and answer session will give students an opportunity to talk with the presidential historian about her books, life and current events. Members of the media are invited to attend the Q&A, but are asked not to participate in the discussion. To arrange coverage, contact Sarah Smith at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237

LOCAL PEOPLE GIVE INSPIRATION FOR WFU THEATRE PRODUCTION— Student actors in Wake Forest’s upcoming production of Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind” will have real-life experiences from which to draw their inspiration. The students are part of a groundbreaking collaboration between the university’s sociology and theatre departments that will help actors bring understanding to their roles and help sociology students challenge their beliefs about domestic violence. The play, which opens with the main character confessing that he has beaten his wife, tells the story of two families connected by a violent marriage. Last fall, Angela Hattery, associate professor of sociology, and Cynthia Gendrich, assistant professor of theatre and the play’s director, interviewed about 30 men and women from Forsyth County who were involved in violent relationships. Theatre students have read the interview transcripts from local people who were most similar to the character they will portray. “Playwrights frequently see themselves as agents of social change,” Hattery said. “I’m interested to see if they actually have that effect.” The play opens Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. To arrange an interview with Hattery, Gendrich or the students, contact the News Service.

THE GOOD LIFE: HOW HOLLYWOOD AND THE MEDIA CHANGED SKIING IN AMERICA— With the Winter Olympics underway, art historian and skiing enthusiast Margaret Supplee Smith is available to talk about the history of ski resorts in America, and the place of skiing in popular culture. Smith, chair of the art department at Wake Forest, is writing a book about the architecture and landscapes of destination ski resorts across the country, from Sun Valley to Sunday River. Her research has taken her to nine states to study ski history from the 1930s through today. She recently presented a paper titled “The Image of Skiing in American Popular Culture” at the International Ski History Congress. Part of that paper focuses on how a 1937 photo spread in Life magazine and movies like the James Bond films, particularly “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and “The Spy Who Loved Me,” propelled skiing from an elite sport of the rich to a recreational activity enjoyed by the masses. To arrange an interview with Smith, contact Vanessa Willis at willisv@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.

ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST SUCCESSFUL SIT-IN— Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State University and the city of Winston-Salem will commemorate the 42nd anniversary of one of North Carolina’s first successful sit-ins with a re-dedication of a downtown historical marker on Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. Thomas K. Hearn Jr., president of Wake Forest; Harold R. Martin Sr., chancellor of Winston-Salem State; and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines will speak at the program. Three of the original demonstrators will also be at the event. The 1960 Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in by students from both universities led to a desegregation agreement among local merchants in Winston-Salem. To arrange coverage of the event or an advance interview with one of the demonstrators, contact Sarah Smith at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.