SAME-DAY VOTER REGISTRATION COULD BOOST TURNOUT IN N.C. — States that permit residents to register to vote on the same day as the elections have turnout rates that are 10 to 15 percentage points higher than other states, according to John Dinan, assistant professor of political science at Wake Forest. “The adoption of same-day voter registration in North Carolina might not boost turnout levels to the same level as the six states with similar legislation,” says Dinan, who teaches a course at Wake Forest on political parties, voters and elections. “But same-day registration could be expected to boost turnout to some degree, because one of the consistent reasons why individuals fail to vote is because they are not registered in time for the election.” To arrange an interview with Dinan, contact Jacob McConnico at mcconnjn@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
SERVING UP GRITS AND GRADES — Faculty and administrators will serve a late night breakfast – pancakes, grits, scrambled eggs and bacon – as a study break for students from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. May 5 in the Reynolda Hall cafeteria (the Pit). The twice annual breakfast has become a tradition for students and faculty during exam week. Student musical groups will perform. To arrange coverage, contact the News Service at 336-758-5237.
OSTEOARTHRITIS STUDY REACHES EXERCISE PHASE — In the coming weeks, local participants in Wake Forest’s GATES (Glucosamine/chondroitin And Training Exercise Study) will begin the exercise phase in one of the nations’ first studies to examine how popular supplements like Flex-A-Min affect osteoarthritis of the knee. The first group of around 20 men and women ages 60 and older started the research study in the fall and has taken either the supplements or a placebo for six months. Now, they will see how exercise affects mobility in combination with the supplements. Researchers are also still recruiting participants for the study. To arrange coverage or an interview with the researchers or participants, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
MEDIA INVITED TO COMMENCEMENT WITH NYC MAYOR — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will address more than 1,400 graduates at Wake Forest’s May 19 commencement ceremony on University Plaza (the Quad). The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Media parking and seating will be reserved. Contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-4393 to request parking passes and media credentials for your organization.
NON-MATH “MATH” TEAM OUTSTANDING IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION — A team of three Wake Forest students – none of them math majors – was recently named one of the top five teams in an international math competition. The annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling gives undergraduate students the opportunity to compete in a team setting using applied mathematics to solve open-ended “real world” problems. Dana Lindeman, a physics major, Rob Haining, a computer science major, and Neal Richardson, a political science major, took the honors. For more information, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
STEM CELL DEBATE COMES TO WAKE FOREST — Rebecca Dresser, member of the President’s Council on Bioethics and a distinguished professor of law and medicine at Washington University, will speak at Wake Forest May 8. Dresser’s 3 p.m. address, “Special Respect and Public Deliberation: Two Neglected Elements of the Cell Debate,” will discuss the moral status of embryos as either persons or property and its effect on stem cell research. She will also discuss the pros and cons of the public discussion of stem cell research ethics and policy. The event will be free and open to the public. Dresser is available for interviews prior to her Wake Forest visit. Contact the News Service to arrange an interview.
FIRST OFFICIAL DEBATE OF 2004 PRESIDENTIAL RACE — How important is the first official debate of the 2004 presidential race? Candidates for the Democratic nomination will debate May 3 in Columbia, S.C. Al Louden, associate professor of communication, is an expert on political communication and director of Wake Forest’s debate program. He also served as Elizabeth’s Dole’s debate coach during the 2002 N.C. Senate race. Louden is available for comment on the impact of these early debates. To arrange an interview, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
HEART DISEASE: HOW EMOTIONS MAY AFFECT FUTURE HEALTH —Wayne Sotile, director of psychological services at Wake Forest’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program and author of the new book “Thriving with Heart Disease,” says the fate of those living with heart disease depends in large part on how they manage the emotional side of the illness. Sotile, a nationally known expert in the field, has worked with heart patients for more than 25 years and pioneered much of his work in the psychological counseling of heart patients at Wake Forest’s Cardiac Rehab Program. Wake Forest’s program, which has included a psychological component to treatment since the program opened in 1975, is recognized as the world’s first comprehensive mind-body cardiac rehabilitation center. Programs across the country have used it as a model. For more information, contact Sarah Mansell at manselss@wfu.edu or 336-758-5237.
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