New Deac Week 2021

Wake Forest welcomes students back to campus

By Wake Forest University

August 25^th, 2021

First-Year Students Move In

Excitement was in the air on Aug. 18 and 19 as members of the Class of 2025 moved into residence halls at Wake Forest! This year’s class has just over 1,400 students from 42 of the U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico. Members of the Class of 2025 also hail from 23 countries, including Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Pakistan, The Bahamas and Turkey.

“The grand opening of the residence halls is like the Super Bowl for Residence Life and Housing,” said Matt Clifford, assistant vice president of campus life and dean of Residence Life and Housing. “We do our very best to make sure our new and continuing students are welcomed home to Wake Forest and start off the year well.”

Helping Hands

This year, move-in had some new elements, with a central check-in process at the Joel Coliseum. The Spirit of the Old Gold and Black marching band and WFU cheerleaders brought the pep rally to new students as they arrived to pick up their keys. Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente greeted students and families.

Move-in times were staggered to ensure students and their families received the royal -- make that Demon Deacons -- treatment. As is tradition at Wake Forest, faculty, staff, student-athletes and upperclassmen assisted with move-in.

“I was surprised and thought it was going to be much harder than it was,” said Sebastian Hicks of Miami, whose sister Hanna is also a first-year student at Wake. “They helped us bring all of the bags up. I grabbed a bag, and we were done in one trip.”

Clifford said that volunteers from Facilities & Campus Services, University Advancement, student advisors, student-athletes and more helped students move in. “Our Faculty Fellows and Resident Assistants welcomed students to their buildings. We could not provide this experience without the close partnership of many cherished colleagues from across the campus, and I’m grateful for their contributions to the student experience.”

Class of '24

Sophomores moved into the residence halls on Aug. 20, and Kyla King of Raleigh was among the returning members of the Class of 2024.

“I call this my freshman 2.0 year because we’re getting to do a lot of the Wake traditions that are normally for freshmen that we didn’t get to do last year because of the pandemic,” King said. “I’m happy about that. I feel included.”

Among activities for sophomores was a gathering at the Campus Garden. There, students enjoyed food, friends and farming, met student leaders and got their hands dirty in the garden while learning about the wide range of ways sustainability will be a part of their lives as Demon Deacons.

Getting Here Early

Some students chose to come early for one of 11 pre-orientation groups. Participants in the Students Promoting Action and Responsibility in the Community (SPARC), volunteer service group helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity, and the Fresh in the Forest group of first-generation students enjoyed a special session with the Office of Personal and Career Development. The students in REC (Recreation, Engagement & Community) got in some serious fun in the pool one afternoon and participated in other recreational activities while making new friends.

In fact, REC, Fresh in the Forest and a Sophomore Retreat were three new programs added this year by Cherise James, associate director of orientation and lower division programming.

Marianne Magjuka, executive director of the Office of Civic & Community Engagement, OCCE, said she’s always excited when students return to campus early to engage in the community.

“Every year we look forward to welcoming new students to campus for pre-orientation,” Magjuka said. “SPARC, Deacon Camp and Building University Inclusion through Leadership and Diversity, or BUILD, are wonderful opportunities for students to make connections early in their careers.”

Deacon Olympics

Held in the Wellbeing Center, the Deacon Olympics is a long-time tradition at Wake Forest. First-year students laughed and cheered each other on as they played dodgeball, raced to the top of the climbing wall and engaged in a variety of other team challenges.

New Student Convocation

First year students joined incoming President Susan R. Wente at their first ever academic ceremony at Wake Forest. In Wait Chapel, students heard from several deans and the provost, signed their honor code, and wrote a letter to their future selves.

Saturday Night!

President Wente joined the Demon Deacon to cheer on the men's soccer team against Coastal Carolina, then everyone headed to South Campus for a food truck rodeo and movie night on Manchester Plaza.

Class of '24 Picnic

President Wente engaged with members of the sophomore class at a picnic just for them on the first day of classes, Aug. 23. Students were excited to get a chance to talk to Wente one-on-one while munching on hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, an assortment of chips and snacks and cookies.

Woods Curry from Atlanta told Wente how much he enjoyed her special biology seminar, titled “Gatekeepers of the Nucleus,” which she gave in Winston Hall – and online – before coming to the cookout.

“I think it’s great that they threw a cookout for us,” Woods said. “I had a free meal and got the chance to see some friends I hadn’t seen in a while.

Woods was on campus last year and said he’s excited about the possibilities for this year. “From attending lectures like the one I just attended to going to football games, all of that will make for an exciting semester,” he said.