Lead, Annabel Love
Released today is information from FRAC that reveals Winston-Salem as being ranked the highest metropolitan area that struggles with food hardship.
ZICKS PHASE TWO A SUCCESS // Katie Dickens
It’s 6pm on a Monday night. A line that only a few weeks ago would have consisted of three to four students looking for a quiet meal and a game of pool has now grown to wrap around the entire corridor of Zick’s. The crowds are eager to witness the second step of a three-step plan to improve the upper quad pizza parlor.
The phase two changes include six new flatbreads, three new appetizers and four new healthy salads. The menu was designed by Wake Forest executive chef Jose Muñoz and the pizzas were renamed to be “quirky, funny, and different” according to Aramark marketing manager Sarah Barkley. Names of the new features include the Thai-Tanic salad, the Ken & Barbie-Q flatbread, the Margaritaville flatbread.
Jason Puhlman, Aramark’s Assistant Food Service Director, said creating a new plan for Zick’s was a group effort in response to student’s desire for more variety and consistency.
“We brainstormed the three-phase plan with a large group of people,” Puhlman said. “We wanted Zick’s to be different, not just a pizza place. When a student comes back to Wake five years down the road, we want them to tell their friends that they have to go to Zick’s.”
The first phase of the project was implementing a new beer and wine selection, increasing the number of beers on tap from two to four and adding 17 new beers for sale.
“I’ve heard such incredibly positive feedback about both phases so far,” Barkley said. “It makes me so happy to hear people talking about it around campus and even seeing the response on social media like our Instagram.”
“The positive response is more than any of us expected, honestly,” Puhlman said. “I would’ve been happy with doubled sales, but sales tripled within the first week.”
Hunter Honnessy, the current chair of Dining Commission, said the student response has been overwhelmingly positive. The Student Government committee is open to all Wake Forest students and meets to discuss on-campus dining options with Aramark and Wake Forest dining employees. The commission recently pushed for more diverse options, and Honnessy said the Zick’s changes are proof of how receptive the faculty has been to implementing student ideas.
“Zick’s is the place to be now,” Honessy said. “I love seeing people hanging out, eating and drinking as I walk by on quad. People used to go because they were in a hurry and didn’t want to wait, but now you have to be ready to sit down and actually enjoy the meal which is what they wanted as an outcome of the changes.”
Junior John Idzik says Phase 2 is a good move. “It is being well received by students and should be a model for other campus dining options.”
One of new, personal flatbreads is called the Couch Tomato and is made with pesto sauce, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. The new appetizers that have been added to the menu include ravioli bites, pizza dip, and the tater-zone, which is a calzone of tater tots.
Will Hargrove, a freshman who was a Zick’s regular before the changes echoed the same sentiments, saying flatbreads like the Couch Tomato has made him a happy customer.
“The new menu accommodates a more diverse crowd, like vegetarians and upperclassmen who enjoy the beer and wine options,” Hargrove said. “The new Puff Daddy flatbread is my favorite.”
Phase three will premiere this coming fall, but the dining staff are keeping the details about the final step a secret. According to Puhlman, students “have a better chance of finding out the fate of Jon Snow on Game of Thrones than finding out what phase three is!”
March Madness: Everyone’s Favorite Thing to Lose
One in 9 quintillion: these are reportedly the odds of correctly predicting the outcome of every game in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, a feat also referred to as “a perfect bracket”. Despite these astronomical odds, every March millions of people around the country and world make their predictions for who will be crowned national champion.
This year’s tournament has been predictably unpredictable. Out of more than 12 million brackets submitted to the ESPN Tournament Challenge, none has fewer than 4 incorrect picks. One of those picks was Michigan State’s first-round loss to Wichita State.
“That absolutely ruined my bracket,” Said Wake Forest Sophomore Mike Dunsheath, “I think that was definitely the biggest upset of the first round.” Dunsheath was not alone in his frustration. According to online gambling site Bovada, more than 98% of brackets had chosen Michigan State to win that game and 55% of all brackets had them winning the entire tournament.
Upsets like these are what keep drawing back more and more people each year, says Sports Economics Professor Todd McFall. “You play the game to get those upsets and Cinderella picks. There’s no other reason.”
The so-called Cinderella picks that McFall mentioned refer to lower-ranked teams that make it further in the tournament than expected. And this year the tournament features one of the most remarkable Cinderella stories in history.
10-seed Syracuse has upset every team it has played, including 1-seed University of Virginia on its path to the Final Four. According to ESPN, only four double digit seeded teams in tournament history have made it to the Final Four. To put this in perspective, at the start of the tournament Las Vegas sports betting agencies had 10,000-1 odds for Syracuse to win the tournament. UVA, on the other hand, was given only a 1,000-1 chance to win it all.
“What makes it exciting is games like the UVA-Syracuse one,” Said Wake Forest Junior and amateur gambler Will Campbell. “The one-and-done, single elimination aspect of it creates so much drama for the teams and the fans. It’s just unparalleled.”
This tournament format is not often seen in high level athletic leagues like the NCAA. The four major professional sports leagues in the United States all use series style playoff set-ups where the same teams play each other a minimum of four games and maximum of seven before moving onto the next round.
Even though the odds are stacked against a winning bracket the unique tournament format, the Cinderella picks, and the passion of players and fans alike draw millions of people to March Madness every year.
Students come together to celebrate Springfest — Chris Caswell
Students came together this week to participate in various activities to celebrate the spring season as part of Student Union’s traditional Springfest.
“Springfest has become one of Wake Forest’s most beloved traditions on campus,” said Nia McIntosh, chair of the Festivals committee of Student Union. “Dating back to 1976, Springfest has been well-attended by man generations of Wake Forest students. This year, the Festivals committee of Student Union is excited to keep this valued event alive with a jam-packed week full of fun activities that will appeal to all students on campus.”
Student Union has planned activities each day of the week, – the first on Monday – culminating in “Shag on the Mag,” an annual dance held in a tent on Manchester Plaza.
“Springfest is one of my favorite Student Union activities of the year because of the large turnout it produces, and it creates an even stronger sense of community,” said sophomore Preston Bowers.
On Monday, Springfest opened with a midday ice cream and cake social go get students excited for the other activities of the week.
“It’s a good way to welcome the new season,” said freshman Ryan Grady. “I think the campus is livelier with the nicer weather.”
Student Union hosted a movie on Tuesday night on the Magnolia Quad with a showing of “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” Students had the opportunity to watch the movie outdoors on a large projection screen.
On Wednesday, students flocked to Davis Field to attend “The Golden Exchange,” one of the most anticipated events.
Food trucks parked next to the field, and there were a variety of activities such as a rock climbing wall, a fortune teller and treasure hunts.
Many students, however, were most excited about the petting zoo.
“I was very impressed with the petting zoo, specifically the camel and the baby kangaroo,” Bowers said.
Freshman Kai Lin also enjoyed the petting zoo, but his favorite was the rock climbing wall.
The event was well attended by both students and children from the community.
Students gathered in the Barn on Thursday to show off their artistic talents.
“Be it spoken word, rap, bands, solo artists or a capella groups,” said McIntosh. “We have very talented students who excel in the arts.”
There were approximately 30 attendees at the event, but people came and went throughout the two hours-long event.
“It was pretty fun, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves,” said freshman Noah Shea.
Springfest will culminate in “Shag on the Mag” on Friday evening. Students will pack into a tent on the Magnolia Quad to shag dance.
“Shag on the Mag is special, because there is no other event quite like it,” McIntosh said. “This event not only helps bring the campus community together, but it also provides an opportunity for a variety of community members to converse in a safe environment.”
Students like Bowers are excited for it, too.
“‘Shag on the Mag’ is an awesome party for all students to be together,” Bowers said. “Last year, it was really fun, so I have high expectations for it this year as well.”
Chris Caswell/ Old Gold & Black
Wake and Shake, Annabel Love
This year’s Wake and Shake raised over $302,000, which is a 50% increase in funds compared to last year. In 2015, Wake and Shake raised a total of $200,040 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund, which supports cancer research at the WFU Cancer Center.
Wake and Shake is a 12-hour dance marathon held every spring at Wake Forest University. For 12 hours the Wake Forest community comes together with their dance moves and ask for donations to support all of those affected by cancer.
There were several factors contributing to the significant increase in funds raised. Michael Ford, the advisor of Wake and Shake, says it was so successful because “there was a diverse and high performing WnS Leadership Team (26 students total), a more robust marketing plan and better Pre-event fundraisers, and a new and improved website with individual dancer profiles that recorded how much money each person and team raised.”
Lydia Pappas, a co-chair says “this year we really worked on fixing the website to make it easier to donate and user friendly and make sure that there was a structured schedule with fun activities that people would enjoy.”
Throughout the event, there was food, games, prizes, live entertainment, and champion speakers that talked about their experiences with cancer. Mary Winston, a member of the Entertainment Committee, says “we planned everything in 5 minute intervals to keep up with the momentum and keep the energy high and positive.”
Stevie Eagan, a participant in Wake and Shake, said that her favorite part was “the final hour with the student testimonies, the glow stick remembrance of loved ones by all the dancers, and the final big circle song by Cold Play.”
Ellie Hamilton, a senior participant, noticed that this year the event ran “smoothly and efficiently and the new and improved website was incredibly user-friendly compared to previous years.”
Wake and Shake is a Wake Forest tradition that started in 2006 that brings together a diverse representation of students to share fun, pain, love, memories, and raise funds to help find a cure for cancer.
In the final words of Hamilton, “Wake and Shake is like Christmas and an event that I will definitely miss when I graduate.”
Timeline of Solar Energy Innovation at WFU // Merritt Enright
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Darryl Hunt Timeline – Todd
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Wake Forest Men’s Golf Timeline//Karlee Spirit
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