What three people (living/dead, real/fictional) would you like to have over for dinner and why?

I would invite Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. These men were indispensable in framing the new American Republic, but had sharply different views of how to shape it into a viable and successful nation among nations. If such a dinner could have been held in the 1790s, I would ask each of them how they envisioned the separation of powers in the United States Constitution, the separation of church and state, the relative authority of states versus the Federal government, the role of commerce and banks, and, thorniest of all, the issue of slavery. I would have loved to hear them debate these issues and project what they thought would happen in the generations after them. While they could easily have envisioned sectional strife on the question of slavery (Jefferson came to warn of a “firebell in the night”), I imagine none of them could have envisioned the coming of a kind of democracy where average citizens would unseat from power the class of intellectual and political leaders that the Founding Fathers represented.

Can you give the status on building a new recreation center?

During this academic year, the University is working diligently to craft a viable strategic plan for Wake Forest’s future. This will include plans to renovate certain buildings, some of them built during the 1950s, and plans to construct new facilities for academic and student life. While no firm decisions have been made, the idea of a new recreation center is one that has gained great momentum among students and the broader community and is being given the most serious consideration.

What is the Wake Forest Fellows Program and who is it for?

The Wake Forest Fellows Program will begin in the 2008-09 academic year to provide challenging work opportunities in central areas of university administration offices. The President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, Advancement and Student Life will each hire a graduate of the Class of 2008 as a full-time University staff employee for one year. I would encourage seniors who are interested in higher education or related fields as well as those who are looking for a unique opportunity to continue to participate in the Wake Forest community before beginning graduate school or a career to consider applying. Applications are posted at https://wakejobs.wfu.edu. If you have questions or would like more information about the Fellows Program, please email Karver Bolton (boltonks@wfu.edu) in the President's Office.