From the Quad

Good Morning Demon Deacon Nation!

Yesterday was a historic one for the Currie family as our son Jack walked across the Spectrum Center stage and received his diploma from the good folks at Myers Park High School. Watching the pride and excitement of families and their kids was an inspiring reminder of the impact of great teachers and coaches on the lives of our young people!

Speaking of young people, several of our Wake Forest coaches have already welcomed new student-athletes onto campus as the first summer session is now underway in Winston-Salem. It has been fun to meet some of my fellow "rookies" - they are excited to be in Black and Gold!

In my travels over the last several months and from your emails, notes and tweets, Wake Forest fans, parents, students and student-athletes have told me how excited you are for the upcoming football season! Coach Clawson's back-to-back-to-back bowl champ Deacs return to BB&T Field Friday, August 30 for an 8 p.m. kick-off, which will be showcased worldwide on the new ACC Network.

I've also heard loud and clear that we need to do more to create opportunities for fans to enjoy Wake Forest football and for our student-athletes to be cheered on by a full house at beautiful BB&T Field.

Opening Night at BB&T Field is now less than 80 days away so we are launching an important grassroots initiative in which every Demon Deacon plays a part! Collectively we can all showcase Wake Forest and Winston-Salem hospitality by inviting our friends, colleagues and neighbors to Demon Deacon ballgames.

To build awareness in every neighborhood, our Fan Experience staff has produced free I'm A Fan yard signs which are now available while supplies last, for Demon Deacon fans to pick up at the Hanes Mall Deacon Shop, the on-campus Deacon Shop and the Bridger Field House ticket office. You can also click here for a variety of free downloads from our I'm A Fan resource kit.

Our special "Opening Night" ticket package includes four tickets and a parking pass for just $59 and is the perfect way to introduce a friend or neighbor to Wake Forest football. On July 1, the price will go up to $69, so click here now to purchase this package, season and individual game tickets, or our special Big Four package. We also welcome you to visit our Fan Experience representatives at the Bridger Field House ticket offices or by calling 336-758-3322.

Thanks in advance for your help painting the Triad Black and Gold and I look forward to seeing you on Opening Night! Here's a few other updates from around the department.

Road Recap from New York and Raleigh

Meeting Wake Forest fans at events continues to be a blast! At the end of May, I had the pleasure of meeting with an awesome crowd of NYC Deacs at the Yale Club in Manhattan. Then last week, the Deacon and I stormed into Raleigh and Wake County, starting the day at the Wake Forest Birthplace Museum on the original campus. Museum director Ed Morris gave us a personal tour of a fascinating array of Demon Deacon artifacts and exhibits - I highly recommend a visit. The Deacon especially liked the display of the original 1941 Deacon uniform! We stopped by the original Shorty's and met fourth generation owner Chris Joyner, visited the Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh News & Observer and multiple media outlets and sportswriters. Click here to see my interview with Jeff Gravley. The day concluded with a packed event in downtown Raleigh with over 150 Wake Forest fans in attendance.

Strong Finish to the Athletics Year

Thanks to women's golf, men's tennis and men's golf finishing in the top five in the country, Wake Forest Athletics is now currently ranked No. 24 overall nationally in the latest June 6 edition of the Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup. Click here for the latest results. While many of our athletes train in Winston-Salem, head coach Tony da Luz and our women's soccer team are getting an early start preparing for the season with a trip of a lifetime as they departed Monday night for France, where they will train, watch three World Cup games and compete in a "friendly" match vs. Olympique Marseille's U19 team.

Wake Law School Welcomes New Dean

Did you know we have a new dean of our outstanding Law School? I was honored to meet another fellow rookie recently! Jane Aiken comes to Wake Forest from Georgetown University. You can read more about her here.

Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Coach

While we have so much to celebrate at Wake Forest, I am sure that many of you have heard the sad news of the passing of our former Volleyball Coach, Heather Holmes. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Heather's husband Michael and their son, Landon. The Wake Forest community joined with Michael and Landon to remember Heather yesterday at a memorial service in Wait Chapel. A tree was planted in Heather's memory behind Varsity Gym.
The Demon Deacon volleyball squad will also recognize Heather this fall as our annual "Pink" game for breast cancer will be permanently named in her honor and memory.

That's it for today - remember to send me your thoughts and suggestions at wfuad@wfu.edu and demand the ACC Network at www.getACCN.com!

Go Deacs!

61060

John

Wake Forest Athletics

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