In the 2025-2026 school year, the News section covered various topics and events around the Wake Forest campus, as well as student reactions to local and national news.
In the fall semester, Caroline Khalaf and Jill Yoder led the section.
As the semester began, then-Editor-in-Chief Ella Klein covered the university’s closing of the Office of Diversity, President Susan R. Wente’s announcement that she will step down at the end of the 2025-2026 school year and the naming of Nell Jessup Newton as the interim provost.
After chatter about limited housing on campus, news reported on freshmen being placed outside of “freshman-land” residence halls due to increasing enrollment. Also in “freshman-land,” Wake Forest renamed South Residence Hall to Hopkins Hall in honor of distinguished alumni Beth and Larry Hopkins.
During a time of national discourse surrounding censorship and academic freedom, Wake Forest invited University of Texas School of Law Professor David M. Rabban to speak to law school students about their First Amendment rights.
The section also covered local events, including the annual Climb to Remember honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11. Back on campus, News Editor Khalaf covered Wake Forest’s announcement to eliminate tuition fees for families in North Carolina who earn less than $200,000 per year beginning in Fall 2026.
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, News Editor Yoder reported on Bridget Sullivan, an athletic trainer who left Wake Forest after posting comments online about the political activist.
To begin the Face to Face Speaker Forum season, alum Chris Paul and politician Mitt Romney spoke on their careers. For the third year in a row, Wake Forest was not listed among the top 50 institutions in the U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of the “Best National Universities.” Former Theranos employee Tyler Shultz spoke to students about his experience as a whistleblower.
The News section covered campus-wide traditions and philanthropic events like Hit the Bricks and Project Pumpkin, as well as the Homecoming week alumni celebrations.
Students celebrated the holidays through annual traditions including Pitsgiving, Holiday Fest and TurkeyPalooza.
In November, Klein reported on alleged sexual assaults on three individuals on campus, and Khalaf noted Student Government’s creation of a student committee to aid the administration of the biennial sexual misconduct campus climate survey.
In the Spring semester, Jill Yoder and Sydney Glenn led the section and covered changes to the housing process and updates on Wake Forest’s ongoing presidential search. Editor-in-Chief Mattie Stillerman reported on the new housing lottery, which pushed up to 75 rising seniors off campus.
At the beginning of the semester, the News staff wrote about rising participation in sorority recruitment, repeated scooter thefts on campus and Wake Forest’s announcement that it would host the German National Soccer Team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the midst of controversy regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files, News reported on Department of Justice files that showed the convicted child sex offender paid for a Wake Forest student’s tuition in 2009. In further news, a leaked U.S. Army email classified Wake Forest as a “high risk” institution.
The News section covered emerging campus initiatives, including the Neuroarts Blueprint and a new digital pedagogy studio. Wake Forest also launched a digital storytelling master’s program and a study away program in Charlotte, N.C., both of which will launch in the 2026-2027 academic year.
Wake Forest celebrated 100 years of Black History Month with community events. The News section also covered annual student philanthropy events, including Wake ‘N Shake, DESK and Jam for Janey.
Writers covered important campus events, such as the 192nd Founders Day celebration, a Beth Hopkins’s keynote address for the inaugural Leadership Week and the student-organized TEDxWakeForestU speaker event.
For the second half of the Face to Face Speaker Forum, Wake Forest welcomed Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to reflect on his experience in combat and national security. Earvin “Magic” Johnson replaced “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo as the final guest of the 2025-2026 season. Erivo is to return in September.
Yoder wrote about the approved design for a campus memorial remembering enslaved individuals whose labor contributed to Wake Forest. During Student Government elections, Deputy Editor Miriam Fabrycky reported on candidate debates and the election results.
