Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”
WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6
VOL 111 , NO. 14
APRIL 24, 2025
‘Sesame Street’ writer featured in week of events on gun safety education MARIA SILVEIRA News Editor
ever,” which is being the best version of yourself every day. Now, Janey’s closest friends and copresidents of the tournament use this motto as their motivation. “By us remembering to live our best ever is kind of a momentum to remember to live like Janey, live intentionally, live honestly, live passionately and give it your 100% always,” Shannon said. Jam for Janey helps people do just that. The tournament, filled with laughter, competitiveness and love for one another, brings light to Janey’s memory and will allow it to live on for generations. In addition to the physics scholarship that will be awarded in Janey’s name, the ultimate vision for Jam for Janey is to be a part of the large-scale campus-wide traditions, even years after everyone who personally knew Janey has graduated.
A seven-time Emmy Award-winning writer from the television show Sesame Street visited two WinstonSalem Forsyth County elementary schools to promote gun safety. Renowned TV writer William Electric Black was joined by Winston-Salem Police Chief William H. Penn Jr in visits to Forsyth County elementary schools. The pair read Blacks’ book, “A Gun is Not Fun.” These visits were part of an initiative led by Wake Forest University’s Center for Literacy Education. The center addresses issues surrounding various aspects of literacy and aims to make a positive change in the community. Black was recently the keynote speaker for the center’s Visiting Scholars Speaker Series and Community Networking Conference held on campus. The theme was “A Gun is Not Fun: Strategies to Keep Children Safe from Gun Violence.” Speakers engaged in three panels about gun violence prevention strategies geared toward adolescents. Alan Brown, director of the center and associate professor of English education, reflected on the event's success. “This is the first big event for the center,” Brown said. “The conversations were outstanding. We had a great crowd and people seemed really engaged.” Black is not only an award-winning writer but also an advocate for gun safety awareness. In an interview with NPR, Black explained his beliefs surrounding educating the youth on such a timely topic. “You need to start when they're 3 and 4 because by the time they're in middle school, they're thinking about a gun or 'I gotta get a gun to protect myself from the other kids that have guns,” Black said. “This is the time to get them to see there's another way.”
See Jam for Janey, Page 3
See Panel, Page 3
Christopher Wallace/Old Gold & Black
Second annual Jam for Janey funds scholarship in Janey Thompson’s honor The 3v3 basketball tournament raised $136,368.15 to fund the Janey Thompson Physics Scholarship SHANI SCHWARTZ Contributing Writer
Over 400 students and more than 30 faculty members competed in the second annual 3v3 memorial basketball tournament, Jam for Janey, on April 10. The tournament honors Wake Forest student and avid club basketball player Janey Thompson, who unexpectedly passed away last April. The first tournament, put on just weeks after Janey’s death, raised $30,294 for a physics scholarship in Janey’s name. This year’s goal was to raise $100,000 to officially enact the scholarship. The $136,368.15 raised this year solidified the scholarship for an incoming Wake Forest freshman this fall. For the presidents of Jam for Janey, this event goes far beyond basketball. “This is our passion project on cam-
NEWS Arnold Palmer remembered Page Four
pus.…It’s our baby, is what we always say, it’s what our lasting memory of Wake Forest will be,” junior and CoPresident Maddie Shannon said. Shannon works as co-president alongside fellow juniors Sadie Gorley, Wilson Todd, Caroline Rice and Kyleigh Panther. The group has been planning this year's tournament for the entire year, creating a spreadsheet of improvements they could make just hours after last year’s tournament concluded. The five made time to gather for biweekly FaceTimes to begin planning while abroad this past fall, despite the time differences they faced between the U.S., Europe and Australia. Janey’s love for basketball and true friendship defined her days at Wake Forest, and being able to combine all of her loves was the main intent of this tournament. The tournament is guided by Janey’s motto, “find your best
CITY & STATE W-S/Forsyth schools CFO resigns Page Six
What's Inside
FEATURES NAMI opens mental health conversations Page Seven
ENVIRONMENT The value of outdoor learning spaces Page Eleven
OPINION Money can't buy me love Page Twelve
SPORTS Wake football looks ahead to new era Page Fifteen
ARTS & CULTURE Brooke Shields directs "Love Letters" Page Eighteen