Final Issue of the Semester
in this issue NEWS Sigma Tau Delta Induction Goodbye Class of '19, cont. A&E Senior Art Showcase English Colton Club Essay Contest Winner OPINIONS Why We Need Autism Acceptance Are You Gay or Is My Gaydar Broken?
Saying Goodbye to the Class of 2019 By Ashley Ricks, Staff Writer
May 11, also known as commencement day, is quickly approaching. It is no secret that Meredith will miss the graduating seniors, but the class will be moving to bigger and better opportunities. On April 17, the Class of 2019 began their journey as alums at the Alumnae Induction Ceremony. During the ceremony, seniors were introduced to what life will look like as an alumna. The highlight of the Alumnae Induction Ceremony was the introduction of the class doll. Every year, the class doll resembles the fashion and symbols of the past four years that are unique to the graduating class. The Class of 2019’s doll is named Hannah Cate Joy Strong. The first name is a double name to honor the many sisters of the class who have a double name. Hannah was chosen to give back to the class’s president for the past four years, Hannah Kicklighter. Cate refers to the Cate Student Center, where members of the senior class enjoyed socializing and buying food from the Beehive. Joy is a symbol of the class’s first Cornhuskin’, where Inside Out was the theme. The last name Strong was chosen because the Class of 2019 was the first class to welcome the branding of the slogan “Going Strong.” Hannah Cate Joy Strong’s attire is a jean skirt, a black shirt, a long, maroon cardigan and knee-high boots.
THE M E R E D I T H
HERALD
@meredithherald @meredith_herald #harktheherald meredithherald.com April 24, 2019
HB 370: Discriminatory or Necessary? By Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Contributing Writer On April 3, 2019, House Bill 370 was passed by the North Carolina House of Representatives with a vote of 64-50 and has moved forward for approval by the North Carolina Senate. This bill requires all North Carolina Sheriffs to comply with the 287(g) program. This program is a (previously optional) program in which deputy sheriffs use federal databases to determine the immigration status of any arrested individual in order to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, and begin deportation proceedings. This bill comes after newly elected sheriffs in Wake, Durham and Mecklenburg counties severed all cooperative ties with ICE. Following this move, ICE made a public statement where a spokesman stated they had raised the amount of immigration raids in the state, due to the unprecedented decisions on the part of the new sheriffs, and that their increased presence in the state would become a “new normal.” HB 370 is sponsored by House republican representatives Destin Hall, Brendan Jones, Jason Saine and Carson Smith, with a co-sponsorship from NC House Speaker Tim Moore. Furthermore, the bill was crafted through direct collaboration with ICE officials, which both parties have been open about conveying to the public and media. Specifically, the bill requires all North Carolina sheriffs to abide by the 287(g) program to comply with ICE detainers. ICE detainers are written requests that require a law enforcement agency to keep an individual detained for an additional 48 hours after their normal release date. These detainers are issued with an administrative warrant and not a judicial warrant, which has raised questions of their validity as they do not require a substantial claim of probable cause under the Fourth Amendment. According to the
American Civil Liberties Union, detainers do not follow the due process of law and could lead these local law enforcement agencies to face litigation and damages liabilities. Furthermore, any violation of these rules can be met by an action suit by any citizen of the state, and, subsequently, the state court can fine local law enforcement $1,000 to $1,500 for every day it does not comply, and any second offense can result in that amount increasing to $25,000. In fact, the court costs for the individual who files the complaint must also be paid for by the court under question. The bill makes itself clear to be a threat to local law enforcement agencies that refuse to cooperate with ICE. There has been extensive opposition to this bill by Latinx advocacy groups in North Carolina, the ACLU of North Carolina and, most notably, from the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, who released a statement hours before the bill was voted on on the House floor. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association makes their position clear: they support the enforcement of laws directed towards illegal immigration; however, they do not agree that sheriffs who have been elected by their constituents should be forced to comply with an optional program they do not believe fits their community. As the senior policy council of the ACLU of North Carolina stated, “Legislators should support the decisions of local law enforcement leaders and respect the will of the voters who elected them, not rush to pass another law that targets immigrants and wastes taxpayer resources.” Furthermore, the association upholds their position by citing the NC Supreme Court case Chavez v. Carmichael, which states that it is lawful for sheriffs to either honor ICE detainers or decline to honor them. The Raleigh-based Latinx advocacy group El Pueblo has also released a statement in which
they express their opposition to this bill, as they believe it destroys the trust between local authorities and immigrant communities. They present three main reasons as to why HB 370 is not beneficial: the bill would undermine community safety by making immigrants hesitant to cooperate with local law enforcement, it would make counties use their limited resources to partner with ICE and it retaliates against pro-immigrant sheriffs. Another key opposition to this bill is that it would crack down on misdemeanor and traffic offenses, which extends the jurisdiction of ICE much farther as the current policy only requires local law enforcement to report federal offenses to ICE, regardless of cooperation with the 287(g) program, as pointed out by House representative Darren Jackson. This fact adds another layer of fear among immigrant communities towards ICE, as it appears to be a way to detain as many undocumented immigrants as possible, regardless of a serious offense being committed. The supporters of this bill are adamant that it is not specifically targeting the Latinx community but is instead a move to keep North Carolina safe from undocumented immigrants who are not deported in a timely manner. Representative Destin Hall of Caldwell County stated to Spectrum News that the bill “doesn’t require sheriff’s offices to do the job of ICE” but instead strives to “simply notify ICE, let them know that they have someone there that they suspect of being an illegal immigrant and let ICE do their job and let them enforce federal immigration law.” Despite the insistence of House republicans that the bill is not an attack on the Latinx undocumented community but instead a policy improvement, skepticism remains due to the current political environment and anti-immigrant sentiments that have festered during the Trump administration.
The Alumnae Induction Ceremony indicates that the seniors will soon leave Meredith College and become Meredith alumnae. Departments are working hard on last-minute details for the graduation ceremony, but shortly after the commencement, these same departments will be preparing
for the arrival of new students. The Herald is excited to meet new faces next year, but graduating seniors will surely be missed on Tuesday nights. Below, The Herald highlights the remarkable seniors who have dedicated their time to The Herald these past few years. Nikki Wertz: With a degree in studio
art, Nikki has been using her expertise as a layout designer for The Herald since spring 2018. After graduation, Nikki will be looking for a job that aligns with her interests while also allowing her to travel the country. ...continued on page 2
News
Exceptional Englishers: A Review of the Sigma Tau Delta Induction By Ashleigh Murr, Staff Writer, and Sarah Kiser, Editor-in-Chief Parents, professors and friends alike gathered to celebrate the achievements of nine angels going strong in their English and literature studies. On Monday, Apr. 15, nine new inductees were welcomed in Sigma Tau Delta: an International English Honor Society. Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924 and has grown to 71 chapters, including Meredith’s Alpha Iota Rho chapter. To qualify for SΤΔ, one must be an English major or minor or Professional Writing minor, have taken two English courses beyond English 200, have a 3.0 GPA or better in English, be in the top 35% of her class, and have completed 35+ hours of college credit. With snacks and
a guest speaker, the students celebrated accomplishing these requirements. Guest speaker Dr. Jessica Ward presented her current book project about 14th century discourses on avarice and how it intersects with today’s world. For the first time, SΤΔ awarded a scholarship to a rising senior with impressive academic and service accomplishments on Meredith’s campus. Professors poured out an overwhelming amount of support to Alex Rouch, who undoubtedly deserves this honor.
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time with The Herald because “The Herald staff members are incredibly smart and always passionate about something.” It is no surprise Abigail has taken an amazing opportunity to work at Red Hat as a Marketing Communications Intern. A piece of advice Abigail has for underclassmen is to “make a friend who's a year or two older than you. Learn what to do (and what not to do) from them and avoid the more painful mistakes.” Caroline Garrett: Caroline has a passion for helping others, as evidenced by their role as A&E Editor for The Herald for the past three years. Furthering their commitment to helping others, Caroline will be attending UNC Chapel Hill for a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Health. While Caroline will still be attending school after graduation, they will miss “the friends [they’ve] made here and the relationships [they’ve] formed with [their] professors.” Caroline’s one last piece of advice to underclassmen is to participate in the extracurricular activities Meredith offers because they will often lead to finding another passion.
For all underclassmen, Nikki’s one piece of advice is, “don't sacrifice fun like I did. Be selfish, don't take on more than you can handle and don't be afraid to say no or to disappoint. At the end of the day, you're going to college and you're the one going into life after college.” Sarah Kiser: The Meredith Herald would be nonexistent if it weren’t for Sarah’s love for and dedication to the paper. For the last four years, Sarah has committed their time to The Herald and has done a wonderful job this past year as Editor-in-Chief. Sarah has been accepted into the Disney College Program, and three months after graduation, their new job will be Photopass Photographer in all four WDW theme parks Although Sarah will be working at the happiest place on earth, they will most miss “the people [they] care about but didn’t get to spend a lot of time with.” Abigail Ojeda: For the past four years, every Tuesday night, News Editor Abigail could be spotted helping The Herald plan and edit each publication. Abigail enjoyed her
Sending Away Your Seniors with Love By Haley Ivey, Contributing Writer
It is graduation season here at Meredith College and, as if we aren’t already stressed enough about exams, final projects and grades, there is also a looming question hanging over our heads: what to get our graduating senior for graduation? Here are some ideas and tips for those of you who are stumped like the rest of us. 1. Get that Meredith gear! All the
soon-to-be graduates have worked hard to be able to wear that shirt in the student store that says “Alumna,” and they would love to be able to rock it as soon as they take off that maroon robe. 2. Who doesn’t love a good gift card? Go to your senior’s favorite store, restaurant, coffee shop or ice cream place, and get them a gift card of any amount to help them save money when they are
Photo courtesy of Sarah Kiser. Current and new members (left to right): Back row: Sarah Kiser, Kaylee Kalaf, Delaney Rhodes, Toni Pearce, Breanna Harmon, Kirby Jones, Hannah Naylor. Front row: Yessy Anorve-Bassoria, Ashleigh Murr, Alex Rouch, Lauren Luke, Sofia Mazzola and Whitney Pepper. Ashley Ricks: During the summer of 2017, Ashley Ricks came to realize she had a passion for passing on stories to others, leading her to come out of her comfort zone and write for The Herald. Although Ashley began writing for The Herald with no background in media writing, the support from fellow students who were a part of the organization helped develop her language skills and confidence. With a major in business administration, Ashley may not be the typical student who helps with The Herald, but she attributes much of her success as a student to being a part of the school newspaper. Ashley’s piece of advice to underclassmen is to go out of your comfort zone and join student organizations you are even slightly interested in because these organizations may unearth an unknown passion you may have. Micah Clark: For the past year, Micah has been making us all laugh with their comics featured in The Herald. Micah has been able to keep those brought down by depressing news stories sane with their humorous comics. Micah said they will miss “hearing the feedback on
moving on into the real world. 3. Speaking of adulting, all of our favorite seniors are about to enter the real world! Get them gifts that will help them navigate their way through the rough waters. Planners, travel mugs, lunch totes and of course emergency chocolate and bath bombs for the hard days.
[their] comics. [They] love hearing that [they] made people laugh or smile.” After graduation, Micah will be moving to Tacoma, Washington, to take a gap year before pursuing grad school. When asked what they will miss most, their response was the friends they’ve made at Meredith these past four years. Rebecca Dowdy: Rebecca joined the staff of The Herald this year as Opinions Editor and has been an invaluable member of the editing team. The newspaper staff will miss Rebecca greatly when she leaves Meredith to embark on her future adventures. The Herald will miss each graduating student greatly, but continuing members are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for each of them. Even if a senior is still deciding on what to do after graduation, every Meredith graduate has the knowledge and abilities needed to excel in their field. The little black ring on a Meredith graduate’s right hand is a symbol of knowledge, integrity and perseverance that distinguishes her from the rest of college graduates.
For the complete story, visit meredithherald.com In The Herald’s Mar. 20 issue, in the article titled “Advocacy at the General Assembly,” our staff rewrote and subsequently printed that writer Ashley Graham had been assigned to Representative James D. Gailliard. In reality, Gailliard represents Graham’s own county, Nash, which was why she sought him out to affirm his support for the ERA.
Arts & Entertainment
Seniors Showcase their Handy Work By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer The Meredith College senior art exhibition, titled “By Hand,” opened on April 8 in the Weems Gallery in the GaddyHamrick Building.The senior art exhibition showcases a variety of works done by the graduating
seniors majoring or minoring in a visual art field. The mediums include everything from sculpture to painting. When asked how her work reflected the title of the show, Nikki Wertz said, “I always preferred working with my hands
and me and my cohorts prefer to work on physical art, besides computer work. I feel it properly expressed what I like to do because a lot of us work with sculpture and painting and that is where the name came from.” The show will
stay up in the gallery until April 29. It is free to view and open to the community from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day of the week and weekends from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
screen chemistry, so this movie is definitely on my list to watch.
The Lion King - July 19 The second Disney revamp this summer, The Lion King will feature top-notch animation to bring the story to life.
Upcoming Movie News By Olivia Slack, Features Editor With the LDOC approaching, finals looming and the vast expanse of summer ahead, a student may be left to wondering what they can do to take a break from studying or fill those endless summer days. Well, 2019 is a year that’s packed full of big movie premieres, so here are a few of what look to be the highlights.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu May 10 Even for someone who has limited Pokémon knowledge, the prospect of watching a cute, fuzzy animated creature like Pikachu run around solving crimes onscreen is appealing. This movie is notable as the first Pokémon movie not to receive a G rating-it was given PG for action/peril, crude humor, and “thematic elements.”
Aladdin - May 24 The live-action remake of the Disney classic Aladdin will come out this spring, as well. Starring Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, this movie has been much-anticipated. However, the remake has been met with some backlash due to casting of a non-Middle Eastern lead actress to play Jasmine and several other allegations of whitewashing. Men In Black: International - June 14 The newest installation in the Men In Black series, MIB: International will follow two agents in the UK branch of MIB. These two agents are played by Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, whom I’ve seen co-star together previously in Thor: Ragnarok. I thoroughly enjoyed their on-
Toy Story 4 - June 21 Nearly 10 years after the release of Toy Story 3, the next installment in the Toy Story franchise will follow the toys in their new home with Bonnie, the little girl who Andy gave them to at the end of the last movie. Spider-Man: Far From Home - July 5 We may be venturing into summer in this spring movie preview list, but I couldn’t leave the next Spider-Man movie off my list. Given certain events that took place in Avengers: Infinity War, let’s just say that the fact that Far From Home exists gives me hope for the plotline of Avengers: Endgame. At the risk of disclosing spoilers, I’ll leave it at that.
Finally, an honorable mention: shooting wrapped on Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker in Feb. and will premiere on Dec. 20, 2019. This movie will somehow once again feature the late Carrie Fisher using footage from previous Star Wars movies. With all these notable movies coming out in 2019, it will surely be easy to find something to watch to waste away the hot spring and summer afternoons.
The Meredith Herald is Glad to Present the Top 3 Winners of the English Colton Club Essay Contest 1st Place: Bartola Garcia, "The Women As Bright As the Stars"
2nd Place: Jenna Curia, "Educated: Arming the Woman Warrior" 3rd Place: Cayleigh Norris-Bradshaw, "Nancy Petty the Warrior"
Congratulations to Bartola Garcia for writing the winning essay below.
Women do not need to carry one specific trait to be a warrior. There are women from our everyday lives, like mothers, political activists, and even teachers, who shine as bright as stars that are warriors. They constantly fight their own battles to be who they are. They shine all over the world with the little acts they perform, like patiently going for a grocery run with their crying children. All these women inspire the younger generations to grow up to be as wise and gracious as they are. One of them is Maria Garcia De La Cruz, my mother, who was also influenced at a young age by her mother to keep going. She moved to a world that was unknown to continue a battle that everyone had told her was lost. Her persistence, belief, humor, and the hope she holds to see light shine through the darkest of tunnels motivate those who meet her.
At a young age, Maria had to learn to persist through her struggles. Growing up in a small, poor, and rural town named Tabasco in Mexico, she was held to high expectations of duty as soon as she could walk, learning how to make handmade tortillas at the age of six, even having a homemade step stool to reach “el comal,” the griddle—like stove. At the age of eight, Maria was learning to cook meals for her family of nine. She was also held to the expectation of cleaning like her mother while looking after her baby nieces. At the age of sixteen, to escape her poverty-ridden cycle, she got married and soon gave birth to a child. When the infant wasn’t able to breathe on her own due to deformed lungs, she began to rethink her decisions. Nevertheless, this challenge didn’t impair her. Even though their debt kept accumulating, she and
her husband never stopped looking for cures to save their child with the illusion that she could grow into a healthy kid one day. Seeing no solution anywhere near, Maria packed her bags and decided to head for the United States. With a one-year-old in her arms, a bag slung over her shoulder, and everyone telling her that she and her child would both die on the way there, she made her way to the destination that would save what little she had. She did indeed find a solution for her child’s illness once she got to the States, and from there she only went up. The persistence and strength she had to overcome all the little obstacles along her way have now earned her the love of the community she now has in Morehead City, NC. Now, when people tell her that it’s impossible to do certain actions or goals, Maria laughs and says “things are
only impossible if you make them out to be.” Maria makes life look easy with the belief and humor she holds in difficult situations. In September of last year, she came close to death when excruciating pain found its way to her. Keeping the pain to herself for three days until she was finally dragged to the hospital by her husband, Maria learned from the doctors that the frontal right lobe of her brain had been bleeding for days due to a rupture of an arteriovenous malformation, and the doctors informed her family that she had a very small chance of making it through because it was in such a critical place. As she heard the prognosis, Maria and her mother prayed, believing it would save her. For the complete essay, visit meredithherald.com
Opinion
Why We Need Autism Acceptance By Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor
This April marks the 49th annual Autism Awareness Month, a national initiative begun in 1970 by the Autism Society to increase public knowledge of what was then a little-understood disorder diagnosed in just 1 in 5,000 of the population. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 World Autism Awareness Day to kick off Autism Awareness Month each year. Since the 1970s, autism diagnoses have risen to approximately 1 out of every 59 children, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is now understood to be a relatively common neurodevelopmental disability with highly variable and diverse traits. In 2019, thanks in part to the efforts of several nonprofits, schools, parent groups, online communities and more, most people have at least heard of autism. However, decades after the inception of the first Autism Awareness Month, people with autism remain misunderstood by the general population. This is in part due to the leading voices in the Autism Awareness Month initiative;
the nonprofit Autism Speaks is at the forefront of the autism conversation. An internet search of the word “autism” yields Autism Speaks’ website as the first result, and the Light It Up Blue initiative recognized worldwide each April 2 is strongly associated with the organization. Throughout the month of April, when businesses donate to a nonprofit in the name of autism awareness, the money often goes to Autism Speaks. Many may not see this as a problem, and may even consider it a good thing—after all, why wouldn’t we want to fund research into a disability that affects nearly 2% of the population? The issue lies in the type of research that Autism Speaks promotes—AS views autism as a curable disorder and, in the past, has painted autism as a villain that “kidnaps” an otherwise “normal” child from their parents, as evidenced in a former ad entitled "I Am Autism." By removing the autism from the child, a healthy neurotypical child will be left in its place. The puzzle piece in Autism Speaks’ logo symbolizes the “missing piece” in people with autism that
would otherwise make them nonautistic. This stance on prevention and a cure borders on eugenics and completely ignores what we do know about autism’s cause— that it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors—and invalidates the reality that autism shapes the way people think, process and perceive the world. In fact, many people with autism see it as an inseparable part of their identity and thus choose to refer to themselves as autistic. Autism Speaks also perpetuates the long-held misconception that autism is predominantly a male condition; the blue in their logo is intended to highlight the (incorrect) gender disparity that boys have autism four times more than girls. As someone who was assigned female at birth, my autism was mislabeled as shyness and social anxiety. I was 17 before I realized I might be autistic and 20 before I received a formal diagnosis. When I tell people I’m autistic, some seem surprised. Others say it makes sense. I need people to be more than just aware of my and others’
autism. Awareness is limited; it allows people to donate a few dollars, participate in a walk, wear a blue T-shirt and feel like they have done enough. It excuses people from not looking past the first result of an internet search, from unknowingly supporting an organization that silences those for whom it claims to advocate. It perpetuates the idea that autism is a condition to be fixed, rather than a relatively common form of human variety known as neurodiversity. I need people to accept and even celebrate that my brain works different from theirs, to realize that my differences are both weaknesses and strengths and that with the right supports, autistic people can and will be successful. Those who want to support autistic people and learn more can look into the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network and autistic members of their own communities.
In past experiences, people have not supported the queer community for reasons ranging from the fact that it makes them uncomfortable to saying that it is not evolutionarily compatible. However, the “Meredith girl” stereotype is the same type of girl who made me feel uncomfy for being bi in high school. This makes Meredith a confusing space for me, and not just for this reason. When speaking to this same anonymous student, it came up in conversation how difficult it can be to determine if another student is not straight at Meredith because there is not a way to directly observe an interaction between them and a male. While this might seem sexist, you would be surprised at how much hair-twirling there is when you pay attention. The observation of this interaction helps give hints towards a girl’s sexual orientation; therefore, at Meredith, there is barely any way
to determine a person’s sexuality without directly asking them. You might ask why asking is not a viable solution. It is not a good solution because if someone is not gay or bi, there is a relatively high chance they might take offense and no one wants that to happen. The likelihood that a person would take offense is higher in the South than on Meredith’s campus specifically, but not significantly higher. Nonetheless, the nerves of hitting on a girl are the same nerves that occur in heterosexual interactions and, therefore, everyone can understand the hesitations; no one wants to get rejected! All of this considered, it is difficult to determine a person’s sexuality, without asking, in the outside world as well. Not every person who is gay fits the stereotype, and not everyone who fits the stereotype is gay. Therefore, I think I can speak for the gays when I say, come up and ask, the worst we can say is no.
Are You Gay or is My Gaydar Broken? By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer The first question I received when I told people I was going to attend Meredith College was whether I was going because I’m bisexual, since it’s an “allgirls school.” The short answer is, no, that is not the only reason. I can be bisexual anywhere, and wouldn’t it be more realistic for me to attend a co-ed institution, as a bisexual? Yes, yes, it would. Prior to coming to Meredith, I was under the impression that Meredith was going to be a safe space to be a member of the LGBTQIA community because it’s a liberal arts college. I am not the only one who felt this way. When asked about her impressions of Meredith’s potential to be welcoming, Mackenzie Ulibarri said that she “didn’t think it would be a judgemental or negative place to be, as it is a liberal arts college.” This sentiment rang true through most of the students who were asked this question; however, an anonymous student stated, “I’m not from the South,
so I honestly had a lot of worries about the sociopolitical climate and whether or not I would be able to be out [as pansexual] at a college in the South.” This concern wasn’t based on anything she had heard about Meredith as a community, but more based upon the general atmosphere of Southern states. Meredith used to be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church, and if you know anything about the Southern Baptist Church, you know they do not support the gays. Therefore, a reasonable conclusion to draw is that Meredith does not support the gays. Despite Meredith losing its religious affiliation, there are many students here whose mothers and grandmothers went to Meredith during its affiliated times and carry the same beliefs as their angel relatives do. This being said, not everyone who fits this criterion is homophobic, and, believe me, religion is not the only reason people are not willing to support the gays.
STAFF
Sarah Kiser, Editor-in-Chief. Mimi Mays, Associate Editor. Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Abby Ojeda, News Editor. Rebecca Dowdy, Opinion Editor. Olivia Slack, Features Editor. Micah Clark, Cartoonist. Cro Owens, Social Media Coordinator. Nikki Wertz, Layout Designer. Photographers: Laney Flaugher, Inaya Rivera. Staff Writers: Ashleigh Murr, Ashley Ricks, Ell Shelp-Peck, Savi Swiggard. Contributing Writers: Haley Ivey, Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Kristen Viera.