THE MEREDITH
HERALD
Have a great fall break!
Inside This Issue Attractivism: A Society Obsessed with Appearances NEWS Impeachment Inquiry Election Results Women Running for Congress Area 51 A&E Faculty Distinguished Lecture 1 in 3 Review Choral Concert Review No Exit Review MORE Crossword Job Opportunity
History of the Onyx
By Savi Swiggard, Associate Editor Public image is an important aspect of our lives and culture. From celebrities to politicians, there is an underlying theme: what looks good is good. This concept can help or hurt us, and it lends itself to new forms of political and social activism. “Attractivism” is a newer word, notably used by former Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch, and is used to describe activism through positivity and interest. Rather than being an aggressive activist, attractivism is about being engaging, interesting, positive and, most importantly, eyecatching. Attractivism is gaining speed in multiple ways. Celebrities are likely the main source of modern attractivism; those who are famous for their appearances in movies, tv shows or concert stages use their public image to gain attention for
By Rachel Van Horne, Staff Writer The Onyx ring is a symbol of unity and sisterhood cherished by those who attend Meredith College. The much beloved ring was designed by a committee that included Jean Dula Fletcher, Class of 1953, and Anne Lovell from the Class of 1954. Encased by either silver or gold, the Onyx displays Meredith's emblem. The emblem includes Meredith Col-
lege’s Lux (which means light). The Meredith College Onyx is a special symbol of tradition and loyalty that is rooted in the College’s 128-year history. The class of 1954 was the first class to wear the Onyx ring, but the first Ring Dinner wasn't held until 1991. The Onyx can be worn by third- and fourth-year undergraduate students, students with 60 credits
issues they care about. Figures like Laverne Cox and Taylor Swift have used their popularity and visibility in the media to speak about oppression and social issues. This theme has morphed as social media has become a prominent way for consumers to get their news and world updates, and more and more activists turn to new ways of promoting the issues they care about. Following the nationwide Read more on page 4...
Illustration by Savi Swiggard
or more and alumnae. The oval onyx stone embodies the strength of the entire Meredith community and has played a part in Meredith College’s history for 64 years. The ring is meant to encompass the values of the Honor Code, the traditions of Meredith College and the sisterhood that is shared among all Meredith students past, present and future.
Rating the Academic Building Lounges By Staff
Business Lounge (1st Harris) Coffee-maker Nice chairs Not easy to find Dance Lounge (1st Weatherspoon) Cluttered, small Candy Honors Lounge (1st Joyner) Many seating and table options Convenient location Foot traffic Microwave and fridge Joyner Lounge (1st Joyner) Next to the bathroom Often too warm Comfortable seating Secret Ledford Spot (3rd Ledford) Secluded, not crowded Tables and couches
Music Lounge (1st Wainwright) Mini-fridge and microwave Noise pollution Pretty view Few seating options
Secret SMB spot (3rd SMB) Not as cold as other SMB areas Benches, whiteboard Not crowded Next to elevator room (noisy)
Rotunda Lounge (1st Martin) Lots of table and chair space Well lit, pretty Vending machines Foot traffic, near bathrooms
Theatre Lounge (1st Jones) Small Few seating options Sometimes locked
SMB Lounge (2nd SMB) Always cold Nice couches and tables Chalkboards and whiteboard
Ledford Lounge (1st Ledford) Small, cramped Comfortable couch Vending machine Magazines
Sociology Lounge (2nd floor Joyner) Small Sometimes used by teachers Chargers, computers, printer TV on mute Seating options Microwave and fridge
What do you think of our lounge ratings? Check our social media to tell us about your favorite lounging spots. Check our next issue for reviews of study spaces in non-academic buildings!
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October 9, 2019
A POP OF CULTURE
Pop-culture column by Staff Writer Hannah Davis Johns
Still Not Ready to Make Nice
On March 10, 2003, at a concert in London, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines took a moment to speak to the audience and admonish the invasion of Iraq by then-sitting president George W. Bush. The Texas native stated, “We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” These words set off a metaphorical bomb in the countrymusic world. The backlash was immediate: the Dixie Chicks’ music was pulled from every radio station after thousands of phone calls were made demanding that the stations take action. The “Chicks” received death threats. Some country music stations helped lobby for a boycott of their upcoming album and tour, and country artist Toby Keith went as far as performing in front of a backdrop that featured gigantic images of Maines and Saddam Hussein. The retaliation this unstoppable country music group received trialed what future generations would refer to as “cancel culture.” The group responded to this backlash in the way they knew best: putting it into music. On June 5, 2006, after three years of their music being ignored and undercut, the Dixie Chicks released their most well known song to date, “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which addressed Maines’ comments and the impact they had on their career. But it was by no means an apology; “Not Ready to Make Nice” doubled down on Maines’ comments. The song would go on to reach the top five in the Billboard top 100 and win the band a total of five Grammys. However, as the group doubled down, so did the radio stations, and “Not Ready to Make Nice” was only played on 14 of 123 radio stations. Now the year is 2019: the Dixie Chicks are being introduced to a new audience through a collaboration with the band’s number-one fan, Taylor Swift. It appears that this audience might not be old enough to remember the summer of 2003, particularly because radio stations seem to have no hold-ups about playing the emotional “Soon You’ll Get Better.” On the heels of this triumph, the band has decided that there is no time like the present to announce their first album in 13 years, with a title that reads in today’s climate as both a political and personal declaration: Gaslighter.
News
Unpacking the Trump Impeachment Inquiry By Olivia Slack, Online Editor On Sept. 26, a whistleblower complaint regarding President Trump and a phone call to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was released by the House Intelligence Committee. This followed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s announcement on Sept. 24 of a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump. What does all this mean? Here’s a quick debriefing of the whirlwind events of the past weeks. On July 25, Trump had a phone call with Zelensky. During this phone call, Trump allegedly urged the Ukrainian president to look into allegations of corruption against 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son. Seeking the aid of a foreign government in a U.S. presidential election is illegal—the Federal Election Commission chair herself has said so.
Critics of Trump allege that by pressuring Zelensky to investigate Biden, Trump was essentially asking Ukraine to get him detrimental information about Biden. Some argue that this aligns with a comment Trump made in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in June 2019. When Stephanopoulos asked if Trump’s 2020 campaign would go to the FBI if they received information from another country on an opponent or if they would simply accept the information, Trump said, “I think maybe you do both; there’s nothing wrong with listening. If someone called from a country, ‘we have information on your opponent’... I think I’d want to hear it… It’s not an interference, they have information. I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong I’d go maybe to the FBI.” These sorts of remarks are
thought by many to be rather incriminating now that it has been revealed that Trump called Ukraine and asked them to investigate one of his opponents. These remarks along with the call to Ukraine form the basis for the impeachment inquiry that Pelosi has started. According to Reuters, as of Oct. 2 the Democrats have called several people involved in Trump’s dealings with Ukraine to testify to House members. This includes the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine as well as the former special representative to Ukraine. These two individuals’ testimonies could provide more legitimacy to the impeachment inquiry. The inquiry itself could, if it racks up enough evidence, lead to articles of impeachment, which would initiate the impeachment process against Trump. Of course, impeachment does not mean that the president will be removed from office, only that charges have been leveled against
The Youngest Women Running for Congress in 2020 By Katelyn Wiszowaty, Staff Writer Primary elections will be taking place throughout next spring and summer and will be the perfect opportunity for voters to support female candidates. Last year, the 2018 elections made history with the largest number of women ever elected to Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives went from having 83 seats occupied by women in 2017 to 102 in 2019. This trend has the potential to continue in the 2020 congressional elections with more women challenging male incumbents. What is especially interesting about the female candidates running for Congress in
2020 is their ages. In the 2018 election, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman elected to Congress at only 29 years old. Since then, many young women have been inspired to follow in her footsteps. With so many young women declaring their candidacy for 2020, perhaps Ocasio-Cortez’s record age of 29 will be broken in the next election. Here are a few of the youngest and most stand-out women running for U.S. Congress in 2020: Jessica Cisneros Cisneros (D) is a 26-year-old running to represent Texas’ District 28. She is challenging Democratic incumbent Henry Cuellar who has held his position since 2005. Cisneros is a Mexican immigrant who now Some of the women elected to Congress in 2018. lives in LarGraphic courtesy of POLITICO and the AP edo, TX, and
We Come in Peace!
him. If the House does end up impeaching Trump, that would lead to a trial in the Senate, where the decision on whether or not to remove him from office would be made. However, at the moment, Republicans control the Senate, so the likelihood of them removing Trump from office is fairly low.
Election Results
By Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Staff Writer
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin with 38% and Charles Francis with 31% are the top two candidates who will have to have a run-off on Nov. 5. At-Large City Council Seats Nicole Stewart secured one seat with 34% of the vote. The second seat will have to be chosen through the run-off on Nov. 5: Jonathan Melton received 23% of the vote and Russ Stephenson 19%. Find full election results at www.meredithherald.com
has chosen to run against Cuellar because she feels he is not representing the Democratic majority of southern Texas. Her plans for change include immigration reform and raising the minimum wage. Stevie Rivenbark Hull Hull (R) is a 32-year-old mother of two running to represent North Carolina’s District 9. She was born and raised in NC and attended UNCW and then Liberty University, where she received her MA in public policy. Hull is running against a male Republican opponent in the primary, and as a young female Republican, she hopes to share true Republican values with younger voters. Hull describes herself as a responsible gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, and while she also supports immigration, she believes in having a secure border. Catalina Lauf Lauf (R) is a 26-year-old from Woodstock, IL, running to represent Illinois’ District 14. She is facing fellow Republicans in the primary, all but one being male, in an effort to defeat the Democratic incumbent Lauren Underwood. Lauf’s mother is an immigrant from Guatemala and came to the United States in pursuit of the Ameri-
can dream. Lauf believes in making the American dream achievable for everyone while maintaining strong borders. She also has experience being a former Trump administration adviser and is a strong supporter of capitalism. McKayla Wilkes Wilkes (D) is a 28-year-old single Mother of two running to represent Maryland’s District 5. Wilkes is from Washington D.C. and has faced hardships in her life that she believes have prepared her to serve her country. Having experienced juvenile detention when she was younger, she knows first-hand how unfair the justice system can be, especially for black women. Wilkes promises to fight to reform the criminal justice system, protect voting rights, and expand affordable housing. State’s district numbers and their candidates, along with election dates, can be found on ballotpedia. org and house.gov. Candidates also often post their election dates on their campaign websites, along with their values and political goals. Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote!
secret for so long adds to the mystery of it. Area 51 is said to hold nuclear weapons and is used to run many experiments on alien life forms and their technology. The government isn't playing around with these allegations of storming the base. In September, the day before the main event, two Dutch
Youtubers were arrested for trespassing, though they had no intention of trying to storm the base; they just wanted to get some photos and leave. They were arrested as examples and spent three nights in jail. Each had to pay a fine of over $2,000. To people thinking of trying to catch a glimpse of aliens... maybe next time.
By Hannah Brittain-Du Bois, Staff Writer
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This summer was all about the hot girls and storming Area 51 (Nevada Test and Training Range). Alien enthusiasts came out to Area 51 to see what the government was hiding from average citizens. They were surprised to see a quick stepping naruto runner instead of big-eyed aliens. Over 2 million people signed up to storm
Area 51 and a little over 3,000 actually showed up, as CNN said to “see them aliens.” The idea of storming Area 51 is not new. The general public has been curious about what sort of creepy crawlies lurk behind that fence for years; up until 2013, the government denied all allegations that Area 51 even existed. Their decision to keep it a
Arts & Entertainment
Faculty Distinguished Lecture: Our Clothes, Our Industry, Our Planet By Dr. Walton, Faculty Adviser, and Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor Dr. Diane Ellis, professor of fashion merchandising and design, delivered the 58th faculty distinguished lecture on Monday Oct. in Jones Auditorium at 7pm. Her unusual focus invited her audience to consider the ecological results of their fashion choices. Filled with stunning statistics and striking visual images, this presentation called out the fast fashion industry
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for promoting disposable clothes without regard to the effects on air and water quality and landfills. Ellis explained that garments can now appear in less than a month from initial design to product on the store shelves. But these garments are typically worn very few times before being discarded—half of all clothes are disposed of within one year, Ellis reported. Only 10% of clothing is
resold or recycled, she said; the rest ends up in landfills. What can students do? Remembering that one of her own faculty members told her that “every purchase is a vote,” Dr. Ellis exhorted her audience to choose fewer but better quality articles of clothing, made from fabrics with less harmful environmental impact—linen rather than cotton, for example, or lyocell
(made from wood pulp) rather than nylon, made from petrochemicals. One interesting development she detailed is “smart fashion” or garments with built-in technology to monitor health, counteract odor and improve athletic performance. In the future, this type of self-monitoring clothing could replace fitbits: something to look forward to while striving to decrease fashion waste and pollution.
By Kaylee Kalaf, Contributing Writer On Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., the Extra Theatre Company presented 1 in 3: a staged presentation of true abortion stories from women across the US, directed by Grace Bolton. Abortion is a socially charged topic and can be triggering. However, the production presented the facts and the importance of the often-traumatic experiences in a way that focused less on the political aspect, though the liberal lens was still present. The stage was converted to a courtroom and the actresses would attempt to explain and validate her decision to a jury. There were many trigger warnings prior to the show and the actress would flip an orange cloth over the
front of the podium prior to scenes containing triggering topics such as sexual assault, eating disorders, domestic abuse, miscarriages, drug addiction or suicide. Overall, the presentation of women’s reasons for abortions covered the most debated and referenced reasons in the abortion and reproductive justice debate and did so accurately. The information was presented as it would be in court cases which was essential in the tone of the production, well done all. NARAL Pro-Choice America (the National Association to Repeal Abortion Laws) supported the performance. Around one third of the audience was male and in their late teens
and early twenties. Some were accompanying their girlfriends and others came on their own accord; this could have been because NARAL sponsored the performance, but, regardless, having a more diverse audience changed the atmosphere to be an appropriate dose of uncomfortableness. Photo credit to Anna Phillips, assistant director More male presence to the men not having to have or need in the audience for this production an abortion for themselves, which added a tension between the gencreated a power dynamic because the dered understanding of abortion to the already present differing political issue was less personal for the male audience members. views and stances. The heightened sense of uncomfortableness was due
Fall Choral Concert: Enjoyable Academic and Cultural Credit By Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor
In Jones Chapel on Sunday Oct. 6, all of Meredith’s vocal ensembles performed various songs selected to match the Arts and Humanities theme of the semester: activism. All ensemble performances by Meredith students count as Academic and Cultural events and occur twice every semester. This is a most enjoyable way to gain academic and cultural credits while supporting student performers. The three performing ensembles were Chorus, Encore! and Chorale. Made up of music majors
and non-musical majors alike, the three provide students with different singing opportunities. Chorus is the group that tends to require the least amount of outside class time and is, according to Choral Director Shannon Gravelle, “the heart of the vocal ensembles.” Encore! is Meredith’s vocal jazz group that works with early music and deals more with body percussion which results in a bit of a show-choir vibe. All the performers in Encore! sing across the vocal range; one is never just an alto or
only a soprano. Chorale is the most well-known of the vocal ensembles as it is the group that deals with the most technically complicated music and tours over the summer and during some semesters. The majority of songs performed at this concert were acapella, meaning it was purely vocals without any musical accompaniment. The songs that did have accompaniment were accompanied by a piano, played by Ms. Catherine Hamner. All of the pieces were per-
formed remarkably well, with an even balance of sound between all the altos and sopranos. At no point was the piano loud enough to overtake the vocals and all the high notes were hit without a screechy, strained quality. Overall, the performance was great and it was a privilege to be present for those students’ midterm (especially because a few students won’t be returning next semester to sing in the Chapel).
second empire drawing room with three awkwardly placed couches (Estelle complains about the couches). I noted that one of the couches belongs to Jones Chapel and I had been wondering where it went. I look forward to identifying other borrowed furniture in future productions (Shall we play a game?). The costuming was not particularly indicative of any time period, as they all appeared relatively modern, save for the Valet’s costume (that reminded me of Miss Marple’s At Bertram Hotel) which looked overthe-top compared to the others’ costumes. Still, this apparent dichotomy of costuming worked as the three are normal people and the Valet is, apparently, a denizen of hell.
Overall, the acting was very believable. Everything flowed smoothly until Garcin made an aggressive pass at Estelle in order to rile up Inez. As soon as the aggressive breast fondling began, I promptly started worrying about the actress playing Estelle. Doubtless, the actions were planned out and discussed at length to ensure everyone was comfortable with the scene; regardless I was thrown from my immersion by my worry for the actress’s wellbeing. This happened once more, when Estelle comes onto Garcin and straddles him on the couch while trying to kiss him. I was in disbelief that such actions happened on stage and,
No Exit: Truth or a Lie? By Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor
No Exit, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, focuses on existential questions through the interactions of only four characters (Garcin, Inez, Estelle, and the Valet) while they are in hell. No Exit constructs hell as a place without torture devices and hellfire. Rather, the tourture of the denizens comes from the actions and words of the other souls condemned to hell. Locking people up in a room in which time never changes and they have to deal with each other will undoubtedly lead to some terrible words and actions. In the play, everything boils down to each person holding something valuable just out of reach of the others. Garcin views himself as a coward and can’t handle his own
self-damning thoughts. He desires for someone who can understand him but doesn’t condemn him. Inez is a woman who can understand Garcin but refuses to condon him. Inez desires a partner and Estelle is the one who can be that partner. Unfortunately, Estelle believes in heteronormativity to an extreme and only wants dealings with the male who, in her mind, must have the answer. But that’s all Estelle wants from Garcin: an answer and physical comfort. She can’t care less about his moral failings. Thus, the three are caught in a never-ending, torturous loop wherein what they desire from other people is denied to them while remaining just in sight. The set was comprised of a
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Attractivism, cont. from page 1... internet joke about raiding Area 51, activists and celebrities jumped onto Snapchat and other social media platforms to promote a similar raid of what users are calling ICE “concentration camps,” the facilities where undocumented immigrants are being held. While people did go to the outskirts of Area 51, no major news has come about storming ICE detention centers. It raises the question of how effective attractivism actually is in solving the problems it wants to solve. While it may have been a great way of raising awareness for the ICE detention centers, there was no action. Attention with no effect
seems to be a prevailing theme for attractivism. Numerous politicians have run on campaigns surrounding positivity, forward-thinking and their young perspective. While this was a successful campaign strategy for politicians like former U.S. President Barack Obama and current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, these leaders have received criticism for not being quite as forward-thinking as their promises. The one big plus for these politicians, aside from raising awareness or making substantial progress, has been their public image. Many have forgotten Obama’s failures in foreign military crisis and his poor immigration policies due to his charismatic and positive
approach to politics being so refreshing. It is also easier to praise Obama’s performance in the office compared to his less-charismatic successor. Currently, Trudeau is starting to feel the heat from Canadians demanding genuine progress. Japan’s new environment minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, emphasizes that the fight against climate change has to be “fun,” “cool” and “sexy.” Koizumi is widely popular in his home country for being charismatic and convincing, but Japan’s lack of presence at the UN climate change summit, in addition to the country’s plans for more coal power plants, puts Koizumi’s words at odds with the direction the nation is taking. Attractivism seems to be
working when one looks at only the appearances and hashtags, but there is a lack of depth to it. Critics of activist movements have begun to turn away from protests and speeches, saying that activists should be more polite and less demanding like the attractivists. While attractivism does not appear to accomplish its own goals, typical activism is losing ground as politics favor the form of activism that doesn’t contradict politicians’ agendas. Activists now have to pick between hashtags and protests. Choosing hashtags lessens the likelihood of change, but choosing protests paints a target on oneself. Moving forward, changing the status quo may need a new look.
No Exit, cont. from page 3... again, was worried for the actors beneath the characters (this time aimed at Garcin). Even in acting, wouldn’t having a person refuse to back off be harmful to one’s mental well-being? I was later purely disgusted when Garcin and Estelle start trying to have sex on the couch (which may well have been the point). Poor Inez had to suf-
fer watching heterosexual foreplay and desperately tries to stop it for her own mental wellbeing. In all of these surprisingly sexual scenes, it is clear that other people’s interactions and behavior can easily be labeled as hellish. Bracketing the stage were a collection of TVs, both old bulky ones and sleek new ones, which
provided the audience with views of what the characters were seeing as they peer into the world of the living and with views of the characters’ faces at times when their expressions tells the audience more about them than their words and/or actions do. Therefore, this production of a 1944 play had a decidedly modern facelift. Written by Jean-Paul Sar-
tre, No Exit was directed by Steven Roten and produced by the Meredith Ensemble Theatre with MacKenzie Ulibarri, Emily Johns and Micheal Allen aiding work on pre-production. The Valet was played by Laura Corum, Garcin was played by Matthew Hager, Inez was played by Anna Phillips and Estelle was played by Gracie Glenn.
BILINGUAL TECHNICAL PUBLICATION WRITER/TRANSLATOR WANTED
(English and Latin American Spanish)
Check our social later this week for the answers!
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Review, standardize and translate all NAPPO correspondence, agendas, Expert Group assignments, reports, newsletters, and NAPPO documents including regional standards, decision documents, science and technology documents, position documents, protocol and treatment documents in English and Spanish to ensure phytosanitary language is used. Maintain detailed records and files of work and revisions made to NAPPO correspondence, agendas, expert group assignments, reports, newsletters and all NAPPO technical documents mentioned above. Develop and constantly update a NAPPO lexicon of English and Spanish equivalent terms used in plant protection. Interview and consult regulatory and scientific personnel and read journals related to international plant health and scientific issues in both languages. Facilitate communication among scientific experts in either language. Assist in preparing materials for publication in either language. Hours: Monday- Friday: 9-5 pm. Reliable transportation and current driver’s license needed to attend meetings. Requires overnight and out of country travel approximately four times per year for up to five days for each trip. Requires fluency in speaking, reading and writing Latin American Spanish. Must have a Bachelor’s degree in English or other relevant Language Arts. Employer is NORTH AMERICAN PLANT PROTECTION ORGANIZATION (NAPPO) located at 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 145, Raleigh, NC 27606. Apply by emailing resume to: Dr. Stephanie Bloem at: stephanie.bloem@nappo.org
STAFF
Mimi Mays, Editor in Chief. Savi Swiggard, Associate Editor. Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor. Emma Fry, News Editor. Olivia Slack, Online Editor. Copy Editors: Amelia Bryant, Sofia Mazzola. Staff Writers: Hannah Brittain-Du Bois, Hannah Davis Johns, Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Ell Shelp-Peck, Rachel Van Horne, Katelyn Wiszowaty. Contributing Writers: Angela Cowo, Hannah Flood, Alyssa Irons, Kaylee Kalaf, Sarah Karboski, Karli Keller, Lena Pedlikin.