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September 25, 2019
Historic Conversations with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg By Rachel Van Horne, Staff Writer, and Mimi Mays, EiC At the Lillian Parker Wallace Lecture on Sept. 23, 2019, Meredith College welcomed one of the most influential and controversial figures of our time to its stage at Meymandi Concert Hall: the 107th Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Justice Ginsburg has
been breaking barriers for women and men alike for decades. She was nominated to the US Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in June of 1993, and, after being confirmed by the US Senate with only three votes against her, became the second-ever female Supreme Court justice. Meredith alumna Anne...
Find full coverage of “A Conversation with RBG” on page 3... Photo credits: Bemi Wayland (above), Mimi Mays (below)
A POP OF CULTURE Speak-Out: RGB and Pop-culture column by Staff Writer Constitution Day Hannah Davis Johns By Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor
Small but Biggie:
In the last decade, Ruth Bader Ginsberg has become a popculture icon in addition to remaining a judicial powerhouse. She’s embraced a particular nickname, based on rapper Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.): Notorious RBG. This little Jewish granny has proven that she may be small in stature, but her influence is Biggie.
This semester, in celebration of Constitution Day, there was a live reading with a Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RGB) theme hosted by Meredith’s History Department at the Free Expression Boards between Joyner, Vann and the library. The pieces read for this event ranged from the Declaration of Independence to Justice Ginsburg’s Acceptance Address to various judges’ dissents to the Mexican Constitution.
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are professors of political science and are the Director and Assistant Director, respectively, of the Meredith Poll. They are both passionate about the impact the Poll can have on students’ skills and their success, not only at Meredith but onward into their future careers. Students working at the Poll
learn about statistical topics like sample size and margin of error, and they gain an overall greater understanding of public issues. The Poll stands alone in its unique characteristic of being the only North Carolina-based survey to focus on issues directly affecting women, and due to the support of the campus’ students
and staff, Meredith College has now gathered valuable data since the first Poll was conducted in February 2015. The topic then was how North Carolina residents felt about women being in leadership roles like political office and in entrepreneurship. Dr. Manzo, the Assistant Di-
RBG Screening and Food Truck Eating
10 Things Everybody Definitely Did In Line
How RBG Became Notorious
All Eager Citizens Welcome: Meredith’s Hidden Gem for Community Perspective By Emma Fry, News Editor
The Meredith Poll began its inquiries in the spring of 2015 as a way to encourage people across campus to engage with their communities and develop a wider scope of the different perspectives relevant in their local areas—often putting a focus on women’s issues. Dr. David McLennan and Dr. Whitney Manzo
Also Inside
All things RBG! NEWS
South Sudan Lecture Soccer vs. Washington & Lee A&E Getting to Know Lucky Tree Durham Pride Festival No Exit Opens CLASSIFIEDS Job Opportunities Seeking Cartoonist WURC and English Week Weekend Events OPINIONS Childhood Cancer Awareness
By Katelyn Wiszowaty, Staff Writer
On Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, Meredith College hosted a screening of RBG, the documentary, at the McIver Amphitheater for Meredith students, staff, alumnae and guests. With RBG’s visit to campus being right around the corner, this was a perfect way to get everyone excited, as well as educate them on her life and the court system. The documentary covered everything from RBG’s personal life and accomplishments to the substantial effort she put toward fighting for gender equality in the United States. There were several moments when the film evoked laughter and cheers from the audience in response to Ginsburg’s remarks and accomplishments. The audience also learned about her hardships, including how Continue reading on page 5...
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By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer
On Sept. 23, Justice Ginsburg visited campus for an exclusive question/answer session. That event started at 3:30 p.m. in Jones Auditorium, but tickets were handed out on a first-come, first-served basis at the Cate Center starting at 10 a.m. Waiting for RBG to arrive on campus and sitting in line for tickets is Meredith’s version of tailgating. 1. Start a long game of telephone about the shade of grey of RBG’s hair, and see how twisted the final answer becomes. 2. Create a short skit, as if Disney made an RBG movie, and perform it in the aisles before the event. 3. Use a bonfire to roast s’mores at 6 a.m. in front of the Cate Center while waiting for it to open for tickets. Read all ten things on page 4...
Students in line to receive tickets to the 3:30 Q&A. Photo courtesy of Dr. Garry Walton.
News
Meredith Alumna Educates Meredith Community on Her Work in South Sudan By Rachel Van Horne, Staff Writer On Wednesday Sept. 17, 2019, Meredith alumna Dr. Susan Montgomery opened her lecture, “Healing Trauma in South Sudan,” with this quote by Emtithal Mahmoud: “When your existence is in an act of defiance, live.” Her lecture was a discussion of her time as a counselor working with different trauma groups in Sudan. South Sudan became an independent nation in 2011; however, the people of South Sudan are nowhere near free. With over 50 distinct ethnic groups residing in South Sudan, and with different religious beliefs, access to weapons and scarce resources, violence has become a prevalent issue. The United Nations estimates that due to the violence, four million people have been driven from their homes and have become refugees in neighboring countries
or reside in Internal Displacement Camps. Life in South Sudan is especially harrowing if you are a woman. In South Sudan, rape is used as a weapon of war among different tribes. By raping a woman from an opposing tribe, you have soiled not only her, but also the honor of her tribe. Women are expected to marry young; 20 percent of girls under the age of 15 are married in South Sudan. Women are often subjected to abuse and neglect by their partners. Younger women are often married to wealthy older men who have enough cattle to pay the bride price. Many people in South Sudan don’t believe that rape is possible within a marraige, which leaves many women helpless from their abusers. Dr. Montgomery was first inspired to take action in 2006 after
she watched the movie Hotel Rwanda and read the book They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky by Benson Deng. Dr. Montgomery earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Meredith College in 1969. During her visits to South Sudan, Dr. Montgomery and her group held sessions that used the Morning Star Curriculum for Mental Health. According to Dr. Montgomery, “Trauma is an overwhelming experience that impairs your ability to function,” and she stated that “25 to 35 percent of South Sudanese people would reach the requirements for a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder.” The program material provides information to peer support groups as well as trauma awareness for health providers. It also discusses the various issues that cause trauma, such as poverty, bride price, gender, health and lack of education.
In an interview with Dr. Montgomery, she stated, “My time at Meredith College prepared me for my time in South Sudan by giving me the ability to focus on how things came to be the way they are, and history courses helped me to understand compassion and think about how other people are, and encouraged me to think things through many different perspectives.” Her favorite memory of her time in South Sudan was a Saturday morning when she was able to watch people go down to the Nile to do their laundry. This is her favorite due to the importance of being able to look into another culture and experience it. When asked what advice she would like to give other Meredith women on pursuing their goals she said “You can do this too; find your passion and follow it. See where it takes you.”
Mural of RBG Unveiled in DC By Lena Pedlikin, Contributing Writer As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg prepared to head for Meredith College, a brand-new two-story mural was unveiled of her in Washington, DC. The mural was unveiled on historic U Street, near the corner of 15th street, in Washington DC on Aug. 16. The mural depicts Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, smiling in her court robes and wearing a decorative collar, surrounded by birds. The birds represent the future activists who will follow in Justice Ginsburg’s legacy. It is the first sanctioned mural of Justice Ginsberg. The mural was painted by local DC artist Rose Jaffe.
The mural took ten days to complete. Justice Ginsburg’s face, hands, and collar were painted separately onto wooden paneling, and then affixed to the wall. Jaffe made this artistic decision as she felt that she could not accurately depict Justice Ginsburg’s face onto brick. “So humbled to create this public art piece honoring the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg,” Jaffe stated on her Instagram profile. “She has paved the way for modern-day women’s rights in this country through much trial and tribulation. She is an icon of elegance, grace, power and leadership.” It was commissioned from Jaffe by
Avenging Angels vs. Washington & Lee By Lilly R. Wood, A&E Editor
On Sept. 21, the Meredith Avenging Angels soccer team faced Washington & Lee. The final score: 5 to 0 in favor of W&L. As a non-conference game, this gives the Avenging Angels a total of seven losses this season and one win. All five goals were
scored in the first half of the game. The Avenging Angels had a strong defense and powerful kicks (once the ball flew over the fence and halfway up the hill!). The W&L Generals had more speed and managed to steal the ball from Meredith many times. The Avenging Angels managed a total of 13 saves with three fouls while the Generals had two saves and 12 fouls. On Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., the
good reputation is beneficial for all of us.” The Poll also allows students to directly participate in the Poll’s efforts by initiating their involvement in the creation of specialized questions for the surveys. Students are also paid for their work at the Poll and lend their support by analyzing the data that the Poll recieves back from surveys and spreading the word about the survey’s results to their fellow students and Meredith community. How can Meredith students
participate in such a valuable learning experience? Even if they may be focused in areas far from statisticsrelated majors, Dr. Manzo says that “students from all kinds of majors serve as callers. The majority of students who help write questions and analyze the data are Political Science majors, but any student on Meredith’s campus can participate; for example, a couple of years ago a Psychology major wrote her senior thesis from questions she asked on the Poll. The skills gained are public opinion
Photo courtesy of Meredith Athletics
The Meredith Poll
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rector of the Poll, had several helpful pieces of advice to contemplate when considering a position with the Poll: “Whenever Poll results are released, we usually get mentions in media from all over the state and sometimes even nationally, which increases the profile of Meredith College. This is good for students because a) they know they helped build Meredith’s brand, and b) Meredith having a
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Flock DC, an umbrella company that runs three real estate and lifestyle businesses in the DC area. Flock DC is a female led company, which is what inspired the mural of Justice Ginsburg. CNN reports that Lisa Wise, the CEO of Flock DC, is a feminist and supports social justice art throughout the city. Wise has stated the Justice Ginsburg has inspired her to help those around her and she hopes the mural helps inspire others. Justice Ginsberg’s trip to Meredith was just one of many recent ways in which she’s made her mark on our country.
Photo courtesy of Lena Pedlikin
Meredith Angels will face the Guilford Quakers here on campus. The first conference game will be Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. against Salem College. Come out to show the Avenging Angels your support! For more information, visit https://www.goavengingangels.com/ sports/wsoc/index.
surveying, how to be a cold caller, which is useful for customer service work, and quantitative analysis skills, which are useful for any number of jobs. If a student has a great idea about questions to ask, come talk to Dr. McLennan or myself! We want the whole Meredith community to be involved in this important work.” No matter what major or area of expertise an individual may come from, the directors of the Poll believe this organization can provide relevant experience and communication skills to any student.
RBG
A POP OF CULTURE Historic Conversations with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pop-culture column by Staff Writer Hannah Davis Johns
Small but Biggie:
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The moniker began when New York University law student Shana Knizhnik created a Tumblr account dedicated to highlighting Ginsberg’s dissent in the landmark Shelby County v. Holder case. While she has also been called the Thurgood Marshall of feminism, she stated in a 2017 interview that this comparison isn’t apt; her comparison to B.I.G. however, seems all too natural to her because they were both “born and bred in Brooklyn, New York.” The moniker took off on Twitter and helped to introduce RBG to the millennial generation. Knizhnik has gone on to become a lawyer and the New York Times best-selling author of Notorious RBG.: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Knizhnik has also continued her Tumblr account and expanded the content to not only include Justice Ginsberg’s Supreme Court career, but also fan art, merchandise, and insight into her famous collars. In addition to Knizhnik, Ruth Bader Ginsberg has cultivated a legion of other fans, one significant fan being the Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon. In 2016, Mckinnon began impersonating Justice Ginsberg and quickly coined the catchphrase “That’s a Gins-Burn” to describe zingers she throws at the Weekend Update hosts. In January 2018 during an interview at the Sundance Film Festival, Justice Ginsberg joked about stealing some of McKinnon’s lines and even using “GinsBurn” on her colleagues. In her documentary, The Notorious RBG, Ginsberg is seen watching McKinnon’s impression and commenting how marvelously funny McKinnon is. The internet blew up in August of this year when Justice Ginsberg and McKinnon met for the first time, by accident, at an off-broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. In the last decade, Ruth Bader Ginsberg has been set apart as not only a political icon but a pop culture icon as well. Her pop culture influence is not only deserved but has helped to draw young people into deeper conversations about politics, feminism and social justice. Over the past few years, Ginsberg has had several health scares, and social media has reacted in droves, with a number of well wishes that could top that of any A-List celebrity and making #ProtectGinsperg go viral. Some fans going as far as tweeting things like, “If Ruth Bader Ginsburg needs any of my bones or
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Bryan, whose graduating class founded the Wallace Lecture Endowment, was the first at the podium to introduce the event. Meredith College President Jo Allen then acknowledged Justice Ginsburg as the recipient of the cerimonial Meredith College Woman of Achievement Award, and proceeded to welcome the justice to stage. RBG was interviewed by Suzanne Reynolds, a class of 1971 alumna and former dean of Wake Forest University School of Law. One of Justice Ginsburg’s messages was the importance of seeing more women on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg has been quoted as saying that there will be enough women on the Supreme Court “when there are nine.” Her defense of this quote is that there have been nine men sitting on the Supreme Court, and no one seemed to bat an eye, so why would having nine women be any different? Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan now sit on the bench to help bring Justice Ginsburg closer to an all-women reality. These three
women on the Supreme Court make up one third of the nine seats. Justice Ginsburg calls Sotomayor and Kagan her “sisters in-law” and is pleased that they are there to stay. Justice Ginsburg received two important pieces of advice from her mother, Cecila Ginsburg: “Be independent, and be a lady.” Justice Ginsburg explained that being independent meant it was okay if she found ‘prince charming,’ but she needed to know how to fend for herself. Being a lady meant that she shouldn’t waste time on emotions that would not get her anywhere. Justice Ginsburg took this advice to heard during the 1970s when she brought six cases concerning gender discrimination before the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg likened herself to “a kindergarten teacher” because, at the time, the sitting Supreme Court Justices didn’t believe sex-based discrimination existed. Ginsburg went on to win five out of the six cases she brought in front of the Supreme Court. However, she saw these victories as only small triumphs on the long path to ending sex based discrimination for all.
Justice Ginsburg restated to the audience the advice she’d given Meredith College students earlier that afternoon: “Do something that is outside yourself, something that will make things better in your community for people less fortunate than you are, things that will bring people together instead of dividing them.” She mentioned that if you have something you are truly passionate about or have talent for, you should use that gift for the betterment of our society, whether it be your passion for saving the environment or continuing the fight against remaining discrimination, for example. Justice Ginsburg has spent 26 years years on the Supreme Court, and she shows no signs of slowing down. She didn’t lose momentum on her journey through law school in the 1950s, nor while raising her children, helping her husband Marty Ginsburg as he battled testicular cancer or her later battles with cancer herself in 1999 and 2009. Despite battling cancer twice, Justice Ginsburg is still physically active as well as mentally. She and her personal trainer, Bryant Johnson, have been training together since her first battle with pancreatic cancer in 1999. The Lillian Parker Wallace Lecture “A Conversation With Ruth Bader Ginsburg” was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that delivered a historic and memorable message to the Meredith College community. To students at a place where women are encouraged to “Go Strong,” Justice Ginsburg has proven what can happen when someone seeks change and fights for what they believe is right.
From right to left: Anne Bryant, Dr. Jo Allen and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, under the watchful eye of a US Marshal. Photo by Bemi Wayland
internal organs, I don’t need mine?” or roping in the Harry Potter fandom by pleading with J.K. Rowling for a protection spell. The further RBG’s influence reaches, the more invested young people are becoming in our judicial system. When asked during the on campus Q&A Monday, Ginsberg was asked what parts of celebrity does she dislike Justice Ginsberg sentiment was at 86 years old, everyone wants to take a picture with her and what’s not to like about that. With an ever-growing reach, this five-foot-one Jewish grandma from Brooklyn is continuing to prove that she may be small in stature but that her power is notoriously Biggie.
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The weight of the subject matter coupled with the speakers’ passion created an enjoyable and educational experience. Dr. Whitney Manzo, assistant professor of political science, read out a Ginsburg quote: “When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say ‘When there are nine,’ people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” Last to read was the organizer of the event, Dr. Jeff Martinson. He read selections from Ginsburg’s Supreme Court Jus-
tice Nomination Acceptance Address. Marketed as a RBG event, only two of the seven readings had direct ties to the Supreme Court Justice visiting Meredith College. Every year, as ordered by Federal Law, Meredith College must hold an event that deals with the United States of America’s Constitution. Explained by the US Department of Education, recipients of federal funding must “hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students.” It was Meredith’s decision to also include free coffee, tea and donuts.
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10 Things Everybody Definitely Did In Line
Continued from page 1... 4. Borrow a random friend’s tent and set up a tailgate using their truck in the library parking lot, including the grill and the mindless throwing of a football. 5. Call up the local animal shelter and get them to hold an adoption event along the line, and come up with politically charged names for all of the puppies and kittens. 6. Contact a parental unit and get them to order Insomnia Cookies for the entire line (The Meredith Herald is not sponsored by Insomnia Cookies). 7. Create a giant braid train, because why not? Girl power. 8. Work on bedazzling your own dissent collar to wear if you are not granted a seat in the auditorium and need to express your dissenting opinion. 9. Crochet a blanket with RBG’s face on it to present to her during open question time. 10. Sit in a camp chair and actually do the work that would have gotten done if classes were being held.
Left: seating voucher paperwork and hand stamp. Center: students queued to enter Jones Auditorium. Top right: students queued to get seating vouchers. Bottom right: faculty and staff excitedly receiving extra Q&A tickets. Photos courtesy of Dr. Garry Walton
Fight For Your Rights: Impactful RBG Cases By Karli Keller, Contributing Writer As a petite young mother coming up in the 1950s, few would have expected Ruth Bader Ginsburg to excel in the legal field. However, armed with a solid work ethic and a sharp mind, she earned a seat on the nation’s highest court. Along the way, she presented, argued and decided on many impactful cases. As a lawyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued a myriad of cases before the Supreme Court. While working with the ACLU, Justice Ginsburg served on behalf of Sharron Frontiero for Frontiero v. Richardson (1973). Lieutenant Frontiero sought dependent benefits (medical coverage, housing allowance) for her husband; however, these benefits were denied by the US Air Force. Husbands did not qualify
as dependents even if, as Ginsburg stated in her oral argument, “she supplies over two thirds the support of the marital unit.” The Supreme Court found 8-1 in favor of Frontiero. In Califano v. Goldfarb (1973), Leon Goldfarb was a widower seeking survivor’s benefits under the Social Security Act. He was denied because his wife was not supplying 50 percent of their income when she died. Ruth Bader Ginsburg successfully argued that, since there was no such restrictions placed on widows, it was a violation of Mr. Goldfarb’s rights. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of Goldfarb. Once on the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg offered decisions on ground-breaking cases. Arguably, two of the most impactful, particu-
larly for women’s rights, have been United States v. Virginia (1996) and Ledbetter v. Goodyear (2007). The Virginia Military Institute was the only exclusively male public undergraduate institution left in the country. In their argument, Virginia stated that they would open a separate institute for women. Justice Ginsburg delivered the majority opinion, stating that a separate institution still violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Lilly Ledbetter was employed by Goodyear for 19 years. During that time, she was promoted to area manager; however, she discovered she was being paid significantly less than men doing the exact same job. Goodyear answered her suit by
claiming this pay difference was not discriminatory. The Supreme Court sided with Goodyear. In an unusual and bold move, Justice Ginsburg read her dissent from the bench. Dissents are generally written, filed with a clerk and never made public. Such a public divergence from the majority was a call to action. This lead to the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. These cases highlight a career spent fighting gender discrimination, which makes RBG’s visit to Meredith entirely fitting. As we anticipate her visit, we’re reminded that we are the next generation of RBGs as we continue the fight for our rights.
fered from broken ribs. In November of 2018, she fell again and fractured three of her ribs. While at the hospital, her doctors discovered and removed two cancerous lesions from Justice Ginsburg’s left lung. In 1999, Justice Ginsburg was diagnosed with colon cancer. After going into the doctor for an unrelated issue, the cancer was discovered in the second of four stages. After treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, she continued on.
Justice Ginsburg was 66 at the time. Despite these obstacles, she has never missed a day of work, even voting from her hospital bed when needed. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is admired for her feminism, her ability to grow into being a pop culture icon, and we must not forget, her ability to overcome any health battle that has come her way.
The Invincible Ruth Bader Ginsburg By Sarah Karboski, Contributing Writer Ruth Bader Ginsburg has not only overcome the challenges of being the second-ever female Supreme Court justice, but also extreme health issues. Over the last twenty years, Justice Ginsburg has suffered through multiple falls in her home, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. Over the summer of 2019, Ginsburg had radiation treatment for a pancreatic tumor. After this treatment, a note from the Supreme Court said that “there is no evidence
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of disease anywhere else in the body.” Ten years prior, in 2009, she went through treatment for pancreatic cancer. At the time, a cure was extremely rare, but doctors detected her cancer in time to remove it through surgery. The American Cancer Society says that only about 9% of patients die from pancreatic cancer. Justice Ginsburg has overcome this cancer not once, but twice. Justice Ginsburg fell in her home in both 2012 and 2013 and suf-
RBG
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Lineage of Activism in the Lilian Parker Wallace Lecture By Kaylee Kalaf, Contributing Writer Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the eighth Lillian Parker Wallace lecturer and she, like the preceding seven, are all known for being activists for social change. The Lillian Parker Wallace Lecture (LPWL) was established by the class of 1971 in honor of Dr. Lillian Parker Wallace who served as a history professor at Meredith for 41 years. Since 1973, these lectures have inspired students and the Meredith community to become more effective leaders, thinkers and activists. So, what have the past LPW lecturers been passionate about and how have they strengthened the resolve of Meredith College students? The first Lillian Parker Wallace lecturer was the Right Honorable Sir Harold Wilson, former Prime Minister of Great Britain about “The Transatlantic Connection from Winston Churchill to Today” in 1978. The next Lillian Parker Wallace Lecture featured former president Jimmy
Carter on the topic of “America: A Champion of Peace?” The fourth LPW lecturer was Elie Wiesel in 2003 on “Against Indifference: The Urgency of Hope.” He was the first man to receive an honorary doctorate from Meredith. These lectures
encourage students to utilize their applied knowledge and to question everything, even taboo topics. Since then, three female Nobel Peace Prize recipients have been Lillian Parker Wallace lecturers: Shirin Ebadi (2006), Wangari Maathai
(2009) and Jody Williams (2013). These women are engaged in direct activism: against armed conflict, and for sustainability and human rights. In 1991, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, delivered the third LPW lecture, titled “Women in the Constitution.” Now Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be added to the list of Lillian Parker Wallace Lecturers, and she, like O’Connor, gave her insight and experience about what it has been like to break these barriers for women and how her experience can help current students make strides in their future career paths. Pictured to the left is Anne Bryan, Class of 1971. She introduced the 2019 Lillian Parker Wallace lecture with a statement on its origins and goals as the lecture series welcomes RBG to its ranks.
Photograph courtesy of Bemi Wayland
If You Don’t Know, Now You Know: RBG Fast Facts By Alyssa Irons, Contributing Writer
President Bill Clinton appointed RBG to the US Supreme Court in 1993. Justice Ginsburg called Donald Trump a “faker” while he was running for president. She later apologized for the statement saying that it was unprofessional.
Photo courtesty of TIME magazine
During her time at Harvard, RBG balanced being a mother and taking care of her husband Martin, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Not only did Justice Ginsburg maintain her own studies, she also helped her husband keep up with his by taking notes for him and helping him complete assignments. RBG’s mother was a major influence on her: “My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent. After Martin finished his
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she fought through rough times as a law student, a wife, a mother and a female lawyer. Although there were times she was nervous or felt like she was educating men on sex discrimination, she never let anyone stop her from taking a stand. There are many reasons RBG is inspiring and important to young woman, and at the screening, Meredith students shared why they feel this way. Priyanka Rai, Class of 2023, explained that she finds RBG inspiring because she is an independent and strong woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself
and others. Something else that the documentary showcased well was Ginsburg’s friendship with the late Justice Scalia. Madison Parker, Class of 2022, admires RBG for this because even though “there are two sides to everything, she didn’t let that stop her from forming relationships within her political career.” Meredith students also agree that learning about RBG and the United States justice system is valuable to our generation. Whitney Pepper, Class of 2020, explained that it is “incredibly important to recognize a role model like RBG” because the justice system “has not always
time in the military, the two enrolled in Harvard. There RBG faced criticism for being a female in law school. There were only nine females out of the five hundred students enrolled. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15th, 1933 to a low-income family in Brooklyn, New York. RBG graduated at the top of her class from Cornell University. The same year RBG graduated from Cornell, 1954, she married Martin D. Ginsburg. She said Ginsburg was “the only young man I dated who cared that I had a brain.” They were married for 56 years.
with her husband where he accepted a position at a law firm. RBG finished her studies at Columbia Law School where she graduated first in her class for the second time. Later she became the school’s first female tenured professor. President Jimmy Carter appointed RBG to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1980. My Own Words, a book RBG wrote about her life and beliefs, is a New York Times Best Seller.
RBG loves the impression Kate McKinnon does of her on SNL. Justice Ginsburg moved to New York
been in favor of protecting women and civil rights.” Bringing everyone together to watch the documentary and learn about RBG as a community on campus was also impactful, and Talia Leiopold, Class of 2023, commented on how amazing it was to see Meredith students, staff and alumnae gather for this event. An excited Corinne Zibell, Class of 2023, also commented on the welcoming atmosphere, saying, “I just love how we’re all out here with blankets and food together.” It seems fitting to say that screening the RBG documentary as a family was the best way we could have kicked off the RBG events. The amphitheatre filled up
quickly as the sun began to set, and everyone settled in with lawn chairs, blankets, good food and friends. Before the screening began, Dr. Rebecca Duncan graciously recognized and awarded the five Meredith students who won the RBG essay contest, and she shared a few memorable quotes from their essays. Then the RBG t-shirts made an appearance, and students were eager to catch them as they were launched into the audience. The t-shirts were made to resemble the black robes the Supreme Court justices wear with a design of Justice Ginsburg’s iconic white detailed collar near the neckline. As the outdoor lights dimmed and the chatter dwindled, the film began.
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Classifieds
The Meredith Herald allows for the submission of classified ads, advertisements classified in certain catergories and published within the Herald. Classified rates are $5.00 for Meredith students, student organizations, and alumnae (25 words). $10.00 for non-affiliated individuals (25 words). Classified ads are 50 words maximum. $0.10 will be charged for each additional word over 25. Bolding, underlining or italicizing a word is $0.20 per word. Email TheMeredithHerald@gmail.com for more details
BILINGUAL TECHNICAL PUBLICATION WRITER/TRANSLATOR
CARTOONIST The Meredith Herald is looking for a new cartoonist to join staff. All are welcome to apply; send your comic concepts and examples of your work to email listed above.
30 . SEP . 5 @ T OC edith r Me llege Co
(English and Latin American Spanish)
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
W . U . R . C Women in Undergraduate Research Conference WEEK
Abstract Writing Workshop
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 10- 10:50 AM, HARRIS 104 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 4- 6 PM, CATE-PARK ALCOVE
Resume/CV Writing Workshop
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 10- 10:50 AM, HARRIS 214
Research PanelHow to Get Involved
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 5:30- 7 PM, LEDFORD 101
Research Slam
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 3- 4:30 PM, LEDFORD 101 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 9:30- 4:15 PM, CATE CENTER
For more information: contact meredithscur@gmail.com or visit https://sites.google.com/view/mcurp/w-u-r-c
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Monday Sept. 30 - Friday Oct. 4 Monday: Game Night
5:30-7:30
Joyner Lounge
Tuesday: Literary Selfies
9-4
Joyner Patio
Wednesday: Network with Alums
10-11
Library basement
Thursday: Poetry Slam and Lit Live
Lab/Studio Crawl
W.U.R.C. Conference
English Week
3-4:30
Lucky Tree
Friday: Declare Your Major with Dr. Fine
9-3
Joyner 108
Arts & Entertainment
We All Know Lucky Tree, But How Well? By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer Lucky Tree is the locally owned coffee shop and art gallery across Hillsborough St. from Meredith College. It is a regular hangout spot for NC State and Meredith students alike, but how well do patrons know its origin and history? Not as well as they could. The shop was opened four years ago by twin sisters, Amanda and Ashley Faries. The sisters are locals who were raised in Durham, which is just 25 minutes down the road. When asked about how the idea for Lucky Tree came about, the sisters referred to it as their “inner desire.” They were raised in a crafty and resourceful environment that bred creativity and drive. Lucky Tree is much more than just a coffee shop. The sisters have built a solar powered bean roasting station in their backyard, so on a sunny day your coffee is roasted by nature herself. The baristas bake everything that is seen in the case, including the oatmeals, and also make all of the syrups throughout the day. However, the truly amazing part of Lucky Tree coffee is that it comes directly from a farmer in Honduras that the sisters are in contact with.
Photograph courtesy of Dave Bryant
Not only is it fair trade, but it emphasizes Lucky Tree’s family atmosphere. Lucky Tree is ever-evolving and has definitely expanded from when they hired their first employee Mahlet Hailemariam who said it has “grown tremendously.” Hailemariam went on to say how much Lucky Tree has meant to her; “I started working there during a transition period in my life. They were there for me when I needed them...offering their open arms in celebrating my successes.” She values the impact Lucky Tree’s
community had on her life and it is obvious that she is not the only one who feels this way. There are lots of regulars who became friends with the baristas and owners. The sisters wanted a maker’s space because they felt as though they had no space to showcase their unique art. Originally they had a tent at the Raleigh Flea Market and that space turned into their art gallery, Lucky Pie. They opened Lucky Pie in Cary in an attempt to create a space for artists who also felt similarly and to make contacts within the local art community. From there they built Lucky Tree from the roots up in their current store front. The twins described the experience of creating Lucky Tree as “Letting go and going where we felt lead.” Everything within the shop is detailed, purposeful and made to be uplifting, from the rope that holds Ginger the mannequin (from their childhood treehouse) to the handcrafted earrings made by the sisters. This was not an easy process though, it was originally a failed kickstarter. Then one of their friends told Ashley about a walked-out space whose previous owners had left a semi-usable espresso machine along with various scraps of material. This was how Lucky Pie Gallery turned into Lucky
Tree. The beautiful chandelier that hangs above the register was made from cups and coffee filters that the previous owner left behind. Everything was a project and the sisters worked day and night for months to create their shop. On the topic of how being women has affected their business, the two stated that they did not feel it has had a significant effect. Ashley said that it was interesting how many times a patron would come in and request to speak to the owner by using the pronoun “he.” She said that frequently she would just respond with “I’m sorry, HE isn’t here right now” as a way to joke with the customer. On a more serious note, the sisters do feel that the details they put into the space were made more prevalent because they are women. Examples of this include “the ambiance, the sound, the music, comfortable seating and plants.” All in all, Lucky Tree is special and it is not just because of how good the coffee is. The Faries twins are shown in the image provided: Amanda on the left, Ashley on the right.
Enter No Exit
By Savi Swiggard, Associate Editor
Photograph courtesy of today.duke.edu
NC Pride 2019
Opening on Sept. 25, Meredith College Theatre will be presenting its rendition of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. The show is a philosophical production about three individuals who despise one another confined in a space together. The play’s title is translated directly from its original French, Huis Clos, which refers to a private discus-
sion behind closed doors. Meredith’s production will be a high-tech spin on the original concept, including numerous cameras and video monitors to diversify the audience’s perspective. The production will go on at 7:30 p.m. from Sept. 25 until Sept. 28, and at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 29.
By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer On Saturday Sept. 28, North Carolina will hold its annual Pride Festival at Duke University’s East Campus in Durham. The event is allinclusive and therefore it is not only for members of the LGBTQ+ community, but also for allies. This year the parade will start at 11 a.m. on Main St. in Durham, and the festival itself will go from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Raleigh also has a Pride festival on the same day from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.; however, the state’s festival is located in Durham. The festival consists of a multitude of vendors with tents, food trucks and a magnificent parade that emphasizes inclusion. There are tents with items from clothes and
jewelry to voter registration information and The North Carolina Greyhound Rescue. It is a happy occasion and draws a large audience. People of all ages attend, bringing their friends, dogs, and children. According to Durham Pride’s official website, the event that spawned the tradition of the Pride festival and parade occurred in 1981 when a group of individuals was attacked at the Little River in Durham. One of the people who was attacked later ended up dying in the hospital and protests broke out in front of the hospital. Starting in 1986, demonstrations that morphed into Pride festivals became an annual occurrence. The current demonstrations include a festival and a parade.
Photograph courtesy of Meredith College Extra Theatre Company
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Opinion
I Was Only Worth 4%
By Hannah Brittain-Du Bois, Staff Writer
toma, a cancerous brain tumor. At that moment in time, all I was thinking was: I’m going to die. I am an only child to the most amazing parents and I didn’t even want to imagine the pain they would face. I was determined not to contribute to another sad statistic. St. Baldrick’s says that one in five children diagnosed with cancer will not make it, and more than 99% of child survivors have chronic health problems. After six weeks of radiation, five days a week and dueling chemotherapy, I had already lost all of my hair and stopped wanting to eat. I started losing weight at a drastic pace; that’s when the doctors really started to worry about me. I went on another couple of months fighting to keep my weight up but just couldn’t eat. Even when I did, I couldn’t keep it down. I had a feeding tube directly connected to my stomach to keep me alive because I was at 40 pounds after the first six months. I continued chemotherapy for another year. In that time, I had so many blood transfusions I can’t remember the exact number, and I learned that I was Image courtesy of allergic to platelets. If the chemointernationalchildhoodcancerday.org therapy they gave me twice a week
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM). The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) notes that cancer is the number one cause of death in children. Every year 15,300 children are diagnosed with cancer. Since the 1980s fewer than 10 cancer suppressing drugs have been approved for use on children. As it happens I am very familiar with these facts for, in one day, my life was turned upside down. On March 14, 2014, I was diagnosed with a Medulloblas-
touched my skin it would burn completely through it, and wasn’t that fun for my veins? My treatment continued to beat me down everyday and I ended up losing the only person I had communicated with throughout this whole process. He was diagnosed around the same time as me. His death hit me a lot harder than I thought it would. At that point, I shut myself off from the rest of the world. I didn’t want to watch another kid wither away as so many did in that office. After my cancer treatment, I had time to really think about how I could make an impact and be a voice for the children who no longer have theirs. I started lobbying for childhood cancer treatments. What I learned when I started broke my heart. The NPCF states that only 4% of the billions of dollars allocated for cancer research and treatment goes to fighting childhood cancer. Breast cancer alone gets more than 21% of the funding; that’s close to 6 times more than pediatric cancer receives. Since the 1980s, we have only had 5 drugs approved to be used on children while adults have hundreds that were created exclusively for
their use. Others have always asked me why it’s important to have a separate branch of study for children with cancer. Many don’t realize how harsh treatments affect children. For example, I have major balance issues, drop foot, hyperthyroidism and am unable to ever have children of my own. Saying I’m happy because I can’t have children is not a lie. I don’t think after seeing babies and young kids suffer, I could ever bring a child into this world knowing that I would not be able to stop this from happening to them. However, I am not out of the woods yet. After I finished cancer treatment I was advised by my doctors to have a double mastectomy. CureSearch states that about 60% of children that survive will have late effects of cancer treatment such as infertility, heart failure and secondary cancers. Children are dying everyday and we need to see the severity of the issue. I go GOLD for childhood cancer and I hope you will join me in this fight! The funding allocated to childhood cancer is only 4% of all available funds. I was only worth 4%.
Partaking in History or Preparing for the Future? By Angela Cowo, Contributing Writer This lecture by RBG will likely be the only one of its kind that students will get in their time at Meredith. The arts and humanities departments are gearing up for the visit, but STEM departments are having a different reaction. Some professors cancelled labs that were supposed to be held in the afternoon, yet there was a lack of formalized communication between STEM professors and students. Professors in humanities courses such as Journalism or Intro to PR shifted their lessons for the ticket distribution and events. Most Meredith faculty agree that the lecture is important. The issue arrives when the space in the curriculum for this historical event, just wasn’t made. We often hear that women in STEM fields are the future. While it is important to challenge male domination in
those fields, women as people do, have non-STEM interests as well. In 2011, Steve Jobs stressed the importance of liberal arts and humanities by saying “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing”. It’s clear that STEM and Humanities feed off of each other and Meredith does place a large emphasis on cross curricular interaction. Holding two events, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, gave students the option to try for one lecture when they couldn’t attend the other. The camcard system for reserving a ticket to the student Q&A also helped relieve some of the class skipping stress. But it’s about first come, first-served, and students in STEM have to choose between class and trying to witness a his-
torical event. It’s 2019; our society needs to stop pretending that only STEM is the future. We cannot leave our humanities educations
STAFF
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behind; it’s what makes us human in this ever so scientifically driven world.
Photograph courtesy of Dr. Garry Walton
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.