Welcome Back, Angels!
in this issue
NEWS The State of the State Kappa Nu Sigma Induction
Volunteering at Animal Shelters A&E Mary Poppins Review Art Exhibition OPINIONS Accessibility at Meredith Passion Conference Review
Make Way for the Avenging Angels By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer
The Meredith basketball team had a rough start to the season with many members of the team out with injuries and a small roster. Recently, however, the team has been on a winning streak that started on Dec. 15 with a win against Mary Baldwin. The team has since rallied to win more games, including wins against Salem, the other all-women’s college in the conference, and William Peace, our down-the-road rival. All of the games, nine of which have been wins, have been hard-fought, and these victories have shown how the team plays as a single unit. Assistant Athletic Director Wendy Jones said that “Anyone who has followed the Meredith basketball team this season will notice right away the progression on the court. The small roster appears to be the only obstacle standing in the way of the team's success, and the players on the team are learning to manage that challenge." Jones said that the team “remains patient on offense and trusts in [Coach] Quick's system.” During games, Coach Quick is frequently heard telling the team to “slow down” and “take your time.” Her coaching style is effective. When asked about her coaching system, LaQuanda Quick, Head Coach, explained that “patience is [her] number one strategy.” She helps the team be a unified front through respect and accountability, admitting when she is wrong because she wants the team to understand that “it
THE M E R E D I T H
HERALD
@meredithherald @meredith_herald #harktheherald January 30, 2019
Birth Control Coverage Protected in North Carolina By Haley Ivey, Staff Writer
Every day it seems as though when women gain an inch in their race to equality, there are efforts to take back a mile. President Trump has tried in various ways to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and in his latest attempt to take away from the ACA, he is also taking away from American women—about 70,500 to be exact, according to federal health officials. The Trump administration is trying to restrict the ability of some women to get no-cost birth control and their argument lies solely in the objection of their employers based on religious or moral grounds. Under the Obama Administration, a system of narrow exemptions, allowed, for example, churches or religiously affiliated organizations to choose to not cover birth control for their female employees. In return, the administration created accommodations or workarounds to ensure, in the event of these exemptions, that women would still be able to get birth control covered through third-party institutions. Under Trump’s new rules, any nongovernmental workplace would be able to claim exemptions, which broadens the criteria to include not only churches/religious organizations but also small businesses and even Fortune-500 companies.
The impacts of allowing nongovernmental companies to opt out of birth control coverage could lead to states bearing expenses from women seeking these contraceptives and, potentially, healthcare for unintended pregnancies. Why is this relevant to college-age students? Because our students could potentially face major side effects from this rule. According to the Urban Institute, one in six women have faced some barrier in accessing birth control, including cost and insurance coverage. When faced with easier access to contraceptives, 63 % of women report experiencing less stress, 56% say it's helped them hold down a job, 54% say it's provided them health benefits, 49% say it's helped them continue their education and 49 % report more stable relationships with their partners. Pregnant on Campus states, “Less than one in ten students with children complete a bachelor’s degree within six years of college entry.” Also, it is important to keep in mind that contraception is not only used for pregnancy prevention, but also for some medical conditions like endometriosis. A Guttmacher Institute study shows that 14% of women—1.5 million—rely on oral contraceptive pills for noncontraceptive reasons.
Fortunately for North Carolina women, on Jan. 14, U.S. Judge Haywood Gilliam from California granted a request for a preliminary injunction for North Carolina, along with 12 other states and Washington D.C. Because of this, North Carolina women are safe from having their birth control coverage taken away, for now, but if Trump continues to push for exemptions based on religious and moral views, North Carolina women could become a part of the population of American women currently worried about how they will afford birth control. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement Jan. 20, “Today’s court ruling stops another attempt by the Trump Administration to trample on women’s access to basic reproductive care. It’s 2019, yet the Trump Administration is still trying to roll back women’s rights. Our coalition will continue to fight to ensure women have access to the reproductive healthcare they are guaranteed under the law.” Becerra refers to a coalition consisting of attorney generals from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State and Washington, D.C. Under Becerra, this coalition led to
starts at the top.” She said that they also “truly love and respect one another.” This helps the team to play as one on the court and listen to one another better. When asked who her MVP would be, Quick responded with Brittany Preston who sustained an injury that would normally end a player’s season or career a few days before practices began. Quick said of Preston, “Since she has rejoined us, it has made a major difference. She does the little things [on the court] and “this contribution is immeasurable.” Preston, a senior this year, her season has been all but cut short; it will be her final season playing for Meredith basketball. A small roster has been a challenge to the team, that they have overcome, Quick explained. “It definitely affected our season
early on. It is important to have 10 or more players for practice and sufficient substitutes for games. However, lack of players was something that was out of my control. I believe I have built a culture where this won't be a problem moving forward” Quick said. Quick has already begun recruitment efforts for future seasons. In the meantime, “We have learned to work around the issue for right now” she said.
The team has had a threegame winning streak, keeping their tournament hopes alive. They are 5-6 in conference and 4-4 for home games. Still, the team needs all the support it can get to turn these statistics into a winning season. With players such as Kimberly Schuh, averaging 20.1 points per game overall, and Kirstie King, who makes her free throws 56.1% of the time, the team is only getting stronger.
The State of the State
News
By Mimi Mays, Associate Editor
As we publish our first issue of 2019, we reflect on the many newsworthy things that have happened since our last issue of 2018 (Dec. 5). “The State of the State” aims to refresh audiences on the latest in North Carolina and US news with a short, succinct bulletin. Sources include Gov. Roy Cooper’s Press Office and CNBC. Winter Weather Week Raleigh and much of North Carolina is preparing for another round of sub-freezing temperatures and winter weather over the next few days. A strong cold front will move across the state Tuesday bringing accumulating snow to portions of western North Carolina. Wind chill values well below zero are likely across the mountains Wednesday and Thursday mornings. In central and eastern parts of the state, significant snow accumulation is not likely as just a dusting of snow is expected late Tuesday evening, primarily on grassy surfaces. As temperatures fall below freezing Tuesday night, isolated
slick spots could develop by Wednesday morning in locations where pavement remains wet. Wind chill values will be in the teens Wednesday morning and in the single digits Thursday morning across northern portions of central and eastern NC. North Carolina Emergency Management and the State Highway Patrol are monitoring the forecast and conditions across the state, and stand ready to respond as needed. "North Carolina is bracing for more cold and snowy weather, and I urge people to monitor their local forecasts closely and take proactive steps to stay ready, warm, and safe," said Governor Cooper. Additional winter safety tips can be found on the free ReadyNC mobile app or online at readync.org. Funding for Coast Improvements North Carolina coastal communities will receive over $1.1 million in grants to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters, Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday, Jan. 29. “North Carolina’s coast is one of our greatest treasures and we want it to be accessible to all,”
Kappa Nu Sigma Induction By Kathleen Daly, Staff Writer
On Jan. 24, Meredith’s honor society Kappa Nu Sigma held its annual induction ceremony for students with 3.9 GPA and over 75 credit hours or students with a 3.8 GPA and over 90 credit hours. Along with the induction of new members, the ceremony also acknowledged the 39 first and second-year students who received the Helen Rice Scholarship for having the highest GPA in their classes. There was excitement and joy expressed from both the parents and new members. “I’m really excited I got to do this, even though I missed a class for it. This was a really big deal for me and my family,” Dominique Bateman, an inductee, remarked after the event. After the new members took the Kappa Nu Sigma pledge, the event ended with a speech from guest speaker Dr. Lisa Bullard. With a PhD in Chemical
Engineering, Dr. Lisa Bullard is the Director of Undergraduate studies in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State. Dr. Bullard said that she treats students coming to her as if they have a package for her. She said that whenever someone comes to you, you have a choice: you can either tear open their “package” carelessly to get to the thing inside or you can examine and appreciate all the aspects of the package. To remind her of this idea, she keeps a package on her desk with a beautiful wrapping she picked herself. Dr. Bullard summarized, “Each [person’s story] is an offering to you, and it’s your choice as to how to respond to the gift given: their talents, their hopes, and their fears. Be the one who chooses to unwrap the package.” For students who want to join Kappa Nu Sigma, Olivia McKain advised, “Prioritize time and study. Also,
Photo courtesy of Dr. Kelly Roberts
the governor said. “These grants will help coastal communities welcome more people to enjoy our spectacular beaches and waterways, increasing investment in our state’s economy.” 12 total communities along the coast—from Manteo to Holden Beach—will receive funding from the state’s Division of Coastal Management in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Government Shutdown On Friday, Jan. 25, President Trump signed a funding bill that will allow the US government to remain open until Feb. 15. This decision ended the 35-day government shutdown, which the US has been enduring since December 2018. This shutdown hiatus occurs without the $5.7 billion allocation towards a border wall, something that was previously described as absolutely necessary by the President. Until Feb. 15, lawmakers will be working to structure a budget that will satisfy Trump’s immigration goals, though bipartisan compromise on that matter is not guaranteed— but, according to Trump and other
Republicans, it is also not needed. North Carolina Representative Mark Meadows tweeted that “compromise is important, but not required, to secure our border and protect American families.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stated, “I hope the experience of the last 35 days has taught us that we should never repeat this exercise of shutting down government again.” An official statement from Governor Cooper on Jan. 25 reads, “Today’s agreement finally ends President Trump’s unnecessary shutdown and alleviates anxiety for thousands of working families in North Carolina, and for all who rely on the federal government to inspect our food, ensure safe travel, test water samples and more. I urge leaders in Washington to work together on a responsible, permanent solution to keep the country running.” The State of the State of the Union President Trump’s State of the Union Address was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29, but with urging from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in light
In the Arms of the Angels: How You Can Help Shelter Pets By Olivia Slack, Staff Writer Companion animals are a key part of many Americans’ lives—the average pet-owner takes great joy in caring for and spoiling their dogs, cats or exotic animals. However, many domesticated animals in the U.S. have no owners and are taken in by animal shelters like the SPCA or county adoption centers. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 6.5 million cats and dogs enter animal shelters every year. Of those, about 3.2 million animals are adopted, but nearly 1.5 million are euthanized. This overcrowding of shelters, and more broadly overpopulation of companion animals in general, is a serious issue, but one that can help be resolved by almost anyone. There are many things you could do in order to help the plight of shelter animals. For one, if you’re able, you could adopt or foster a shelter pet. Around the Triangle area there are many adoption events that regularly take place. Local businesses like
AniMall in Cary Towne Center offer spaces for animal rescue groups to hold adoption events, and doing an online search or looking at event calendars yields many results for adoption events, especially on weekends. An upcoming local event is the TICA Time Cat Show, which takes place the weekend of Feb. 16-17 and costs $5 for adult admission. Besides being a cat show and a place to learn about different breeds of cats, the event will have cats available for adoption from local shelters. Of course, adopting or even fostering a pet is a huge responsibility and should be thoroughly thought through before any decisions are made. In fact, that is one of the reasons so many pets end up in shelters: the idea of owning a pet and the reality of owning a pet are quite different, and animals who are purchased from breeders sometimes end up brought to shelters because their owners did not realize the true responsibility of owning a pet. If you don’t think you’re
Arts & Entertainment
Tapping Into Our Hearts: Dance at Meredith
By Olivia Slack, Staff Writer From Nov. 16 to 18, Meredith Dance Theatre (MDT) and the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company (MJTCo) held their fall shows. These four performances culminated in the Sunday night gala, which featured select pieces from each company that were chosen throughout the weekend. I attended the Sunday night gala show on Nov. 18 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the choreography to be innovative and often emotional. From all of the
choreographers and dancers, there was nuance in both the structure and individual movement of the dances. In most if not all the dances, there were complex and clearly thought-out intricacies in terms of shape and pattern. Rarely were there matching lines of dancers with completely synced movements; choreographers instead opted to add interest through the use of facing and direction changes. Solos and differentiation between dancers
She Kills Monsters Review By Caroline Garrett, A & E Editor During the weekend of Nov. 8-11, the Meredith Ensemble Theater performed She Kills Monsters, a Dungeons and Dragons-themed production written by playwright Qui Nguyen. The play tells the story of Agnes Evans and her younger sister Tilly who died in a tragic car accident at the beginning of the play. Tilly, an accomplished teenage “nerd,” created her own world by writing a complex D & D game. Agnes, upon finding the game’s rules amongst Tilly’s things, recruits her sister’s Dungeons and Dragons friends to help her complete the quest. The play weaves together comedic relief as Agnes progresses through the game, all the while learning more about her sister and processing her grief. The play’s themes grapple with the complexities of identity and tackle issues such as homophobia; however, sexuality and disability are portrayed without coming across as tropes or replacing the story’s central focus. Playwright Nguyen’s message is one
of not being afraid to be yourself and the importance of having a place to fit in. According to Anna Phillips, ‘22, the production’s assistant director, “the play’s all about family...the story in its entirety is about the bond between two sisters as Agnes tries so desperately to discover who her sister truly was.” Leslie Castro ‘19, who played Tilly, describes She Kills Monsters as the “pièce de résistance” of her career as a theatre major at Meredith College. As someone who identifies with the character, she felt like she could finally act in the way that her theatre classes had encouraged: by “liv[ing] truthfully in a set of imaginary circumstances.” “Acting Tilly’s story... was painting a truth that I and so many others have lived.” For many, theater becomes a second home and acting a way of self-expression that allows for the creation and further exploration of one’s own narrative in real life, and in She Kills Monsters.
were also frequently used, and made for choreography that was visually complex and interesting. Although there was no overarching story consistent with all the pieces, I found each individual dance to have enough emotional material that I felt impacted as a viewer. Many of the dances I interpreted to have themes of strength, sisterhood and friendship, which is fitting for students at Meredith. The finale pieces especially, for both MDT and MJTCo, were focused strongly
on our strength as women and on drawing on each other’s strength to find our own. Additionally, while emotional, the dances left some room for interpretation for the audience members, allowing us to mirror our own experiences and emotions onto the performances and find our own personal deeper meaning. Overall, the fall performances for MDT and MJTCo were filled with impressive choreography and loads of dance talent, and I left feeling thoroughly impressed with
She Kills Monsters was performed in the Studio Theater of Jones Auditorium, a small, intimate space which solidifies and enhances the theme of family by allowing the audience to feel closer to the actors than with a traditional auditorium setup. The cohesiveness of the cast and crew with one another was also evident. Phillips and Castro discussed the long hours spent navigating the logistics of the show beyond the usual blocking and rehearsing of lines. The play included dance choreography, fight scenes, and life-sized puppets; and many students dedicated their free time to costume sewing and set design. The collaborative efforts paid off in spectacular performances that allowed everyone involved to showcase their talents. I attended the final performance and was able to see just how hard everyone had worked, how proud the cast and crew were of their successes,
and how sad everyone was to leave the show behind as they took their final bows. While initially skeptical of how I could relate, having little knowledge of the inner workings of D & D, I felt quickly drawn into New Landia, the world of Tilly’s creation, and spent my afternoon laughing, crying, and finding pieces of myself in the characters’ stories. “That’s the funny thing about She Kills Monsters,” Castro said. “You don’t expect a play about the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons to so closely resemble life.” She went on to explain, “In the weeks since the show I’ve received so much support from my fellow Angels...it was a pleasant surprise to have a classmate...tell me they loved the play and unexpectedly connected with it.” Through several well-executed performances, Meredith Ensemble Theater spread a message of love, acceptance, belonging, and the encouragement to live your truth.
Fantastic Beasts: A Fantastic Sequel? By Olivia Slack, Staff Writer Harry Potter fans worldwide have been waiting for two years in anticipation of the second movie in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. A self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd myself, I went to see Crimes of Grindelwald the night it came out in theaters. As someone who absolutely loved Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first film in the series which came out in 2016, I had high expectations for Crimes of Grindelwald. I’d like to say it measured up, but the reality is that it just did not. This movie felt far too close to a remake of the original Harry Potter films in my opinion, with the main villain, Grindelwald, becoming increasingly similar to Voldemort as the storyline moved forward. That was the main issue I had with the movie itself: it just didn’t feel original. Although J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay and it is based on her own world, in many ways the movie resembled a well-done fanfiction, with a plotline tweaked just slightly enough to be passed off as original, and characters haphazardly thrown into the mix just for fans who wanted to see well-loved
characters prior to the original series. However, the characters’ actual inclusion in this movie often felt forced. A prime example of this was in the case of Newt Scamander, the supposed main character of Crimes of Grindelwald and undoubtedly the star of the first movie. Newt in the first Fantastic Beasts movie was an excellently written, well-rounded character who had an important and justifiable role in the storyline. However, in this second movie, the necessity of his presence was far less obvious. I questioned the need for his involvement in the defeat of Grindelwald for more than a few reasons, and those excuses that were given seemed contrived. Additionally, the inclusion of Newt’s love for the titular “fantastic beasts” seemed included only for the enjoyment of the fans and offered no real importance to the plotline, with the creatures that were included having far less importance than they did in the first movie. On the positive side, some of the new characters included in the movie, despite their actual presence feeling a bit forced, had intriguing
Comic by Micah Clark, Cartoonbackstories and personalities. I’ll avoid naming any specific names in case of spoilers, but one character in particular who is also present in the main Harry Potter series has me excited for the future Fantastic Beast
films especially. I hope that future films in the series are able to explore these characters’ personalities and motives a bit better than Crimes of Grindelwald did, and if that happens, they will be truly enjoyable movies that will be great additions to the
Opinion
Strong Getting Stronger: Accessibility in Wonderland By Savi Swiggard, Staff
On Meredith’s campus, the idea of inclusion is almost sacred. Though not perfect, the Meredith community as a whole takes steps every day to make the culture more inclusive and accessible to women of all backgrounds. The American Disabilities Act declares that individuals with disabilities are to have equal access to the resources and services available to individuals without disabilities. In effect, accommodations must be made by any public-serving entity existing within the United States, and under Title III of the ADA, privately-owned public serving buildings must be designed or altered “in such manner that the (altered portion of the) facility is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.” This means that buildings must have tools such as ramps, handicap buttons and bright lights to ensure that people with disabilities are physically capable of moving around and accessing necessary resources. This means that Meredith is effectively ADA compliant. The issue comes in where ADA ends, where the ability to access resources does not translate to easy access, nor does it extend to resources which are not deemed necessary. Hannah Brittain-Dubois, a freshman here at Meredith College, expressed frustration with Meredith accessibility in terms of her personal struggles navigating campus. BrittainDubois was diagnosed with brain cancer and, since her treatment, suffers issues with strength and balance. She complains that the courtyard bricks are broken loose and have caused her to fall and fracture her foot. She noted to me that the campus is very difficult to get around with little balance, as handrails aren’t always available. Brittain-Dubois also referenced that many of the doors at Meredith, specifically doors without handicap buttons such as residence hall personal doors and classroom doors, are heavy and difficult to push,
making it a chore to get into some rooms and buildings from certain entrances. A significant number of Brittain-Dubois’ complaints were echoed in my own small experience with accessibility here at Meredith. At the beginning of January this year, I was tripped and sprained both ankles and my knee, leaving me to use a wheelchair around campus. This was how I came to realize that ADA compliance did not translate to easy access. My own issues navigating Meredith campus in a wheelchair consisted primarily of ease-of-access issues. While I could enter and exit all buildings and had access to most floors, getting there was an exhausting chore. I found that ramps were often so steep that I had to cling to railings to pull myself forward, or put the brakes on the wheels to briefly rest. Similar to BrittainDubois’s struggles, loose bricks often caused issues when moving around the courtyard. I found that having only one entrance into many of the buildings meant having to go all the way around to get in, which takes both time and effort and became a painful fight when trying to escape rain. Outside of Vann residence hall on the Johnson side, I had to circle around in order to reach a ramp due to a small step, and even then, the door into my building lacked a handicap button. I had to either go all the way to the other entrance, or awkwardly force open the door and pull myself through. I could not access the fourth floors of either String or Faircloth, which while unnecessary, meant that I couldn’t visit friends or attend any hall socials on those floors. It would have been a completely different story if I had lived on one of these floors, unable to access them until my sprains had all fully healed. There must be more we can do. Tasia Bromell is a sophomore here at Meredith. She’s a strong
leader with an impressive path in front of her, and she has a tethered spinal cord. This means that Bromwell primarily gets around campus with forearm crutches. Bromwell noted that while Meredith has a wonderful Disability Services office, Meredith College as a whole could benefit from disability education. She states, “Navigating campus has gone pretty well so far, considering that Meredith's campus is very small; however, getting up to certain places is sometimes a problem because not every building (i.e. residence halls) contains an elevator, and not all the elevators work all the time.” Bromwell also mused that the Disability Services office is ironically on the second floor of Carroll Hall, where the elevator breaks from time to time. While she expressed a deep love for the employees of Disability Services and the way Meredith does its best to treat students with disabilities as equals to students without, there is a frustration with how society as a whole treats accessibility as an afterthought. One way in which Bromwell recommends we practice treating people as equals is to stop qualifying people with disabilities by their disability. Some ways the Meredith community can normalize disabilities and treat people as people include simple “person-first” language shifts (from “disabled student” to “student with disabilities”) and only noting a student’s disability when it’s relevant to the conversation. This sentiment was echoed by Carolyn Koning, Assistant Director of Meredith’s Disability Services. When asked about the motivation for accessibility moving forward, Koning expressed optimism for the future, stating, “We, [Disability Services and Facilities Services], are slowly making very intentional progress,” in reference to improving quality of life. Meredith
College first began adding ramps and elevators in 1971, long before the ADA was brought into law in 1990, and had been accepting students with physical disabilities years before that. Progress in making Meredith easy to traverse is still long and expensive, as Koning noted that even the cost of many recent adaptations has been absurdly high. Despite the cost, the culture at Meredith is one that strives for improvement. Koning wanted it clear that any issues with accessibility faced by any student should be brought up and dealt with, and the Disability Services and Facilities Services on campus do everything to fix both short-term inaccessibility and long-term ease of access. Thanks to these services, accommodations have been made recently for visually impaired students, such as adjusting light levels and marking stairways, at the request of students. This is how Meredith gets stronger. The language used by Bromwell and Koning was deliberate in how we as a campus culture can move forward. While cost will be an issue, making problems known and drawing attention to them is a crucial step. The intention of this piece is not to bash Meredith—it is intended to give us the tools and knowledge to improve. Cost is the primary obstacle between Meredith and complete accessibility, but an awareness on campus could enable fundraising opportunities to make these changes. Whether we have disabilities or not, we should feel an obligation to make everyone feel equal, and it’s hard to feel equal when it takes twice as long to get into a building, or when you can’t visit a friend’s room because there’s no elevator. We are Meredith Strong, so let’s get Stronger. Equality can begin there. Where it ends is up to us, the students, staff and faculty of Meredith College.
A Great Start to 2019: Passion Conference Review and Preview By Ashleigh Murr, Staff Writer Are you involved in a Christian ministry on campus? Do you enjoy Christian speakers and worship music? If so, the 2020 Passion conference is a great opportunity for you and your campus ministry group. It will be in Georgia’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (home of the NFL Atlanta Falcons). According to CBS Sports, the next big event taking place there is the superbowl, showing the prominence of this location. The Passion movement was started in 1995 by Louie and Shelley Giglio out of a desire to see young people come together and lift the name of Jesus. According to the Passion website, 268generation.
com, the movement is “rooted in the confession of Isaiah 26:8 [‘Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your Truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.’]” and “exists to glorify God by uniting students in worship, prayer and justice for spiritual awakening in this generation.” The mission of the Passion conference is “calling students from campuses across the nation and around the world to live for what matters most. For us, what matters most is the name and renown of Jesus.” The first gathering of 18 to 25-year-olds for an event was in 1997 and has happened annually since. In early January of 2019, forty-thousand 18 to 25-year-olds
attended the 2019 Passion conference. These attendees were split up among four locations: the State Farm Arena and Infinite Energy Center in Atlanta, The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas and The Anthem in Washington D.C. The locations all came together each session via video conference and hosted many amazing speakers and worshipleaders. Christine Caine had a powerful message on the evening of Jan. 3 in which she called believers to have and demonstrate faith that amazes Jesus. In another session, Ira, a young girl from the Philippines, shared a testimony of the impact the Deaf Bible Society has on her life and community. This ministry
STAFF
exists to “reveal the hope of the gospel in Jesus Christ, so that every deaf person has the opportunity to receive, experience, and share it,” according to the Deaf Bible Society’s website. The 40,000 young adults in attendance, many being financially struggling college students, raised $448,270 for the Deaf Bible Society, according to both Fox News and Blaze Media. The conference, for me personally, was filled with life-giving community and spiritual focus as I went into the new year. I saw and spoke with other Meredith students with their own groups while at the conference and received positive For the full story go to www. meredithherald.wordpress.com
Sarah Kiser, Editor-in-Chief. Mimi Mays, Associate Editor. Abby Ojeda, News Editor. Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Rebecca Dowdy, Opinon Editor. Micah Clark, Cartoonist. Cro Owens, Social Media Coordinator. Nikki Wertz, Layout Designer. Staff Writers: Carolina Brust, Rachel Crawford, Kathleen Daly, Hannah Flood, Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez, Huma Hashmi, Olivia Slack.