Feb 28, 2018

February 28, 2018

Grant Provides New Opportunities Abigail Ojeda, Staff Writer This summer, the Undergraduate Research Program at Meredith College offers the opportunity for interdisciplinary group research in addition to regular summer research opportunities. Dr. Paul Winterhoff, Director of Undergraduate Research, and Dr. Carolina PerezHeydrich, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, applied for and received a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for multiple groups of two faculty and two or three Meredith students from diverse areas of study to conduct research.

“The Undergraduate Research program is excited about encouraging interdisciplinary research, knowing that it’s the wave of the future in research,” Dr. Paul Winterhoff said.

Additionally, the Undergraduate Research program is excited to welcome participants from the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy (WYWLA).

For the last two summers, women from WYWLA have partnered with Meredith women to receive mentorship and participate in the research process. WYWLA members will be able to participate

in the interdisciplinary research the new grant offers.

Dr. Paul Winterhoff shared the reason for the emphasis on interdisciplinary research: “Most of the intractable problems that we face, including those in science, sustainability, politics, and economics, require multiple perspectives to find solutions.”

The Undergraduate Research Program is more likely to select applicants for interdisciplinary research who come from different academic programs. Students who are accepted have the opportunity

for a stipend up to $2650 for the summer. The Oaks will also have ten spots available over the summer for research students at a reduced rate.

Applications for summer undergraduate research, both for the general program and the duPont interdisciplinary summer projects are due by March 14, and students will be notified by March 22. The Undergraduate Research Program is looking forward to the opportunities this grant provides and hopes to find ways to continue funding interdisciplinary research endeavors in the future.

Continuing to visit, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and visit tourist attractions is the best way to help Puerto Rico recover. Slowly

but surely, with the help of many others, Puerto Rico is becoming a community again.

Puerto Rico: Still Recovering Caroline Crofton, Staff Writer

Old news gets washed away by current news and we forget all about the old stuff, but Sept. 20 is a day Puerto Rico will never forget. With a Category 4 hurricane hitting landfall with winds at 155 mph, the land was demolished. The storm, Maria, which knocked out all power and most cell service, was the worst storm the Caribbean has seen in recent memory. The home to almost 3.4 million people was now unlivable. Although many organizations have come together and donated to Puerto Rico, the territory is still not nearly close to being fully recovered from the hurricane’s after-effects. The largest problem that still remains in Puerto Rico is that only 65% of the island has power, according to Governor Ricardo Rosselló.

Protests have broken out on the island about the power outage, since this problem is causing many other problems.

When the storm hit, many of the residents fled the island when they had the chance. The government believes that the people that fled are gone for good.

The government and people of Puerto Rico are still searching for missing persons and making tallies of the ones that have passed. They still do not have a total number of the people that died during the storm. Although tourism is down, most businesses, restaurants, and hotels are rebuilt and back in business. San Juan in particular has already recuperated from the storm far faster than its surrounding cities. Tourism is very vital to Puerto Rico’s economy.

Image from PBS.org/HurricaneMaria

Spring Break, Not Spring Broke Tishya Robertson, Staff Writer Whether you’re going abroad, another city stateside, or staying home for spring break, there are ways to save money and still make memories.

Have realistic expectations.

Don’t splurge on an international trip when you’ll be in the air most of the time. Spring break is also an opportunity to rest, and that’s hard to do when you spend hours next to snoring strangers and babbling babies.

Look up cheap eats in the area.

TripAdvisor is a great resource to

check out restaurants before you go somewhere. Lunch is usually cheaper than dinner, so keep that in mind as you plan to treat yourself to fancy meals.

Walk or use public transportation. Ubers can get pretty expensive, and renting a car is often a hassle. Walking is always free, and public transportation lets you pretend to be a local while spending less.

Hit up Rick Steves’ guides. As the most popular man in the Office of International Programs, he is on

the bookshelves of many travelers.

Although he writes more about international travel, he has a lot of stateside tips online as well as in print.

Explore your city some more.

Raleigh has so much to offer, and there’s always something new to see. Take some friends to explore the city you’ve been in for a while, or find a unique place in your hometown.

Visit anywhere you want to... mentally. Catch up on that reading list you didn’t complete

during winter break. Tell people you went to England in the nineteenth century or dystopian North America. For some recommendations, the Herald has book reviews from many genres and the library always has interesting books on display.

Just sleep. There is nothing wrong with staying home with your family or friends and taking some much-needed time off. While the FOMO (fear of missing out) may be real at first, your wallet and sleep schedule will not miss out.

The Meredith Herald Is Expanding Its Staff!

Positions Wanted: Performing Arts Reporter

Sports Reporter

Layout Designer for 2018–2019

Staff Writers

Arts & Entertainment

News

Clime-Art Competition

Food Evolution: The GMO Debate Through a Scientific Lens Dr. Karthik Aghoram

On Thursday, March 22 from 6 pm – 8 pm in Jones Auditorium, Meredith College will present “Food Evolution,” an event that explores the controversial role of genetic engineering in food production. The event begins with the screening of the award-winning documentary “Food Evolution” narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

This will be followed by an expert panel discussion and audience Q/A. Event is free and open to public. This screening and panel discussion qualifies as an Academic / Cultural Event for General Education.

Imagine a group of scientists who are setting out to create the perfect rice plant: they collect thousands of rice seeds and expose them to high doses of radiation. This exposure results in tens of thousands of random, wholesale changes in the seeds’ DNA. The scientists then plant these seeds, observe the plants, and select the one in which the altered DNA makes the perfect rice – with long grains, heavenly fragrance and an amazing texture when steamed! They propagate this select mutant rice, and consumers all over the world enjoy it. Imagine no more. This technology – called radiation

mutagenesis – has existed for over fifty years and has given us a variety of food plants, including herbicide-resistant sunflowers, organic ruby-red grapefruit and yes … mutant rice varieties developed in Asia and grown organically in California!

Imagine now that there are thousands of corn farmers whose crops are being destroyed by a voracious caterpillar. A team of scientists discovers that placing a single gene from a bacterium into corn plants can make them resistant to this caterpillar.

Farmers purchase and plant these genetically engineered seeds, saving their farms from this very hungry caterpillar! Again, imagine no more. This technology – called genetic engineering by which a single gene from one species is placed in another species – has existed for over twenty years. Like radiation mutagenesis, it has given us some wonderful varieties of food, including disease-resistant papayas in Hawaii and caterpillarresistant eggplant in Bangladesh.

Radiation mutagenesis and genetic engineering are only two out of many tools that help in the development of food crops with desirable traits. But,

while consumers have accepted radiation mutagenesis as a perfectly good breeding tool, they have been much more skeptical of genetic engineering (better known as GMO technology). It would be an understatement to say that “GMOs” are the subject of intense debate – an agricultural lightning rod. While 88% of scientists consider “GMO” food products safe, only 37% of the American public agrees. Of all the politicized issues in science, this gap represents the largest one between scientific consensus and public opinion.

Ironically, people on both sides of this debate share a common vision – to sustainably produce enough food for a growing human population, which is expected to hit 9 billion in the year 2050. But do we have the tools to accomplish this goal to produce more food on less land, while also combating climate uncertainties?

If so, what are these tools? How does the scientific process work in developing these tools? Which ones will we accept? How will we decide?

It is clear that an interplay of science, economics, agriculture, societal values, and government

Cro Owens, Staff Writer regulations is shaping this debate, and in-turn shaping the future of food. Are we prepared to become informed participants in this debate and help make the best decisions?

The Food Evolution event will help you do just that! It begins with the screening of the documentary “Food Evolution.”

Narrated by star sciencecommunicator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, this documentary takes a science-based look at the debate surrounding GMOs. Even more exciting is the panel discussion that follows the documentary! A panel of world-renowned experts (Dr. Fred Gould, Distinguished Professor Entomology at NCSU and member of the National Academy of Sciences; Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Associate Professor of Agroecology and organic agriculture expert; and Dr. Anastasia Bodnar, molecular biologist and science communicator) will answer your questions! The event is made possible via the Meredith College Kenan fund and the volunteer support of the Biology Honors Society and Angels for the Environment. It is free and open to the public.

NCGA Adjusts Class Size Mandate Sidney Shank, Staff Writer

On Feb. 7, Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly unveiled their solution to the unfunded class size mandate voted into law back in 2016. The new bill, House Bill 90, extends the amount of time allowed for phasing in the new class sizes as well as expanding funding for specials teachers and the pre-kindergarten program. However, the bill is tied to issues dealing with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the partisan composition of the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement in an attempt to force Democrats to vote for issues they otherwise would not support.

The original class size

mandate would have required school districts across the state to implement the lower class sizes for grades K-3 by the 2018-2019 school year without any additional funds for new classrooms or additional teachers.

HB 90 spreads out the lowering of class sizes through the 20212022 school year for a gradual lowering of the maximum cap on classrooms rather than an abrupt one. It also provides $246 million in funding for specials teachers spread out over the course of three school years until 20212022.

Finally, the bill will expand the pre-kindergarten program by

$26 million in Fiscal Year 19-20 and by $36 million in FY 20-21.

The downside for Democrats are the provisions in the bill dealing with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. As part of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline deal, Governor Roy Cooper required the creation of a $58 million fund by the developers of the pipeline as payment in advance for any potential environmental disasters.

House Bill 90 took that fund and spread the money amongst the counties through which the pipeline will run as additional education funding.

The changes to the

Election and Ethics board increase the number of seats from five to eight and require the governor to appoint four Democrats and four Republicans, rather than three of the governor’s party and two of the opposing party. Democrats have long opposed this measure, and in Jan. 2017, the N.C. Supreme Court struck down a similar attempt to reorganize the Election and Ethics board to eight, evenlybipartisan members. It is unlikely that the Supreme Court will uphold the changes to the board in HB 90.

On Feb.13, the bill was presented to Governor Cooper. As of Feb. 26, he has neither signed nor vetoed the bill.

other media.

All of the panelists could agree that one of their most important themes to uphold is “[that] every show is an issue which creates a dialogue within the community,” as said by Justin. The dialogue among the community serves the company as another way of the media.

Some of breakout sessions that students were

involved in included Media Law Update, Feature Writing: Telling a Compelling Story, Best Practices: News, Storytelling Through Images, and We Can All Do Better: Encouraging Diversity and Inclusivity in your Newsroom.

For more information about the past College Media Conference(s) and future ones, please go to http://nccma.unc.edu/ conference/

Students Understanding Media Coverage Yessenia Anorve-Basoria, Contributing Writer Students with media interest attended the 2018 College Media Conference that was held at Withers Hall at North Carolina State University on Feb. 24 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The students started their day with an opening panel discussion, followed by multiple breakout sessions relating to theme of that year. This year, the theme revolved around artists’

battle for local coverage. Panelists Charles Phaneuf from Raleigh Little Theater, Mary Kay Kennedy from Artspace, and Justin Laidlaw from Runaway spoke about their individual experience.

“Traditional news outlets like newspapers have gotten rid of their art columnist,” said Kennedy when discussing how her company has had to switch their coverage from newspapers to

CREATE ANY ART FOCUSED ON

Get exposure for your art and the environmental issues you care about! All entries will be displayed in the Meredith College Weems Gallery. Winners will receive eco-friendly prizes!

GUIDELINES: •Anyone is allowed to enter •If your piece is particularly heavy or requires specialized installation you will need to assist with installation and deinstallation

•2D work will be pinned to the wall unless they have an appropriate wire for hanging on the back •3D work should be less than 25 pounds, stable, and structurally sound •Work’s subject matter must be appropriate for all audiences •All work must be received by March 14th, 2018 at 5pm at the Gaddy-Hamrick Weems Gallery •Winners will be announced on Friday, March 16th, 2018 at 7pm

ENVIRONMENTAL

ISSUES OR CLIMATE CHANGE

ANY MEDIUM, ANY SIZE!

CLIME-ART CHANGE COMPETITION Enter your art for a chance to be featured at the Meredith College Art Gallery from March 15-16!

SPECIAL PRIZES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ART!

FOR SUBMISSIONS AND QUESTIONS Contact Cro Owens at cowens@email.meredith.edu Entries due by

Sponsored by Angels for the Environment

March 14, 2018

For Your Consideration: Your Guide to the Best Pictures of 2018 Teressa Berton, Staff Writer

It’s award season. Whether you love amazing film or just love a good red carpet, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences annual awards show, best known as the Oscars. Of the many awards presented at the Oscars, but most illustrious, is the Best Picture award. This year the competition is fierce between nine films, with no two like quite like each other.

Get Out This surprise nomination for director Jordan Peele’s thriller Get Out is well deserved, as its compelling screenplay forces audiences to get woke. The film confronts institutional racism in the United States as it follows the narrative of Chris Washington, played by Oscar-nominated Daniel Kaluuya, a young black man visiting his white girlfriend’s family for a weekend. The film subverts the traditional horror tropes for more realistic depictions. The film keeps audiences in suspense with its compelling writing as Washington fights for his life.

The Post In Steven Spielberg’s The Post, the true story of the release of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 during the Nixon administration takes center stage as the staff of the Washington Post strives to bring to light the actions of the U.S. Government during the Vietnam War. The film’s pacing keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as tensions steadily rise over the course of the film. The narrative drives the film, while actors Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep reveal the complexities of the inner workings of the paper’s staff.

Streep in particular conveys the mindset of women in the later half of 20th century and their shifting circumstances. Overall The Post will keep you enthralled every turn and just restore your faith in ‘the media.’

Phantom Thread Daniel Day-Lewis gives his ‘final’ performance as Reynolds

Woodcock, an acclaimed fashion designer in the 1950’s with many idiosyncrasies. The film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson, fills this piece of cinema with many intimate tight shots of the Woodcock household, creating an attention to detail that only Anderson and Reynolds Woodcock could have.

The film is punctuated by silence, making each sound a disruption to life for Reynolds. The narrative of the love between Day-Lewis’s Reynolds and Vicky Krieps’s Alma is an enigma that is both fascinating and frustrating to watch.

Dunkirk Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama tells the story of the evacuation of the beaches at Dunkirk. The film follows several storylines from the story of an individual foot soldiers, to an airplane pilot, to the citizen rescuers. The film fully utilizes the entirety of the screen to visually convey the severity of the circumstances at Dunkirk. Nolan utilizes long shots of soldiers boarding ships or waiting on beaches, as well as tight shots to establish emotional stakes for each of the characters in the film.

The visuals are deeply striking, earning the film a nomination for cinematography as well as directing. Through visuals and use of archival footage, to remind audiences of the reality of the situation presented, Nolan reminds viewers of the many sacrifices of individuals while assuring us of the resilience of goodness in humanity.

The Darkest Hour As an excellent complement to Dunkirk, another film revolving around the evacuation of the beaches at Dunkirk comes the Darkest Hour. Gary Oldman stars as Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the military crisis leading up to the evacuation at Dunkirk. Gary Oldman is a triumph acting as Churchill, building in the tension surrounding the transfer of power between Churchill and

Neville Chamberlain. Director Joe Wright continues his love affair with lighting in this period drama, playing with the lighting throughout the film to transmit tension, as well how actions of main characters are perceived. Much of the debate in the film surrounds the conflict surrounding the debate over what can be done to fight the spread of Nazism, as well as what a government’s duty is to its people.

Call Me By Your Name This coming-of-age film by director Luca Guadagnino follows the narrative of Elio a young man growing up in the Italian countryside. The film depicts the blossoming of his family’s orchard as well that of Elio as he explores his sexuality through a relationship with an older man.

Elio is brought to life with the poignant performance of Timotheé Chalamet, which as earned him a nomination for best actor, making him the youngest nominee this year. Chalamet performance is moving and vulnerable allowing the audience to experience his frustrations, elations, and heartbreaks along with him. This performance along with the striking views open a window for viewers to observe the narrative up close and personal.

Lady Bird Greta Gerwig’s brings the story of Christine “Lady Bird’ McPherson, a young woman exploring her identity, expectations for life, and her relationship with her mother in this 2018 best pictue nominee.

Saoirse Ronan’s performance as Lady Bird transports viewers to their own youths through her depictions of a first love, heartbreak, and frustrations of adolescence. Gerwig’s sincere writing and direction lends itself to a evocative performances from both Ronan and her co-star Laurie Metcalf, who plays Lady Bird’s mother. Between these three woman the films earned five nominations including best original screenplay and best director in

addition to best picture.

Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri This deeply impactful film follow the narrative of a mother seeking justice for the rape and murder of her daughter in the small community of Ebbing Missouri.

Within the small town we see that it is plagued with many problems including loyalty to a police department with racist officers who often fail to enact justice.

Driven by its complex characters the narrative earns a nomination for best adapted screenplay as well as best actor and actress nomination for its many players.

While the film is powerful, it’s themes can be overwhelming leaving the audience with a lack of resolution or relief from the presented tension.

The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro’s film The Shape of Water is captivating.

The film surrounds viewers breathtaking cinematography in this narrative of human empathy and connection. The driving narrative of the film creates intrigue that builds into a suspense that is palpable by the end of the movie. Sally Hawkins earns a nominated for best actress with her performance as Elsa, a mute woman who discovers a mysterious sea creature within her workplace and forms a significant with him. The film has been nominated for a whopping 13 nominations, the most of any film this year and the second most nominated film ever.

Each of these narratives presents a great story and deals with timely issues, from the role of government to the struggle of coming of age in the modern era.

I implore you to see as many of these film as possible, whether it be for prepping for the awards on Sunday March 4, 2018 or simply for the enjoyment of great cinema, each of these films are worthy of seeing at least once.

Editorials Podcasts You Might Like What Should I Read Next?

Book lovers, readers, and literary thinkers of all stripes will love this casual, conversational podcast about, you guessed it, what the listener should read next. In each episode, host Anne Bogel will “talk all things books and reading, and do a little literary matchmaking with one guest.”

Bogel asks guests to talk about their bookish lives, then tell her three books they love, one book they hate (or one book that didn’t work for them, as many guests prefer to say), and what they’re

Adult Sh1t “We f*ck up so you don’t have to” is the tagline of Buzzfeed producers Kelsey Darragh and Kate Peterman’s weekly podcast, “Adult Sh1t.” Their first episode premiered on Oct 26, 2017, and since then the California-based content creators have covered topics like mental health and eating disorders, sleeping with coworkers, chronic pain, f*ckbois, sexual consent, and more. As twenty-somethings, Kelsey and Kate are relatively well-off, being stably employed and in decent health, but still experience the

reading at the moment. Then, she gives them three or more book recommendations based on their list.

The podcast is gentle, occasionally funny, and always a joy for anyone who loves books and enjoys building their to-be-read list.

For even more literary content, Anne also runs a blog, titled “The Modern Mrs. Darcy”, and an Instagram for herself and the podcast.

Reviewed by Emily Chilton

ups and downs of millennial life... and they share their adventures and failures with the world. Their advice is poignant, relevant, and always guaranteed to produce a laugh—perfect for the lost but confident young woman trying to make it in the complex social, romantic, (sexual), and professional world. “Adult Sh1t” is published every Thursday and is available on the Apple podcast app, iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube (warning: mature content).

Reviewed by Mimi Mays

The Positive Impact Dr. Fredrickson Left on Meredith College Ashley Ricks, Staff Writer

While at Meredith, it is impossible to forget how strong women really are.

Meredith College has an annual designated event to celebrate an accomplished woman: the Woman of Achievement Lecture.

This includes an award given to a woman who exemplifies leadership, community service, entrepreneurship, visionary thinking, and philanthropy. Every year, the woman chosen for this award is an inspirational role model to all Meredith students.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Dr. Barbara L. Fredrickson received the 2018 Woman of Achievement Award. Dr. Frederickson is a Professor of Psychology and

Neuroscience and director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill. As a positive psychologist, Dr. Frederickson has written multiple books, including Positivity and Love 2.0, both of which focus on the role positivity and connectivity can play in our daily lives. Dr. Frederickson has done phenomenal research and has contributed to the body of academic knowledge on positive psychology by publishing several articles.

Listening to Dr. Frederickson’s lecture was truly eye-opening for audience members since she talked about positive events that happen to

people everyday, such as laughing with someone and hugging someone. Positivity can occur in many forms, even if only for a second. Dr. Frederickson argues these small positive moments in our life can broaden awareness, increase creativity, make people more open, be more inclusive, and even improve people’s health.

Love and compassion, both of which are positive emotions, is just as much a vitamin for the mind and body as superfoods are. Dr. Frederickson emphasized that quality of life can be improved if someone accepts love and connectedness in their life.

The Woman of Achievement Lecture given by Dr.

Frederickson proved how powerful those little positive moments in life can be. Being a pessimist not only dampens the mood, but Dr. Frederickson proved that it can also affect people’s health in a negative way. It is often so easy to think negatively, especially when stressed out, but Dr. Frederickson offered new insight on how to change that way of thinking.

A powerful quote said by Dr. Frederickson is “the only path out of despair is to bring in hope.”

Anyone could have gained useful information from Dr. Frederickson’s lecture. Due to Dr. Frederickson’s lecture, Meredith College is even more of a positive and loving campus.

In Black History Month, a Glimpse of a Black Future Emily Chilton, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Marvel’s Black Panther hit theaters on Feb. 16 and has broken multiple box office records in the intervening two weeks. It has also proved to Hollywood that movies starring black characters, even (especially) movies with almost exclusively black characters, can perform at the box office. It also did about 5,000 other things incredibly well; the movie is a stand-out, and if you go see anything at the theater in 2018, it should probably be Black Panther.

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong’o among others, the

film is visually and emotionally arresting from the very beginning.

A boy asks for a story and a deep voice starts to unfold the history of Wakanda, accompanied by CGI illustration. An unusually long time is spent on background and character development, especially of T’Challa, before the major conflict arises, but at no point is it boring or plotless. Instead, the viewer is swept up in a world where vibranium and heart-shaped herbs exist and, poignantly, where the African nation of Wakanda was never discovered or colonized by Europeans.

Wakanda beautifully combines technology, innovation, and wealth with tradition, simplicity, and culture. On The View, Lupita Nyong’o spoke on the significance of Wakanda’s history: “Wakanda is special because it was never colonized, so what we can see there for all of us, it’s a reimagining of what would have been possible had Africa been allowed to realize itself for itself.”

Though the film is tense at times, it never feels like it’s doing too much, instead managing to raise and successfully address issues of race, global inequality,

gender, and even generational conflict while still telling a compelling story. Through various contacts with the outside world, including the eventual presence of Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), the nation and therefore the film starts to question and consider global issues and how it can help more than its own people.

Complementing the social commentary of the film is its pure artistry of story and characters. It achieves what so few movies can: creating a viewing experience that is simultaneously enjoyable and thought-provoking.

Meredith Hues Iris Alumnae Art Exhibition The exhibition is running in the Weems Gallery now until March 11.

STAFF

Emily Chilton and Sarah Kiser, Co-Editors-in-Chief. Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Teressa Berton, Social Media Manager. Olivia McElvaney, Online Editor. Kayla Burton, Layout Editor. Micah Clark, Cartoonist.

Staff Writers: Abby Ojeda, Tishya Robertson, Emma Gomes, Cro Owens, Mimi Mays, Hannah Flood, Caroline Crofton, Jaisa Loch, Huma Hashmi, Sidney Shank. .