MEREDITH
THE HERALD
October 5, 2022
meredithherald.com
Ring Dinner in the Cate Center Parking Lot By Haleigh West, Reporter alumni and parents have expressed their support. Comments on the petition range from support for the Class of 2024 to disappointment in how a well-established tradition has been handled. One user commented, “$20 for a ceremony in the parking lot? Ridiculous.” Photo by Kayla Dunn
On Sept. 19, it was announced that the Class of 2024 will be having their Ring Dinner Ceremony in the “Reimagined Cate Center Parking Lot.” Many members of the Class of 2024 have expressed their disappointment with this chosen location due to the fact that this tradition at Meredith is known for being a very fancy and special moment for the Junior class. Since this announcement was made, a group of students has created a change.org petition and the Instagram account @ringdinnerpetition22. Created on Sept. 26, the petition has gained more than 1,000 signatures. The creators explained that they “feel strongly that the venue should have been the same or similar to how it was before the pandemic.” The petition asked that Student Leadership and Services (SLS) “take into account for the future classes as everyone’s voice should be heard equally.” Current students, Meredith
Comments left by signers of the Ring Dinner Petition on change.org
While the student(s) running the account wished to remain anonymous, The Herald reached out regarding the petition and the creation of the account. When asked what the inspiration was to start the petition, the account owners responded by saying “our main motivation was to be able to have our traditions return to normal as many of us got so many things taken away because of [COVID-19].” They continued on by saying, “This is the biggest [tradition] and we were very disappointed to see the venue when it's supposed to be such a large and
fancy event.” When asked what response they are hoping to get from those in charge of organizing Ring Dinner, they said, “the most ideal situation would be to have the venue changed back to something similar to the hotel, country club, event space, etc. that has been used in the past.” They also mentioned, “We understand that it may be too late to do so, but we don't want this to happen to future classes as well.” The Herald reached out to Cheryl Jenkins, Director of SLS, about students' disappointment with the venue choice. When asked what the reasoning was for choosing the Cate Center parking lot, she said, “As we were looking ahead to plan large events for the fall semester we could not be sure that students would be able to eat together safely indoors because of COVID[-19]; hence the decision to have the event outside on campus.” She continued by saying, “Because the Spring Formal held on campus last year was well received, we began to look at a way to use that space again for both Ring Dinner and White Iris Ball.” She also stated that “sharing costs helps to keep the cost of attendance as low as possible, making it more accessible for more students. Hosting the event on
campus also removes a barrier of transportation for students living on campus who could not easily travel to an off-campus venue.” Jenkins also referenced the petition that was created by saying, “While the petition makes clear that some students are unhappy with the plans, our office staff hopes that the reality of the event will be lovely and memorable—because the real meaning of Ring Dinner, rather than the location in which it is held, comes from celebrating with classmates.” The Class of 2024 also received an email in response to the petition and students voicing concerns and disappointments about the upcoming event. The email stated, “The popularity of Ring Dinner means that we have outgrown many venues we have used in the past—Belk Dining Hall, a tent in the Courtyard, church fellowship halls and event spaces in various parts of Raleigh. [Reserving] a space large enough to accommodate Ring Dinner attendees usually requires a contractual commitment far in advance.” While they acknowledge the students who have spoken out, the email finished by saying, “We hope you will have fun and enjoy the ever-evolving traditions of Ring Week.”
tion events. Since this semester has started, they have already had a game night, picnic and a movie night in which they viewed "La Misma Luna" (titled "Under The Same Moon" in English). In future meetings, they also hope to talk about specific independence days through member-created presentations. Angeles Latines meets at 6:30 p.m. every Monday in Harris 214 and is always looking for more members including students who identify as Latine/ Hispanic along with students who are interested in learning about and supporting the Latine culture and community. To learn more about this club, make sure to follow @angeleslatinasmc on Instagram or email co-presidents Burgos De Pena at lmburgosdepena@email. meredith.edu and Meija-Santos at
gmmejiasantos@email.meredith. edu.
Club Profile: Angeles Latines By Riley Heeb, Contributing Writer Meredith College is a diverse community with many ways to learn about different cultures. Angeles Latines is a club that formed to focus on addressing the concerns of self-identified Latines and educating the campus about the Hispanic and Latine culture. The Meredith Herald reached out to co-presidents Lizbeth Burgos De Pena and Giselle Mejia-Santos to discuss more about Angeles Latines. Angeles Latines was re-established as a student organization in the spring of 2022 and changed their name from “Angeles Latinas” to Angeles Latines on Oct. 3. When asked about the name change, their co-presidents commented that they “have decided to change the name … in order to include all different identities.” Like many other clubs, Angeles Latines is growing to reflect the diversity in
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and inclusiveness of their Meredith community. When asked about what they are hoping to accomplish at Meredith College this year, Burgos De Pena and Mejia-Santos stated that their “main goal was to plan and execute [their] first Hispanic/Latin[e] event to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.” The event, called La Parranda, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 12-3 p.m. in the Gazebo Area near the Chapel. Food vouchers will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. They plan to include performers, vendors and booths that are from different countries in this cultural festival. As a club, Angeles Latines not only hosts discussions, cultural events, lectures and recreational activities for the entire Meredith community, but during meetings they also have game nights, fun activities and cultural apprecia-
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Graphic courtesy of Angeles Latines
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NEWS
THE HERALD
October 5, 2022
Campus Climate Survey Results Update By Freya Dahlgren, Features Editor
Photo by Grayson Morris
In Fall 2020, Meredith College released the Campus Climate Survey to collect data on student attitudes toward bias, discrimination and inclusion on campus. In April 2022, The Herald published an update to the survey outlining the findings. The Herald reached out again this month to DEI Coordinator Liliana Madrid for any updates to the qualitative data por-
tion of the survey, to which she said there are no updates and the money was allocated towards DEI education for faculty and staff at Meredith. When asked if there are any updates to report, Madrid stated, “I was not able to build a qualitative assessment team to ensure there was qualitative quality. [...] I recognized that the best approach would be to ensure that qualitative assessment is incorporated into the next campus climate survey.” Madrid told The Herald that she was not a part of the survey creation process in 2020. However, through the help of student Rayna Maleki, Class of
2023, Madrid did facilitate an inperson discussion of the results of the survey. Madrid continued by discussing future climate surveys, saying, “Part of what I hope to help coordinate is the process of not only survey participation but also the sharing of the survey results with the Meredith community and the dialogue of reviewing those results and coming together in community to discuss.” In conclusion, Madrid said, “I weighed the cost of what it would be to put together a qualitative coding team versus the expenses I earmarked for 20222023 [with] bias training for the bias response team and acces-
sibility training for employees, and I moved forward with hiring a consultant to help put together the program for employees to help address some of the issues discussed in the climate survey”. The aforementioned program includes a series of 5 modules discussed throughout the 2022-23 academic year including the following topics: The History of Disability and Disability Culture at colleges/universities in NC, Attitudinal Barriers, Digital and Technology as well as Physical Barriers. Questions and concerns regarding the Campus Climate Survey and new accessibility training can be directed to Liliana Madrid at lamadrid@meredith.edu.
will discuss physical barriers with particular focus on how students can make Meredith traditions such as Cornhuskin’ and Stunt accessible for all students to enjoy. Because of the Initiative’s small-group setting, only 25 people are attending the workshops. However, Madrid and the Disability Services office worked with Hull to ensure that as many departments and organizations as possible have a representative in attendance with the hope that these people can take what they’ve learned back to their departments and circulate the information to their coworkers. President Jo Allen, academic deans and department chairs, facilities services, career services and planning, Student Life, Technology Services and the Division of Institutional Advancement are some of the groups represented. It is currently unclear if these workshops will be repeated in the future, but Hull’s hope is that they will continue for years to come. Accessibility is a complicated and evolving issue, and there is so much that we as a community can do to make Meredith a welcoming place for everyone. One of the most important things for Hull was making sure that students were at the center of this discussion. She emphasized
that this program has been “intentional from its creation” and said the team “made sure from the beginning that every person has and continues to have a voice in the topics chosen and ensuring that all Meredith student’s voices are honored and heard.” Beyond reaching out to Rebecca Simmons and other members of the ADA club, Hull has also created an anonymous testimonial form for members of the Meredith community to share access issues they’ve faced in the Meredith community, both in and out the classroom. Hull is the only one who will receive these reports and will redact any possible identifying information before using them as examples for workshop participants. The hope is that working with these real-life scenarios will help participants understand that these things are a reality which enables them to think about how we can improve in the future. The form can be accessed through the Meredith College Counseling Center & Disability Services Linktree. Overall, Hull hopes that these workshops will embody the idea of “nothing about us without us,” a quote from famous Disability education activist Judy Heumann.
Advancing Accessibility Initiative By Clary Taylor, Contributing Writer Molly Hull, a Meredith alumna from the Class of 2016 and past Meredith faculty member, has been working closely with Disability Services this year to expand disability access around campus. Hull is currently employed as the Accessibility Coordinator for the North Carolina Museum of Art and is affiliated with Arts Access, an organization dedicated to providing access to art for North Carolinians with disabilities. She also works as the Accessibility Consultant for Meredith College. Through her work with Arts Access, she was able to introduce labels, braille and audio descriptions to Weams Gallery in Johnson Hall and to develop an accessibility section for the gallery’s website. All of these experiences working to improve accessibility (and specifically accessibility on Meredith’s campus) led Hull to reach out to Liliana Madrid, Meredith’s DEI Coordinator, and Meredith’s Disability Services office in order to create Meredith’s Accessibility Initiative. The Accessibility Initiative is a five-part workshop series taking place throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Each event is about an hour and a half
long and includes an hour-long information section followed by 30 minutes of practical skill building by working through simulated access barriers based on current Meredith students’ experiences. The first workshop was held on Sept. 16 and introduced participants to the workshop as well as Meredith’s existing accessibility features. In October, the group will discuss disability culture and history and relate it back to college campuses, and Rebecca Simmons, president of Meredith’s Angels for Disability Advocacy (ADA), will give a presentation on disabled student groups. November’s session will focus on attitudinal barriers such as the language we use to discuss disability and acknowledge invisible disabilities, as well as discuss the difference between DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion). Next semester, there will be two workshop series, with February’s session being a technological boot camp where participants will hear about aids like screen readers and learn how to make PDFs accessible and include alt text and image descriptions on online assignments. Finally, March’s session
City Council Candidate to Visit Meredith By Aminah Jenkins, Editor in Chief
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On Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m., Raleigh City Council cadidate Jane Harrison will be visiting Meredith College. The event is sponsored by the Meredith College Democrats Club (also referred to as MC Dems). Harrison is running in District D, which encompasses the Meredith campus. Charlie Hatch, MC Dems co-president, explained that stu-
dents should attend because they are able to hear a candidate and what their main policy objectives are. "Even if you're not [voting] in the Raleigh district, you can ask this person questions, see how their campaign is going and possibly take that knowledge back to your home district," they said. The event will be formatted as a Q&A where students can ask questions and get to know
Harrison, but also learn why she's running for city council and, as Hatch stated, "get to know how she differs [from her opponents]." Hatch also explained that Harrison is a non-partisain candidate, and students should feel welcomed to ask any questions they may have. "We are hoping to bring in as many candidates as possible, espscially the ones within our district," she stated.
Graphic courtesy of MC Dems
THE HERALD
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
October 5, 2022
Entertainment Recommendations in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month By Camila Cardoso-Herrera, Contributing Writer Content warning: this article mentions suicide, war, child abuse, murder/femicide and racism. Hispanic Heritage month is a great time to support the Latinx community through our entertainment choices. The following TV and book recommendations feature Latinx characters and stories.
strength is put to the test.
TV and Film "Gentefield" The show chronicles the story of the four owners of a popshop in Los Angeles: Abuelo Casmiro, an immigrant; Ana, a lesbian aspiring artist; Chris, the career-driven grandson; and Eric who works closely with Abuelo. As they chase their American dream, they face challenges such as gentrification, dealing with ICE and assimilation.
"Romero" Available on Prime Video, Romero explores the story of Romero Pope, a leader during the El Salvadoran revolution. The film follows the mysterious killings of community members and shows what living through a civil war is like.
"Superstore" Superstore is a sitcom on Hulu about the barriers of being a person of color working in retail. The main character Amy, played by America Ferrera, is Latina. As the show progresses, we can see her character development as she moves from a retail position to a corporate role. "La Casa de las Flores (The House of Flowers)" This Netflix Spanish series is about a flower company run by a family with many secrets. The husband owns an LGBTQ+ club and the show explores the LGBTQ+ community in Mexico. When the husband’s mistress commits sucide many secrets come to light and this family’s
"Control Z" Control Z is a Netflix Spanish series. The main character, Sophie, is an outcast who meets Javier, the famous son of a Mexican soccer player. They join forces to find the mystery hacker who exposes the secrets of the popular kids in their school.
"Under the Same Moon" This heart-warming film discusses the challenges a nineyear-old Mexican child faces while crossing the border to be reunited with his mother in the United States. This movie is available on Prime Video. "The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez" A Netflix documentary series, The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez discusses the abusive family that tortured and killed eight year-old Gabriel Fernandez. This docu-series illustrates the failure of the social work system in Gabriel’s life. "The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo (Las Tres Muertes de Marisela Escobedo)" This Netflix documentary and Spanish film is about Mariselda Escobedo, whose husband killed the couple’s daughter. The
film focuses on the corruption of the criminal system in Mexico that has normalized femicide. Marisela embodies the strength of Mexican women as she fights for justice for her daughter. "I’m No Longer Here" This Spanish film is available on Netflix and tells the story of a 17-year-old gang member, Ulises, who is kicked out of his home because he is putting his family in danger. As Ulises journeys to America and faces the challenges of assimilation, he stays connected to his Mexican culture through dancing Cumbia. Books "Reyita: The Life of a Black Cuban Woman Living in the Twentieth Century" by Maria de los Reyes Castillo Reyita follows an Afro-Cuban woman living in Cuba during the Twentieth Century. Reyita discusses the impacts of slavery and generational trauma and fights for justice for freed Afro-Cuban slaves through her work in Cuba’s socialist party. "Moren, Prieto, Brown" by Alejandro Jimenz This book of poetry follows the journey of Alejandro Jimenz as he grows up as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. The book addresses topics such as machismo and cultural identity. "The Blood Poems" by Jessica Helen Lopez This is a collection of poetry where Lopez explores being a single Mexican-American woman facing social injustice.
"Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity" by Paola Ramos This book talks about the journey Ramos endured while redefining what Latinx means. This book includes communities such as the Afro-Latinx community, the trans-Latinx community, and immigrants. "The Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo This book follows the main character Xiao while she attempts to discover her identity despite conflict with her family. Xiao releases her emotions by writing poems. "The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villaicencio A Harvard graduate and National Book finalist, Karla Cornejo Villaicencio talks about her journey as the receptionist for Defered Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the struggles faced by the immigrant community navigating social injustices. These stories range from the undocumented work of clean Ground Zero to two teenage girls whose father is in a sanctuary. "I, Rigoberta Menchu, An Indian Woman in Guatemala" by Elisabeth In Burgos-Debray This book tells the story of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Guatemalan activist, Rigoberta Menchu, and her experiences with social injustice. This book presents community members of Latin America through a feminst and socialist lens.
Angels in Motion
By Kayla Dunn, Contributing Writer Angels in Motion (AIM) is a student run organization that gives students at Meredith the opportunity to take group fitness classes for free. The program is taught by current Exercise & Sport Science students who have obtained their group fitness certifications. The Herald interviewed Abby Black, Class of 2023, who has been teaching the program since her junior year, about the program to learn more about it and the classes that are offered. She said, “There are a range of different classes offered including Strength Training, Barre, Pilates, High Intensity Interval Training (HITT), and more offered throughout the week.” It can be hard to stay active with classes and a busy schedule, but this program allows you to get that workout in without leaving campus or paying
money to access a gym. You don’t need any experience to participate in the classes. Black went on to say that “the instructors are able to adjust the classes to meet all needs, teach proper form for safe/effective training, and create an overall welcoming environment.” According to Black, the pilates course involves “working towards improving full-body strength, flexibility, and endurance while pushing yourself during pilates based exercises!” Barre Blast is “a full body workout focusing on time over tension incorporating basic ballet movements.” In the HIIT course, students “work towards getting [their] cardiorespiratory up also while working out [their] full body, endurance and strength.” The strength training course “is aimed for building strength with resistance
exercises aimed for a full body workout." Black likes to joke that this class is “How to Gym 101” as they "try to utilize different equipment so that [students] can learn proper form that they can apply in their own future workouts.” Strength training is offered on Tuesdays at 4-4:50 p.m. at the Lowery fitness center. HIIT Class is held on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:20 p.m. at the Movement Lab. Barre Blast is held on Thursdays from 6-6:50 p.m. at the Movement Lab. Pilates Fridays are offered every Friday from 10-10:50 a.m. at the Movement Lab.
Graphic courtesy of Abby Black
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OPINION
THE HERALD
October 5, 2022
Maternal Instincts Are a Myth By Evelyn Summers, Senior Copy Editor
I've been burned all my life with the expectation to find a husband, settle down, and have a few kids. This has always been an issue because I don't want to get married, and I seriously do not want to have kids. I mean what part of nausea, illness, swelling, lack of sleep, physical exhaustion, and then the grand finale of often PTSD-inducing, excruciating birth, the after-effects of tearing, stitches, bleeding, incontinence, breastfeeding, the beginning of motherhood and more sounds appealing? Do I even have to bring about the lack of affordable child care, the absence of universal health care, inadequate paid parental leave, skyrocketing housing prices, stagnant wages or high rates of student loan debt? What about the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade? For weirdo conservatives, delaying or avoiding motherhood shows a severe loss of traditional family ideals. In this framework,
women have been manipulated into putting motherhood before educational or professional aspirations for centuries. Parenting has always been considered a natural component of adult existence throughout human history. Women are expected to assume this role of ‘mother’ when they hit the age society decides she's ready to. A giant part of this is that our bodies are supposed to automatically know what to do. Apparently when a woman is born, the doctor downloads the “how to perfectly mother and raise a human being” handbook straight into our brains. Why is it believed that women are biologically inclined to become mothers? It is a very recent – and poisonous – belief that the selflessness and kindness that children require are specifically built into the biology of women and are available at the flick of a switch. It was created over many years by men who sold an ideal-
ized portrayal of what a mother ought to be, deflecting our attention from what she actually is. According to a new study on the parental brain, the notion of maternal instinct as something innate, automatic, and uniquely female is just a myth. A very misogynistic myth that has persisted despite feminists' best efforts to disprove it from the moment it entered public discourse. Dr. Darcy Lockman, the author of “All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership”, says “It’s the love part that is innate, and fathers love their children as deeply as mothers,”. Sure parenting is open to all sexes, but only moms are expected to feel guilty after parental shortcomings. Leta Hollingworth, a psychologist, claimed in the 1916's The American Journal of Sociology that women were coerced into thinking that their highest use was as mothers for
the same reasons that soldiers were coerced into fighting in wars. Conservative politicians who are "pro-family" have been motivated by a belief in maternal instinct and the deterministic power of mother love for decades. It upholds archaic notions of masculinity that teach fathers that they are secondary – helpers, babysitters – and incite mothers to think the same about them. It invalidates same-sex relationships, transgender, and nonbinary parents, whose capacity to raise their children is frequently questioned, as well as their rights and recognition. Natural maternal instinct does not qualify a person for parenthood and shouldn’t bind them to be one. Parenthood shouldn’t be the only qualifier for having “made it in life” and pro-birth individuals need to recognize the hardships of choosing to be a parent or not in these trying times.
The Perpetuation of Female Pleasure in Don’t Worry Darling By Rachel Van Horne, Associate Editor
Content warning: this articlecontains brief mentions of sexual assault and sexual content. Spoilers ahead On Sept. 23, 2022, the long-awaited psychological thriller "Don’t Worry Darling" starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles was released to the masses. The reviews for the film have been just as chaotic and sporadic as the drama surrounding this film. The movie is set in the utopian town of Victory in the 1950’s follows the life of Alice Chambers (Pugh) as she uncovers the secrets of the “town” she calls home with her husband Jack Chambers (Styles). From the beginning of the movie, the audience is made aware that despite its “perfectness,” Victory holds dark secrets that if uncovered could very well cost you your life. In the film, the audience is introduced to Margaret Watkins(Kiki Lane), a woman in Victory who recently went to the forbidden Headquarters and in the process lost her child and
in all senses her mind. As the film progresses, we watch Alice venture out to Headquarters and seemingly suffer the same fate as Margaret. Her perfect life with Jack seems to collapse upon itself in the most unfortunate of ways. It isn’t until the end of the film we learn the true twisted nature of Victory and its inhabitants. I want to discuss two scenes that stood out to me while watching the film and left a rather disgusting feeling after the true nature of Victory was revealed. In the beginning of the film, we watch as Jack Chambers and Alice share a particularly passionate moment on their dining room table. Beyond being mildly awkward initially, this scene seems like an entirely consensual and special moment between the married couple—that is until the second scene where Jack fingers an incredibly uncomfortable Alice in the bedroom of his boss, Frank (Chris Pine). The discomfort of this scene paired with the true realities of Victory left me feeling
The Meredith Herald is Meredith College’s campus newspaper, produced bi-weekly by Meredith students and based in Raleigh, NC. The staff of The Herald is committed to representing our diverse community by publicizing local events, addressing controversy, cultivating civic engagement and empowering students.
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particularly uneasy. Director Olivia Wilde has come under controversy for claiming this film is about female pleasure and female pleasure only. In an earlier interview, Wilde shared, “Men don’t come in this film, only women here!” A grossly misrepresentative statement post watching the film. At the end of the film we learn that truly nothing in Alice's life in Victory was consensual and she’s been held prisoner there by her delusional husband Jack Chambers. Prior to her life in Victory, Alice was a doctor who worked long tireless hours to ensure that both her and Jack could survive. An unemployed Jack, desperate to find a “better” life than the one he shares with Alice in their dingy apartment, turns to Frank, the leader of the Victory project to make a better life. In the process, he entraps Alice within this simulation and takes away the life she worked so hard for.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Aminah Jenkins
SENIOR COPY EDITOR Evelyn Summers
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rachel Van Horne
COPY EDITORS Caroline O'Daniel Clary Taylor
FEATURES EDITOR Freya Dahlgren NEWS EDITOR Shae-Lynn Henderson A&E EDITOR Cady Stanley
PODCASTING DIRECTORS Destiny Calvin Grayson Morris
This film left me with two major unanswered questions. Is female pleasure truly defined as the loss of personal will in order to satisfy the wants and needs of one's partner? And what standards do films like this teach people about the right to give and take consent in both sexual and nonsexual situations? Everyone, regardless of gender, deserves to feel love and pleasure on the grounds that they are most comfortable with. I want to see more than "No Means No" campaigns and halfwritten apologies from rapists who say they did it because the other person “liked it.” Films like "Don’t Worry Darling" further perpetuate the standard that if an individual seems to be “enjoying it” (even if they did not give consent), that it is okay. We need to see more films that condemn these behaviors instead of putting Global superstars in roles that bring out peoples inner rape apologists.
REPORTERS Piper Carriere Khadejra Golding Anna Prince Haileigh West CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stella Bowers Camila Cardoso-Herrera Kayla Dunn Charlie Hatch
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, cont. Gabriella LeBron Danika Ray Abigail Ruehle Rebecca Simmons Sheridan Taylor Cecilia Thompson PHOTOGRAPHERS Lex Hanson