Meredith Herald
Volume Xin, Issue 23 We attract bright, talented, ambitious students. Naturally we're a women's college. April 16,1997
Opinions differ on Weems' renewed tenure
On the
inside;
□ Over 80
Meredith women
were liunored hy
the College at
Monday's
Academic Awards
convocation.
Page 2
U What do
Meredith campus
personalities ha%e
to say about sun
expo.sure?
Page 5
D The Herald
reviews John
Cu.sack'.s new film
Grosse Points
Blank, also
starring Minnie
Driver.
Paj;cK
Alvreditfo Herald
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F.iliail:
□ Trustees "delighted to
announce" Weems'
extended commitment.
Dina DiMaio
Staff Reporter
The Meredith College board of
trustees elected to maiotaio Dr.
Weems’ preseot positim as presideat
of Meredith College for at least three
mwe years, according to board of trust
ees chair Nonnao Kellum.
“It’s apointer for Meredith that he
stay,” tCellum said in a telephone in
terview.
Kellum said the decisioD was made
because Meredith is in a transitional
period since its tveak with the Baptist
State CoDventioD. The break with the
Conventim in February will allow
Meredith’ sboard of trustees lobe self-
perpetuatiug, meaniug the trustees
elect their successors rather than hav
ing successors appointed by the Bap
tist State Convention.
Also, Kellum said, Meredith is
making changes due to the August
1996 curriculum audit, the “Market
ing AuditofMeredichCollege: Aca-
□ Big Sis/ Lir Sis classes
of ■97/’99 sweep STUNT
events Thursday.
RottnHollingswOTth.News Editor
Ariiut Dixon, Editor-in-Cbief
Tlie class of 1997 spun, tugged,
and lip-syoched their way to victory
during “Our Many Colored Meredith
Days," iu STUNT ’97 on Thursday.
April 10. Hie sophomores came in
second, the freshmen third, and the
juniors fourth.
Afteran“indoorpicDic,”thechilly
aftemooa began with the limbo con
test in front of Belle Dining Hall as the
first STUNT event. Representatives
from each class ben t and twisted under
the limbo stick from shoulder-height
all the way down to hip-height in an
effort to take the event for their class.
Sophomores placed fu'St, seniors sec
ond, juniors third, and freshmen fourth.
Thecrowd then moved to the lawn
in front of Vann and lined the chalk
lanes drawn on the grass to watch the
absolutely hysterical batspin. Contes
tants were required to spin around
demic Programs and Administration
Structure” by Stamats Communica
tions, Inc., which listed 174 recom
mendations for Motdilh.
According to Kellum, keeping Dr.
Weems as president gives Meredith
time to "investigate new sources of
revenue.” “With Dr. Weems’ 27 or so
years of work, we feel he's in the best
position to help us fmd those revenue
sources now that we are no longer a
denominational school,” Kellum said.
“In a Nutshell, “ Meredith’s staff
publication, stated that Kellum said
the trustees “voiced a strcmg convic
tion thatstabiUtyintheCoUege’slead-
ership is vital” as die school adjusts to
new changes, such as Initiative 2000.
KeUum also stated in that publication
thatMo^dith’simpressive growth over
the past few years is a result of Weems
and the campus community combin
ing their ideas to move Meredith for
ward.
President Weems said that it had
been his mginal plan to retire in 1998.
“Two years ago, the board asked me to
stay for seven more years,” he said.
See TRUSTEES page 7
with their forehead to a bat, and then
run to the end of the lane and back. The
seniors were crossing into the sopho
more lanes, the juniors were falling
face-down, and the fteshmen were tak
ing out spectators along the way. MRA
memberCourtneyLancasto'said,“The
bat spin is my favorite because people
just go crazy.” The seniors won the
event, with the juniors coming in sec
ond, fresbmen third, and sophomores
fourth.
The three-legged race, another
event full of trips and Ms, entertained
the spectators next.
Each pair had to put one leg each into
a pillowcase, run down to the end of
the lane and back, and then pass the
pillowcase the next pair. The sopho
mores won this event, the seniors came
in second, freshmen third, and the jun
iors were disquali^ed.
The next event involved softball
cleats and leatho' gloves; tug-of-war.
The seniors swept this event by defeat
ing both the juniors and the fi^shmea
in a battle of yelling, grunting, and
female upper arm stroigth. Freshmeo
came in second, sophomores third, and
□ Faculty member
displeased with procedure
and decision.
Dr. Bernard Cochran
Religion E)epanmeDt
Since I have always been an advo
cate of the Herald addressing impor-
tantissues affecting theMereU Eh com
munity — rather than just addressing
such limited topics as excessive noise
in the dining bailor trash in the lake—
I am willing to respond to the inquiry
regarding faculty (^imcm concerning
trustee action extending President
Weems’ contract for another three
years.
My assessment is that, m general,
^ulty opinion is decidedly negative
on two counts; procedure and the deci
sion itself. Regarding pfocedure, ^-
ulty are dismayed that the opinion of
the ^ulty, the student body, nor the
alumnae — all of whom are affected
by the decision — was not sought
beforehand. This is e^>ecial]y regret
table since the department heads were
informed in the fall to expect an immi
nent announcement of the president’s
retirement With no prior explanation
or consultation with the ^ulty, there
was simply the announcement made in
the campus nev^ publication, “In a
Nutshell,” of a done deal — no ques
tions necessary. This is college gover
nance by e-mail!
With regard to the decision itself,
I regret to say that the reaction of the
faculty is negative, bordering on de
spair. In all fairness, during President
Weems’ long tenure be has been re
sponsible for some decisions and plans
which have benefited the college
greatly — from new buildings to in
creased endowment Howevo', be has
also made some decisions which have
alienated faculty, students, and alum
nae alike. Unfortunately, mostof those
negative decisions have come about in
recent years. There has been a student
sit-in dononsn^tion in opposition
the presidoit; there has been informal
faculty discussion of the need or wis
dom of a faculty vote of no-confidence
in the leadership of the president; and
there have been numot>us expressions
of alumnae unrest regarding actions
See FACULTY page 7
couldn't stop seniors
juniors fourth.
Balloon toss and sponge toss
moved the crowd
across the court
yard in front of
Brewer. Chief
Hoke, Jennifer
Corrigan (Vann
RD), Dr. Grimes
(biology), and Dr.
Ellis (human en
vironmental sci
ences) volun
teered for the
frigid job of bal
loon/ sponge tar
gets. Freshmen
won the balloon
toss.juniorscame
in second, sopho
mores third, and
seniors fourth. In
the sponge toss,
juniors came in
first, freshmen
and seniors tied
for second place,
and sophomores
came in last
See STUNT page 7
Chilly temperatures