EREDiTH Herald
Volume XVI, Issue 16
Educating Women to Excel
February 2, 2000
□ Students are
on the hunt for
Alice,
Page 2
On the
inside:
□ Philip Roo^
director of
financial assis
tance, says
good-bye.
Page 3
□ Groundhog
Day is today.
Page 5
Meredith Herald
at
Meredith College
3800 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh. NC 27607
(919) 760-2824
FAX (919) 760-2869
Email;
maxwelU@merediih.edu
Suprise snow blankets Meredith
□ Students
braved the cold for
winter fun; cabin
fever set in.
Leslie Maxwell
Editor In Chief-
As Meredith .students awoke
last Tuesday morning. Jan. 25.
they discovered a prodigal win
ter wonderland outside their
windows.
However, after nearly a
week of no classes, no cars and
nothing to do. they felt more
like “the weather outside is
frightful.”
Reports came that this siorm
wa.s the worst winter storm
Raleigh had seen siiKe the laie
1800s or early 1900s.
Effectively shutting down
(he college, the snow was
responsible for cancellations of
everything from cla.sses to spe
cial activities.
Through the recommenda*
tions of members of the Senior
Management Team, including
Dean of Undergraduate
Instruction Allen Page and
Executive Vice President
Chuck Taylor. President Mau
reen Hartford made the final
decisions about class cancella
tions or delays.
Hartford said that the deci
sions were based on the road
conditions for professors and
commuter students.
“We had concerns
about having them on
the roads,” Hartford
said.
Taylor added that
over 50 percent of
Meredith students are
commuters. He said that,
fifteen years ago. when
about 90 percent of stu
dents lived on campus,
classes would have been
held on some of the
snow days.
Though the spring
semester officially
began on Jan. 12. many
students and teaches feel
as if class has not yet
slaned.
After missing Tues
day, Jan. 18 and the
mornings of Wednesday,
Jan. 19, Thursday. Jan.
20 and Monday, Jan. 24
because of snow and ice,
the Meredith community
thought (he winter weather was
over.
However, a wintery mix
twgan to falll on the evening of
Jan. 24 and eventually covered
Meredith’s campus and the rest
of Raleigh with over 20 inches
of snow.
Thad O’Briant, director of
campus dining services, was
one of the few staff members
on campus last Tuesday.
O’Briant spent every night
Poteal Residence Hall stands behind a seemingly endless field of
snow after last week’s record snowfall. Because of the snow,
Meredith's classes were canceled for four days.
PMOtO BT JtN.NV ALTIEI
•■3EC~, -■ma*
The Meredith lake gleams with ice and snow last week.
PHOrO 81 JSNNV AlTIGR
last week on campus in order to
prepare for meals the following
day. He came in on Monday
evening when the sleet and
snow began to fall.
Tuesday, one cook walked to
campus from the Pullen Park
area. In addition, Rick
McBane, who works in Media
Services in the library, walked
from his nearby home to help
out.
Students from every class
helped O'Briant with meals on
Tuesday, doing everything
from making pizza to cleaning
trays to refilling ice machines.
“They just started volunteer
ing.” O’Briant said.
At lunch. O’Briant estimated
that about 14 seniors helped
out. At dinner, he estimated
about 16 juniors helping.
Junior Elizabeth Jackson
was one of (hose students who
lent a hand to the effort.
“Working in the cafeteria
was fun because we had u good
group,” she said.
Wednesday brought more
dining hall staff members, yet
it was. according to O'Briant.
about 25 percent of the total
staff.
■'As the weather improved,
more people caine in," O'Bri
ant said as more staff came on
Thursday and Friday.
Only a few other statT mem
bers remained on campus dur
ing the snow, including Cam
pus Police.
Sergeant Cedric Venable and
Joe Torissa were the two offi
cers who remained on campus
for 24 hours, advising students
not to leave. Though they could
not drive until early Wednes
day morning. Just knowing
someone was there comforted
many students.
During the week. Campus
Police helped stranded stu
dents. got cars unstuck and
doors unlocked and transported
students to area hospitals.
Campus Police Chief Frank
Strickland said, “We were fw-
tunate that we had two officers
here during the weather.”
Strickland himself returned
to campus on Friday, Jan. 28,
and the entire force returned on
Monday, Jan. 31.
Strickland reported that
Campus Police had made about
15 jump starts, changed about
four flat tires and helped about
25 vehicles get unstuck on
Tuesday, Feb. I.
Please see SNOW
page four