Meredith Herald
Volume XII, Issue 15
January 17, 1996
Raleigh, North Carolina
Dean Page discusses snow policy after storm
By Robin Hollingsworth
Though the blizzard of ’96 didn’t
strike Raleigh with the full force north
ern cities suffered, Meredith students
certainly know the feeling of being
bombarded with ice and snow. The
storm brought life to a virtual standstill
in Raleigh and surrounding areas.
The pleasant Christmas vacation
was extended an additional day as the
ice created hazards for students re
turning to campus. Students were no
tified of the delay through bulletins on
WRAL and 101.5 in accordance with
the official Meredith College snow
policy which reads, “If the college
cancels classes as the result of inclem
ent weather it will run public an
nouncements on the radio station
101.5FMand television station WRAL,
charmel 5. In the event that the college
does not close individual instruaors
still have the option of cancelling
classes. All instruaors must include an
inclement weather statement on their
syllabi, as well as instructions regard
ing how to obtain instructions on any
class cancellations.”
In addition to this, students may
check for cancellations broadcast on
MCTV, by calling the voice mail of
individual instruaors, or by calling
the Meredith College switchboard.
Meredith College, according to Dr.
Page, Dean of Undergraduate Instruc
tion and Registrar, has become increas
ingly aware of its growing commuter
population and is in turn more flexible
and sensitive of driving hazards.
Because of the difficulty in calling a
spectrum of t.v. and radio stations, the
college has limited its notices to these
mediums, said Dean Page. Unfortu
nately the policy was devised with an
in-session semester in mind; Because
the cancellations occurred onthe heels
of winter break the situation grew more
complex, especially in notifying the
faculty, staff and student body.
Upon return to campus, students
found hazardous conditions. The
grounds crew and maintenance worked
with traaor plows and rented equip
ment to ease the situation. However,
the thickness of the ice was particularly
Personality Profile: Amy Harper
By Betsy Stewart
Senior Amy Harper takes a keen
interest in almost everything that hap
pens at Meredith College. If you have
a compliment or a complaint. Harper
wants to hear it. If you are concerned
about heat in the dormitories or com
muter parking. Harper wants to know.
She is chair of the Student Life Com
mittee, an organization whose pur
pose is to direct attention and study to
the concerns and well-being of the
student body, and she and the commit
tee members can make things happen.
The chance to get involved was
one of the reasons Harper chose
Meredith when she was looking at
colleges four years ago. Among the
schools she visited were NCSU, UNC
Charlotte and Meredith. “1 came to an
Open Day,” she said, “and 1 had such a
warm feeling coming down the front
drive, 1 knew this was where 1 was
supposed to be.” Harper added, “the
people were friendly and 1 liked the
fact that it was a women’s college with
small classes. 1 was involved in leader
ship in high school, and I saw lots of
opportunity here.”
Harper has taken advantage of ev
ery opportunity that has presented
itself She has been a member of the
Junior Woman’s Club for four years
and has served as its treasurer, vice
president and president. She has been
a resident assistant and a student ad
viser, she is a member of Tomorrow’s
Business Women, and she served as
Student Life Committee secretary in
her junior year. Harper was recently
named to “Who’s Wio Among Stu
dents in American Universities and
Colleges,” and last semester she was
seleaed for membership in Meredith’s
honorary leadership society. Silver
Shield.
One of her best experiences at
Meredith, Harper says, was going with
Meredith Abroad during the summer
after her freshman year. “1 would love
to go again, and my roommate Nikki
Shearin and 1 always said that’s what
we would do after graduation. Now
we realize we don’t have any money,
so we’re really glad we did it then.”
Harper and Shearin met as high
school seniors while attending a “ Look
ing Toward College” session at
Meredith. They agreed they would
room together if they both decided to
enroll at Meredith, and they have been
roommates since their freshman year.
Harper is a Durham native and a
graduate of Northern High School. “1 ’ve
lived in the same house, same bedroom
for 21 years,” she laughed. She is carry
ing a double major in management and
accounting. Harper would like to go to
graduate school after working for a few .
years. Her spare time is filled with an
internship at a local law firm where she
works as a courier and does general
office work. She said, “they have great
connections there,” and she’s hoping
her internship will pay off in finding a
good job.
“1 like to travel and stay on the go,”
she said. A favorite destination is visit
ing her grandparents at Emerald Isle.
“I’m not much of a reader,” she admit
ted, “and 1 don’t like to sit still. 1 hate to
be cooped up and 1 hate watching TV;
the only show 1 watch is Melrose Place. ”
A hot topic on campus this year,
and an issue that is being addressed by
the senate rather than her committee,
is a change in the male visitation policy.
Harper is against making a radical
change. According to her it is “one
thing that makes Meredith College
unique. It is one reason you came to
Meredith, and it is one of the traditions
that are special to Meredith. If you
throw those away, it won’t be Meredith
College. ” Harper admits that as a fresh
man she thought changing the policy
hard to penetrate and additional ice
accumulation and freezing conditions
did nothing to alleviate the situation.
Salt compounds were also utilized on
the campus roads and sidewalks as an
additional safety measure.
In addition, security was under
standing and reasonable in dealing with
the problems arising, so long as stu
dents did not block the traffic lanes or
create any danger. Dean Page encour
ages all to use their own judgment
above all else in the event that the
sitxiation reoccurs.
was a good idea just because “there
was no place to go on the weekends.”
Now, she says, the older she gets, the
more pride she has in Meredith’s tradi
tions, and she wants to preserve them.
“This will create more problems
than anyone thinks there will be,” she
said, “and the honor code must be
respected in order for male visitation
to work.” She emphasized that the
campus is “our territory and it’s a place
that is special for us.” Her view is that
the student body won’t have the same
closeness if the policy is changed. “It
won’t make or break us,” she said, “but
the bond that is there will be invaded. ”
Harperthinks that small stepsto change
See Harper page 4