Meredi^ Herald
Volume xm, Issue 21 We attract bright, talented, ambitious students. Naturally we're a women's college. March 26,1997
Does St. Mary's closing affect us?
On the
inside:
□ The History/
Politics Club
sponsors a student-
designed Praise
Quilt in honor of
Women's History
Month.
Page 2
^ Meredith's
leunis fe;iin plu\ed
at the Spring
Break Tournament
in Bermuda a few
weeks ago.
Page 4
J The lltraU
reviews Jim
Carrey's new
schtick coine]y
Liar, lUar whicta®
opened March 21.
8
Meredith lleraM
sU
Meredith College
5800 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 829-2824
EmaUb
dixona@meredftb^ei^
□ Saint Mary's demise
brings prospective new
students to Meredith.
Emily Fulghum
Staff Reporter
On Thursday, March 6, Saint
Mary’s College decided to close its
dcmrs to incoming freshmen, 70 years
after thejunior college was established.
This decision outraged many associ
ated with the school, especially the 60
incoming freshmen who no longer have
a place in next fall's class.
This means that these young
women are scrambling for slots on
oihercampuses and the area women’s
colleges. Peace and Meredith seem to
be very willing to lend support and
cooperation to soothe frazzled nerves
and help in their frantic search.
Christie Hill. Interim Director of
Admissions at Peace College said,
“Peace College has received 22 in
quiries from Saint Mary’s students
and 11 acceptances have been ex
tended. This is up from zero apphca-
lions from Saint Mary’s suidents ear
lier this year.” Sherry Boykin, Direc-
□ Students invited 130
lil' friends, a record'
brealdng number.
Robin Hollingsworth
News Editor
This past weekend Meredith stu
dents played hostess to a whole new
generation of pnsspec-
live Angels and young
men, Children between
(he ages of five and 12
came to spend a few
nights on campus for Lil’
Friends Weekend. This
annual event is a long
time sponsored MRA
tradition. It allows sm-
dentsthechaoce to share
in tbe fun of campus life
with their young friends.
For a four-year-old
from Fayetteville named
Kara, the activities were
a long awaited treat. This
was her second taste in
participating in the Lil'
Friends weekend with
tor of Communications at Peace went
on to say that they anticipate a steady
increase in applications from Saint
Mary’s students and that Peace looks
forward to helping in any way they
can.
But bow will the upheaval at Saint
Mary’s affect us here at Meredith? Is
SaintMary’s going to see amass exo-
dusdown Hillsborough St. to our four-
year institution?
Meredith's Vice President Chuck
Taylor stated “I don’t thiok it will have
a significant impact on us. We always
get some transfers. But since Saint
Mary’s no longer offers a junior col
lege, I think that we may see a slight
increase in the number of students wbo
would have chosen Saint Mary’s for
their freshman year.”
But Director of Admissions Sue
Kearney said, “We began receiving
calls on the very day the announce
ment came from students who bad
applied here, butdecided to go to Saint
Mary’s, and now wanted to re-submit
their applications. I am working with
about 35 Saint Mary’s students right
now, and I think tbe decision will cer
tainly have an impact on the number of
her big friend Carol Swink. class of
•98.
Kara had been looking forward to
the clowns and balloon animals she
had loved since last year. This year she
found herself in the spotlight at Satur
day night’s karoke. “She sang three
songs; she just loves being in front of
people. Kara’s so outgoing”, said
transferstudents,” Agreeing withTay-
lor, Kearney did go on to say that they
look forward to "more [Saint Mary’s
students] applying as freshmen here in
the future, and we will try to maintain
our good working relationship.”
Some Saint Mary's alums think
that the competition from Peace and
Meredith was just too great and that
the closing and subsequent dash to
area women’s colleges was inevitable.
A 1991graduate of Saint Mary'sbigb
school and 1993 graduate of thejunior
college said, "I think that they made
the right decision. Tbe girls at Saint
Mary's are all bright, fun girls, but the
students in the high school were al
ways a lot more focused than the ones
in college. It was hke those were two
years they could blow off until they
could transfersomewhereelse. Maybe
this decision will motivate them to
choose a more competitive four-year
school.”
In a lime when women's colleges,
in this area especially, seem to be evolv
ing in preparation for the next century
of young women, another former
graduate of Saint Mary’s points out
Swink.
Kara wasn’t alone; according to
Leigh Stensvad and Kristie Stallings,
co-chairs of the event, everyone made
the most of karoke night. “Almost ev
eryone, including us big kids, got a
chance to sing,” said Stallings.
See FRIENDS page 7
The price of
freedom from
academics
□ High graduation cost
necessary, says the
administration.
Beth Hall
Staff Reporter
"1 trust they (Meredith) will do
whatis appropriate withit,”saysMary
Markette, a December graduating se
nior, about the graduation fee.
When tallying up graduation ex
penses, the consensus among graduat
ing seniors is that (for the most part)
the expenses are reasonable. Seniors,
such as Lisa Rockefeller, say gradua
tion expenses are “just fme,” The only
expense that seems to cause any sort of
coQtroversy is the mysterious gradua
tion fee.
“Graduation expenses must be paid
for from somewhere,” says Allen
Bunis.deanoftbecollege, “andcharg-
ing seniors a graduation fee is fairer
than raising tuition for all students.”
Senior Angie Edrington, along
with others, wonders “what exactly
does the graduaion fee cover.”
Burris says that tbe fee “is not
designated for anything in particular.”
All graduation fees are pooled to pay
for diplomas (around S30 each), di
ploma covers, Bibles (given to each
senior), maintenance (for ceremony),
reception costs, speaker fees, and over
time pay for secretarial worL
The installation of a December
graduation ceremony, as well as a May
graduation, also increased graduation
costs. Allof tbecosts mentioned above
must also be dealt with for December
graduations.
Twenty-five years ago graduation
ceremony attendance was mandatory
for graduating seniors. Now, seniors
have a choice whether or not they will
attend the ceremony. All graduating
seniors must pay the fee even if they
will not attend the ceremony. Burris
feels this is reasonable because the
priceof thediploma, plus mailing costs,
plus seaetarial work stilt needs to be
paid for with the fee.
Tbe graduation fee is no new idea.
‘The fee has always been here,"’ says
Burris. When Burris first came to
See PRICES page 7
lunior Meltssa Bladcwo^ and her littk sistw and Lil' FHend Olivia Blackwood of Apex enioy
the sunshine and afternoon snack Saturday during the carnival. Rachael Polich
that “it’s nice to have a place to go.”
Lir Friends Weekend biggest ever