December 3,1997
Icrald
Campus Opinion
POINT
COUNTERPOINT
Which gender should fill the Meredith presidency?
So, President Weems has teodered bis res-
igDatioD. Wbal next? A search committee must
look for the next president of Meredith Col
lege.
I’d like to offer my two cents: Hire a
woman.
Now this isn’t some aflinnative-xijon,
ultra-foninist man-bating statemenu No, in
deed, I believe in fmdmg the best person for the
job. But I also believe the best person for the job
is a woman.
Wbat tbis college needs is a president who
bas a strong, collaborative leadership skills.
We need someone who brings a level of per
sona] understanding to the college. We need
someone who deals with people on a personal
level. And we need someoue who is a role
model for the students.
These skills and qualifications come from
bdng a woman. Now I’m not suggesting that
we should just hire a woman without a mind to
wo± experience. But finding a woman who
bas experience in fund raising, administra
tion, and managemeui is a lot easier today than
it was 25 years ago. Clearly, if Duke Univer
sity could hire Nan Keohane and UNC could
hire Molly Broad, Meredith could find a
woman with exceptional qualifications and
the right temperament to work with faculty,
staff, students, and the trustees.
Qualified women are out there. And
frankly, they’re not far away. An editorial in
the Raleigh News and Observer suggested
Deborah Stewait of NCSU. A friend of the
college suggested Jeanette Hyde, former am
bassador to Barbados and influential Noitb
Carolina politico. My own wish list includes
Salisbury native Elizabetli Dole.
Talk about hiring tbe “best p^wn" all you
want. Recognize that tbe best person is a
woman.
• O.O.H.
Who should be tbe next president of
Meredith? This will be tlie most talked about
issue on tbis campus over tbe next year, and
one response will likely be: “I don't know, but
it better be a woman.” Is it necessary for us to
judge the candidates based on tlieir gender?
Instead of going into tlie search wiili ilie bias
for a woman to lead tbe college intu tlie uext
millennium, the focus should be ou finding
tbe best qualified candidate for ilie Job.
Being a woman is not a quulification.
Meredith bas spent tbis year focusing on fmd-
ing a “vision,” and the best [H-esident will be
able to cany out that vision - man or woman.
It seems obvious that President Weems’ re-
tiremeot and tbe college’s search for a new
vision go band and band. I'm all for a more
active and visible president on this campus,
one who knows more than a few students, but
just because tbe current presideut is a man
docs not mean tlie keeper of our vision has to
be a woman.
Students have said, "We need a woman to
be a role model for our college.’ Ask yourself
how a woman president, or any [H-esidcnt at
all, actually affects your goals or success in
school. Tliejob of tlic president is to beafund-
raiserand a leader of tlie stalTand faculty. If a
man is chosen to replace Presideut Weems,
and be imfsx) ves tbe college, then why can't he
be a role model? Tbis college needs tbe best
president available, not just the best woman
we can find.
To weigh in my vole on the questionof
tbe year, I say tbe search should be open-
minded and blind to anything but real qualifi
cations. Would you want the people you lead
to know you got a job because “it better be a
woman?”
■O.O.C
Family holiday stress
SANHEMARTIH
CounseinjC«nte(
December is oneof die most stress
ful months of tbe year for college stu
dents. Academic pressures are rising
as tbe semester comes to its hair raising
climax, and family issues become
prominent as we get closer to visiting
home. The holiday season itself can
iHing on a whole set of stressors. Sea
sonal parties, family issues, and com
munity and church responsibilities ae-
ate additional social demands, and
many will experience stress and tbe
“holiday blues” related to family con
flicts, losses, and separation.
Recognizing and eliminaing the
stressors in life is tbe best way to pro
tect ourselves from tlie mental and
physical wcar-and-tear that stress
causes. Tbe causes of stress are varied
and can change rapidly. Some of tlie
most common stressors are tliose cre
ated out of personal demands we place
on ourselves, such as perfectionism,
cootFol, passivity, impatience and ri
gidity. Often these traits uim into ex
ternal pressures; for iustance, when we
are not able to be assertive about say
ing “no,” we then become stressed by
being over-committed. Recognizing
these personal vaits is tlie first step in
working to overcome them.
Ironically, because tlie holidays
represent family and family unit, it is
alsocommonforpeople to be depressed
by their family if U lacks an imagined
or wished for sense of unity. Some
families are relatively healthy but
su^ggle to let their children grow up
and become adults. This can cause a
young adult to be angry and frustrated
and to struggle in going home as if they
were to step backwards in indepen
dence. Others may have been well over-
protected during their early years and
now sU'uggle to leave home and are
overwhehned by those feelings during
tbe holiday season once settled into
family life elsewhere. Some families
are more dysfunctional, with past
abuses or neglects leaving a person
with an emptiness that becomes mag
nified during this season which sym
bolizes family, closeness and a peace
that they may not feel. It is important
to be in loucb with the sadness and
grief and to direct it apprc^riately,
rather tlian direct it towards friends or
other distracting issues. It is important
to share it privately with a close friend,
in a journal, or in your liead ou tl]e way
home.
Finally,itiscriticaltocreaie‘safety
plans' for going home if you predict a
struggle, i.e.plan aplione conversation
or a lunch with a friend following a
difficult family event, practice deep
breathing, drive away (politely excus
ing yourselO, or take a breather in tbe
bathroom. Dosometbiug. Haveacom-
fortand safety plan before going home.
Come to the STRESS FREE ZONE and PANCAKE BREAKFAST
sponsored by the Student Development Staff
at Coffee with Friends.
Thursday December 4th at 8:00 PM.
Cost is $1.00. All are invited for food, games,
pillow fights, and much more!!!
WANTED: RELIABLE stu- S
dent to help with after school child
care of three children ages 4,8, and
11. Must have own transportation.
Have immediate need for Monday
afternoons, and hours may increase
with changes in job situation. Please
callMimiMcCullyat676-7157(H)or
467-5543(W).
BUSY MOM NEEDS HELP!
Wonderful 2 yearokJ daughter great
child-oriented neighborhood; kmking
at 3 days a week, possibly more later.
.ASSIMKDADS
CHILDCARE: N. Raleigh for 8
y/o girl. Beginning in January—after
school; 2 afternoons per week includ
ing one eveniug, approx. 10 hours/
week. Refs and trasportation required.
Please call 845-1448.
GET PAID to shop, eat out and
more! Free details. Send self-addressed
stamped envelope to Business Basics,
P.O. Box 97-SP, West Berlin. NJ
08091-0097.
Call Courmey Banko @ 845-8453.
PAPA JOHN’S PIZZA is now hiring 2Q drivers and 2Q inside employees
immediatley. Earn up to $15/hour, cash paid nightly, weekly pay checks, 401K
plan, driver incentive plan. Very flexible hours, full or part-time. 50% discount
on all pizzas. Now hiring for our “new” location in north west Raleigh - 6510
Glenwood Ave. 786-9900 or 2712 Hillsborough St. 834-7272 (the #I Papa
John’s in the country). We will give you assign on bonus if you work at least
30 days. Any qu&tions call Kristine at 850-9798.
LXCELLENT
EXTRA INCOME NOW!
ENVELOPE STUFFING — $600 - $800 every w«ek
Free Details: SASE to
International Inc.
1375 Coney Island Av«.
BrooMyrt, York 11230
FEMALE ROOMMATE
WANTED to share house in N. Ra
leigh with two other female room
mates. House is located in a quiet
devclopmeut called Neuse Crossings.
S335/mo includes all utilities with
exception of your own phone line.
House bas washer/dryer, fireplace,
high ceilings. Your room has cable
which is included in rent. I have one
cat. Sorry, no other pets. Please caU
Linda at 217-9821. Available Dec.
19th or thereafter - Jan 1st ok.
Temporally lease is fine.
NANNY/CHILD CARE: For 7
yr. old, after school in my Nwtli Ra
leigh home; Approx 3 - 6:30 p.m. Must
be dependable, experienced, have ref
erences and transportaiion. Serious re
sponses only, please call 844-3665.
PART-TIME BABYSITTER
na‘ded as soon as possible. Monday-
Friday, 2:30-6:30 pm. Pick up two
children at kindergarten and daycare.
Must liave reliable transportaion, non-
smokers only. Call Melinda or Jay
Bissett at 481-3634 to arrange an in
terview.