Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Sept. 1, 1999, edition 1 / Page 2
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Meredith Heraid September 1,1999 2 Campus News Special Olympics came to Meredith this summer Christina Hoider News EditOf The Special Olympics World Summer Games broughc over 140,000 athletes from over 150 countries and over 35,000 vol unteers to the Triangle this summer. Athletes competed in sports ranging from swimming to bocce ball at venues in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh from June 26-July 4. 1999. Meredith College became a part of the Games when the campus was transformed into the World Games Festival. TTie campus became home not only to spectators and athletes, but to such entertainers as the Rmbers and Peter, Paul and Mary who perfonned there. Concerts, balloons, food, games, and various booths dot ted the campus during the Games. With such a large event being hosted by Meredith, stu dents, faculty and staff were encouraged to be involved. “There was a massive amount of people from all over the world at the Festival," said junior Krystal Tyndall, a Resi dence Director in Poteat this summer. “I was overwhelmed On Sunday. Aug. 29th, the Gaddy Hamrick Art Center hosted a reception honoring three different groups. The faculty exhibition that has hung from May 2 will be taken down Sept. 5, and the reception served as a closing celebration. It was a last oppor tunity to see the personal direc tions that faculty are exploring in their own artwork. Senior Madge Duffey exhib ited her graphic design portfo lio, which included her layout plans for a past Meredith Acorn and Oak Leaves and designs for the commemorative alum nae mural that is in Cate Cen ter. However, the focus of the reception was to honor the art work of participants in the 1999 Art in Italy program, hosted by the art department. This five-week-long trip, led by art professor Maureen Banker, allowed students to with how so many people from so many different places could come together at one event,” said Tyndall. Cheryl Jenkins and Dena Price, director and assistant director of the Office of Stu dent Activities and leadership Development, also volunteered at the Festival. “Our official titles were Security Access Control Officers,” said Jenkins. Their jobs? “Wc helped with parking, traffic control, and were there to be a prescence throughout.” said Price. Directing people on to campus explore, paint, and draw in Flo rence and Sansepulcro. Participants in the program were Claire Campbell, Julie Anna Dimmock, Katie Hilbert, Angela Saladino. Emily Scott, Emily Soldin. and Emily Stephens. The work that they brought back to display covers a number of media, including acrylics, walercolors, draw ings, collages, and pho- was integral in having the day run smoothly. ‘Traffic in the afternoons was big for us. but it was exciting to see so many people on campus," said Price. Meredith students also vol unteered at other venues across the Triangle. Junior Emily Cash volunteered as an announcer for basketball games in Durham. “I wanted to volunteer for my community, and I wanted to be part of the biggest event going on in the country." said Cash. Being the announcer allowed her to get a glimpse of the athletes in tographs. Some students had their scrapbooks and sketch books on display at the opening for viewers to look through. Senior Emily Stephens described the trip as “a really good experience” and said she was “surprised at the amount of inspiration” that she ftmnd in Italy and the multitude of things to draw from. The Art in Italy show will be up until action. ‘They have so much determination and confidence. It made me appreciate their perserverance in all they do.” said Cash. Price, who lived in Barefoot Hall this summer, got to meet many of the athletes. “It was great to talk to them and inter esting to learn about their cul tures,” said ft’ice. Price gave an example of how different cultures adapt to new places by saying, ‘The athletes from Africa asked to have the air conditioning turned off. They were not used to the cold!” Dr. Jean Jackson, vice presi dent for the Office of Student Development, volunteered at the Festival in Volunteer Ser vices. Her job was to check in volunteers, check creditials, distribute extra unifonns and in her words, “to make sure the Coke and water containers were well .stocked for the vol unteers.” Jackson got involved with the Olympics a couple of years ago when her niccc led Volun teer Recruitment, a job that required she find 35,000 volun teers for the Games. “I think when you vest yourself in a volunteer job. you get so much back.” said Jackson. “Being around the athletes was tremendously humbling, and working with the other volun teers was a lot of fun.” Jackson also commented on the openness and determina tion in the atheletes. “So often we walk around guarding our hearts. Our masks are so intact,” said Jackson. The ath letes, in Jackson’s eyes, were not afraid to accept others and be themselves. Ayana Rhodes, a Residence Hall Amabassador at Meredith during the Games, agrees: “The athletes-I was in love with them! I had pictures taken with them, and they would give me flowers from the Festival. Some of them even taught me Russian." Rhodes worked at the front desk of dorms calling different venues, scheduling transportation and directing calls, which gave her many opportunities to meet the ath letes. “The atheletes were so great!” .said Rhodes. When the Summer Games ended with the last trading of a collector’s pin, the exchange of addresses from France to Yugoslavia, and the final burst of fireworks of the closing cer emonies, atheletes, spectators, and volunteers each carried a medal of their own away. “I will do it again. This reaf firms my committment to vol unteer. I have worked from being in the residence halls to being a hugger at the finish line. It is all so rewarding,” said Price. Jackson agrees: “The Spe cial Olympics movement is so remarkable in the goodness of the organization. I think there was an amazing amount of joy in the servicc. To see the sup port from families and the joy the athletes had in their medals was quite a remarkable experi ence.” A photograph by junior Katie Hilbert hangs in the Art in Italy exhibit. Photo by Ij^slie Maxwell Wednesday Worship September 8,1999 10:00 a.m. Jones Chapel t Speaker: Anna Kate Ellerman Associate Campus Minister Come and meet our new associate minister, Anna Kate. She is a graduate of William and Mary and is in her second year at Duke Divinity School Athletes from Ohio display their medals at Meredith. Photo by Ayana Rhodhs Art students share works from Italy AnsYU'iN Browning Guest Writer
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