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November 8, 2000 Meredith Herald Campus News Student’s dreams come true in South Africa LiNEKEY McAdams staff Wetter Meredith senior Amanda Deutscher spent her junior year making a life-long dream come true; she studied in South Africa and learned about the culture and people, as well as the country's problems. During the full year she was there. Aug. 3, 1999 through Aug. 4, 2000, Deutscher stud ied at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzberg, which is in the province of Kwa-Zulu, Natal. She lived on campus with seven other men and women in apartment-style housing. Most of the seven were Zulu, one of the black ethnic groups in South Africa. Deutscher, a psychology major, took classes in South African literature. Islam in Africa and living religions. She learned about Islam, African Traditional Religions. Hin duism and Buddhism in the South African context in her Living Religions class. The remainder of the year, she lived with an Indian family. Deutscher said the family “took me in like I was their daughter,” calling them wel coming and loving. “It was amazing to be fully immersed in another culture: experiencing a different way of living, from religion (o food,” Deutscher said. “It was an enriching and profound experi ence.” Deutscher found the experi ence “incredible” but some times very difficult because of the social and political situa tion diere. Apartheid, the prac tice of separatism in which non-whites were completely marginalized, ended in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela as president. But though apartheid is over, Deutscher noted that the effects are still present. E)eutscher said she could not connect with many whites because of their differences in thinking, noting that racially. South Africa could be com pared to the United States dur ing the sixties. She added, though, that in America in the 196(h. there was hope, both economically and socially, but most South Africans have little hope. Deutscher felt drawn to South Africa because she “wanted to be in a place enriched and full of different cultures and lifestyles.” After learning about Mandela. Deutscher became interested in South Africa. Deutscher said she did not have culture shock upon arrival in South Africa, but she noted that readjusting since she returned has been extremely difficult. Deutscher noted that she is much more globally aware; she does not think that she wants to live in the United States after graduation. Deutscher cited U.S. materi alism as a main reason for wanting to leave. Africa, in Deutscher's opinion, had not modernized enough for materi alism to have overcome the social structure; the focus of society was based more on people and relationships. While in South Africa, Deutscher worked for the Pro gram for Survivors of Vio lence. run by a non-govem- mental organization, llie orga nization offered psychological support for South Africans who had been affected by political violence. Because of her experiences, Deutscher wants to work in developing countries in com munity development. She is considering getting a teaching certificate in English as a sec ond language. Currently, she’s thinking about graduate school in education, psychology or international relations. But ask Deutscher about her trip, and she’s likely to tell you that her dream really did come true. Indeed, [>eutscher not only met but also spoke to Mandela himself. Mecham brings experience to Meredith Jennifer Boyce staff WrHer Among the many new faces seen at Meredith this fall, one is the face of a man with a diverse background and many aspirations. E>r. John Mecham, the head of the department of biology and health sciences, joined Meredith’s community at the beginning of this semes ter. Though he was bom in Bal timore, MD, Mecham spent most of his childhood in Vir ginia. During his preteen years he spent two years in Liberia. West Africa with his family. His father worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and his family was one of six fami lies from the U.S. to live there and apply modem agricultural procedures to local farming. It was this experience that prompted his interest in science and his strong interest in tropi cal medicine. Mecham received his BS in biology and a Ph.D. in Zoolo gy. both fix>m Virginia Tech. Joining the faculty here at Meredith also brings several new responsibilities. As the head of the department. Mecham is responsible for leading and coordinating vari ous events such as scheduling, creating budgets and assess ment. Mecham left Catawba Col lege in Salisbury, N.C., to come to Meredith. There he served as the chairperson of the biology department. During his career, he has served as divi sion chairperwn and associate dean at the College of New Rochelle, which is north of New York City. He has also worked at the University of South Carolina and Stratford College in Virginia. “I see new, exciting and innovative learning taking place here,” said Mecham, who came to Meredith because of a resurgence of the interest in the sciences. The planning for a new building for science and mathematics is a clear example to Mecham that progress is occurring. The quality and diversity of the biology faculty is part of what attracted Mecham to Meredith. He values their enthusiasm for biology as well as their high standard of excel lence. “Leadership is not defmed as change but by help ing others achieve goals,” said Mecham. Mecham hopes that biology students will represent Mered ith at various forums by pre senting their research. In the past he has had students pre sent their research at the meet ing of the Tri Eteia Biology Honor Society and the North Carolina Academy of Science. “The college as an institu tion is in a geographical setting which makes possible the doing and practicing of science at the cutting edge,” said Mecham, who views this posi tion as one of Meredith’s innate strengths, citing the Research Triangle Park and other univer sities in the vicinity. Mecham's research interests are in comparative physiology and parasitology. Being in q research environment with stu dents and wxking one on onq or in small groups is hiq favorite part of teaching. Last year at Catawba he worked to develop an interdis-> ciplinary course in science anc| religion similar to the Honors colloquium taught at Meredith^ He has a strong interest in thei way humans interpret the world both scientifically and in terms of beliefs, which was the focus of this course. He saiq that much early scientific research was done within reli gious structures and contexts. Throughout his career anj experiences in sciencq Mecham he has had opportunit ties for travel. He went tq Belize, Central America with a group of students in a tropica) ecosystems class irom Cataw^ ba College. He also went to th^ Dominican Republic, where he did consulting work with his son, who was with the Peace Corps. Mecham, who taught in a women’s college for fourteen years, has enjoyed his time at Meredith so far. “I learned long ago an appreciation for the high level of intellectual dis course that can go on in women’s colleges,” added Mecham. Dr. John Mecham Is the newest member of Meredith’s biology department. He is adviser to Beta Bela Beta, the biological honor society. Photo by Heathe* Thomson
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Nov. 8, 2000, edition 1
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