April 25, 2001
Meredith Herald^
Campus News
Use National Volunteer
Week to make difference
Meredith senior
discovers love of
Arabic language
LiNDSKY McAdams
staff Writer
Plans change. Just ask any
one you see, including graduat
ing seniors, whose original
plans never seem to turn out
quite like they'd planned—and
they’re the better for it.
A student just like that is
senior DanaTumage. She orig
inally planned to go to graduate
school in religion but that all
changed when she was accept
ed into Vernfiont’s Middlebury
College’s prestigious foreign
language program in Arabic.
According to Turnage the
program will be a “complete
submergence in the language."
She will only be allowed to
speak Arabic during this under
graduate program and has to
pledge that she will do so.
In August she will return to
Raleigh, but soon after return
ing, she plans to join the Peace
Corps so that she can learn
more about the Middle East.
She will be trained for three
months and then assigned to an
area of (he world. She is hop
ing to be assigned to a country
on the Middle Eastern conti
nent, such as Jordan or Tunisia.
She feels that there is a good
chance that she will receive her
assignment in the Middle East
because not many people out
side the Middle East speak
Arabic.
She hopes to eventually get
her master’s degree in Interna
tional Relations and woiic for
the government or a non-profit
Symposium relates science, religion
LisaWslson
Stan wnier
What can you do to get
involved in your community?
Work for Habitat for Humanity,
clean up a polluted creek or
help an older person do yard
work are just some options that
are availabl& for Meredith stu
dents. The Office of Volunteer
Services has been busy plan
ning exciting upcoming events.
This week, continuing
through Saturday, Apr. 28, is
National Volunteer Week,
which, in the Raleigh area, is
sponsored by Triangle United
Way. This Celebration of Car
ing 2001 has many opportuni
ties for everyone to help out
around the community, and the
Office of Volunteer Services
has a list of ways students can
lend a hand in this area.
Activities for individuals as
LEHSIIA AtJSTlN
Layout Editor
The connection between sci
ence and religion, arguably one
of the most interesting topics of
our day, brought students, fac
ulty and staff, and visitors from
the surrounding community to
Meredith's 10 a.m. worship
service in Jones Chapel on
Wednesday, Apr. 18.
Speaker Dr. Anthony J. Mar
tin, professor of environmental
science at Emory University in
Atlanta. Ga., shared his
research and findings in his
message entitled “Spirituality
and Tracking of Indigenous
Peoples.”
Dr. John Mecham, head of
the department of Biology and
Health Sciences, introduced
Martin, who has a Ph.D. in
Geology and whose primary
identity is the study of life
traces.
‘Tracking is the oldest sci
ence," explained Martin. He
continued by asking. "Did spir
ituality come from tracking?"
He elaborated that he views
tracking as both a scientific and
spiritual process.
Martin provided examples
of indigenous peoples and
showed that in viewing the cul
well as groups are available.
Several Meredith students have
already committed to service
projects for the week.
Lynne Wheatley, director of
Volunteer Services, pointed out
that there “are lots of different
opportunities—everything
from Meals on Wheels to child
care.”
Volunteer Services is also
planning a Volunteer Service
Fair to occur in the fall of 2001.
The first ever Service Fair was
held this past fall and was such
a huge success that it is being
done again. Sixty community
service representatives will
have booths set up to let stu
dents know about opportunities
with their organizations.
Wheatley says they are
“excited about making activi
ties available to Meredith Col
tures of these peoples, it is dif
ficult to distinguish science
from spirituality or religion.
According to Martin, track
ing is “a way of connecting" a
person with nature.
He outlined and developed
several points to support his
theory using observations of
the tracking practices of sever
al dilYerent groups of indige
nous peoples.
He explained that trackers
don’t actually observe the ani
mal making the tracks, so “a
leap of faith is involved"
because they must imagine
what the animal that made the
tracks looks like.
Martin next explained that
while analyzing the tracks, a
tracker must “use a visualiza
tion process that involves an
absoqjtion close to prayer or
meditation.”
He related that the trackers'
awareness of astronomical con
cepts such as the moon, stars,
wind and rain is important as
they pay attention to how it
affects the tracks. He added.
“These astronomical concepts
are also inspirational motifs in
many religions."
Martin shared that while
there are “tangible rewards for
lege faculty, students and staff
to meet the needs in our local
community.”
Another exciting adventure
coming up for the Office of
Volunteer Services is a trip to
the Czech Republic. The trip
will begin with helping to
rebuild an old farmhouse, some
gardens and a playhouse for
handicapped children. The
team will be there for 2 to 3
days and then will be moving
on to Navarov.
There, the group plans to
sponsor a creative arts camp
for deaf children. Their stay
will end with activities, events
and even a performance for the
children. The trip will last from
May 26 - June 5. The office is
“ecstatic” about taking this trip
to become volunteers around
the world.
a correct interpretation,” values
which are commonly associat
ed with spirituality such as
humility, lack of ego, and
delayed gr^ification until the
tracking process in completed.
He pointed out that dance
originally came from the imita
tion of animals' movements,
and that these forms of group
celebration have been used in
group spiritual practices.
He closed by saying, “Sci
ence and spirituality may
become indistinguishable in
tracking."
Senior Becca Smith said.
"As a biology major I thought
that it was interesting how he
made several points that scien
tific study can be connected to
religion."
Junior biology major Julie
Rasmus.sen added. “I think that
the idea that science and reli
gion comes from the same
source is one that scientists
don’t often consider"
"I had never thought of [reli
gion] as an aspect of science
before,” commented sopho
more English major Hassie
Hughes.
Susan Squires, a reference
librarian at Meredith,
explained that she was initially
mtrigued by Martin’s topic
because she has a deep interest
for Native American studies,
and she teaches an Honors col-
loquia with John Kincheloe,
media services specialist, enti
tled Native American History
and Cultures.
“In chapel I wish he would
have explained his points fur
ther, although I realize that he
was probably under time con
straints." She added, “I went to
his afternoon lecture, and he
did elaborate further.”
However, Squires explained
that she was concerned that his
approach was more along the
physical aspect of tracking than
the spiritual.
“I felt that he was missing an
important part of Native Amer
ican culture because he did not
deal with the fact that the
Native Americans pray a great
deal before they hunt." she
explained.
Although she had concerns
that he missed an important
aspect of Native American cul
ture, Squires added. “I love it
when we get people like that to
come to campus because it
generates thoughtful discus
sion.”
organization.
But Tumage did not begin
learning Arabic at an early age.
Instead, she took a course in
the fall called the History of
the Modem Middle East with
Dr. Akram Khater, a professor
of N.C. State.
When time came to sign up
for spring classes, Turnage
said, “I had free time and need
ed a foreign language. Dr.
Novak, my adviser, suggested
Arabic, and now I love it.”
Her Arabic professor, Jodi
Khater. noted that Tumage had
no other experience with the
language but was willing to try
something new, saying, “Dana
came to Arabic with no prior
experience in the language; she
has no familial ties to the Mid
dle East and she is not Muslim.
She was determined to speak
out in class, accepting the fact
that she would make errors and
learn from them.”
Turnage is involved in pro
moting awareness about the
Middle East. Currently, she is
doing her senior thesis on
women’s issues in the Middle
East. She recently formed the
Arabic Language and Culture
Club.
At this year’s Academic
Awards Day. Turnage won a
prize for outstanding student of
Arabic.