Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / April 3, 2002, edition 1 / Page 3
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Campus News News Briefs AHH/SPRIMCilTttf SMttL Of fReSH FUWCBft... TH« &UUN9 OF «*MS CH\RvmC|... Ttt€R6‘5 JUST- M" TrtiS'-nMe di» stAft! tT'S ?dU€M. W Kirnly •WU^'W 54-x4JU*#U z«02.rV\ The Campus Forum Commencement speaker: What does UNC and NC State have on Meredith? n Why caa’t we attract big names like our surrounding colleges have done? JONi Smith Features Editor It is official. Author and entrepreneur Marion l.una Brem will speak at Meredith’s commencement. Now let's talk about it. Students and people within the Meredith community want to know why UNC will host John Edwards and NC State will host the Washington Post's William Rasberry, but Meredith will host an author and rather successful entrepreneur-but still a speaker without the notability of the big names area schools have drawn. While Brem appears to be a high prospect for a speaker- after all. she does own six busine.sses in a male-dominat- ed business world-the question that still lingers in the back of many student, staff, faculty and alumnae minds is this: Why can’t Meredith attract prominent professionals when other schools in our area can? Some have suggested the reason behind this is because Meredith is a small school. However, Sweet Briar Cof- lege, a small women’s col lege in Virginia, will be host ing Hilary Clinton this May. Meredith’s size has noth ing to do with its inability to attract well-known speakers. Why don't we look a bit further to determine what the real issue really is behind all of this? Is it the emphasis on traditions and leadership seminars instead of academics? Maybe this misplaced emphasis is also the reason that the News and Observer prints more about Cornhuskin' than on Meredith’s students and clubs excelling in academic areas. After all. we are here to get an education, right? Or are we paying our ever-increasing tuition to do icc-breakers and make posters? Meredith College is fortunate enough to have excellent staff and teachers and capable students. This is no different from UNC or NC State. And I w'ould go so far as to say that the qualify of education and the opportuni ties available to students far exceed what a larger public university can offer. I can say that. I’ve taken classes at both institutions and still prefer my education at Meredith. The only difference is those schools have reputations built upon academic excellence and not on their extracurricu lar activities. Politics is involved in everything and getting a commencement .speaker is no different. These speakers have to get something out of preparing a .speech and taking time out of their schedules to travel to various schools. The mere notoriety of an honorary degree that com mencement speakers get for presiding over graduation ceremonies at UNC or NC State is often a large factor in a candidate’s willingness to accept the task of delivering a commencement address. Unfortunately that notori ety is not as readily given to those who speak at Meredith, and frankly, that is a problem. Isn't our graduation ceremony w orth enough to the administration to get a speaker people in the audience recocnize? Dear Editor, I was disheartened to read about the formation of Angels for Life. I’m pro-choice but believe that everyone is enti tled to their own opinions. However, I was distressed to see that one of the club’s goals is education. People who are against abortion are going to be bia.sed in educat ing about abortion. They fear they can’t give "facts” without putting their opinions in too. I worked at an abortion clin ic, so I know what goes on during the procedure. I don't need a pro-life group to ’■edu cate” me. I’m afraid that this club is going to dispen.se misinforma tion in the name of "facts.” Abortion is very controversial. Both sides have their own agendas-no matter what they say. Pro-choice wants women to have the freedom to choose what to do with their bodies. Pro-life wants us to care about the unborn child above the mother. It wasn't until 1973 that women were given control over their own bodies. I just don't want students given information that isn't true. Plus. I’m sure there are Meredith women who have had an abortion. A club like this could bring up painful issues for the.se wotnen. We’re all entitled to our opinions, but it shouldn't be at the expense of others. Lindsey McAdams Class of 2()03
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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April 3, 2002, edition 1
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