Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Nov. 6, 2002, edition 1 / Page 6
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Submit a letter to the editor! E-mail smithjo@ meredith.edu 6 CAMPUS OP/ED Homeless children get little help from Meredith EDITOR’S CORNER JONI SMITH Editor-In-Chief It has recently been brought to my attention that several Meredith students recently camped out on campus in order to raise money for homeless chil dren to go to camp in West Virginia and to bring the issue of homelessness to the attention of the Meredith community. These students kept a basket outside their boxes to collect money to go toward Scottie’s Place, an oiganization whose goal is to give homeless children the opportunity to experi ence camp fiin and be a normal child for a period of time. According to these stu dents, not a single Meredith student contributed to their cause. In fact, many stu dents returning from the Ring Dinner were walking to their dorm rooms and were scared of the students sleeping in the boxes because they thought they were real homeless f>eople who had made their home- on campus. One of the stu dents made a rude remark and walked quickly away from the students. 1 was appalled at this story for two reasons: First, we are all fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend college but no one was willing to give even a nickel to those who are less fortunate than we are and secondly, there are students on our campus who are sheltered enough to be taken back at the sight of people they thought were homeless. 1 found it amazing that people who paid $25 for tickets to the ring dinner, another $10 for a Ring Dinner shirt, and then another $400 or more for a class ring would not give the change in the pockets of their $50 pair of pants to help homeless children. They should realize that not everyone in Raleigh can afford to drive a Benz on the Beltline, eat at Tripp's, and go dancing at Cantina. Believe it or not, there are people in Raleigh who don't drive anything, don't eat anything, and don't have the energy to dance because they are so hungry and cold. I would bet that students at Meredith would be sur prised to know that there is a possibility that some stu dents at Meredith have been homeless at one time or another. Thankfully, some private donors were generous enough to help the stu dents’ cause. Wakefield High School students stu dents also came out Saturday and helped the Meredith students raise $300. Overall, their effort yielded about $1,300. There is a common per ception that people are homeless because they have done something to deserve it. In some cases. I'm sure this is true, but to categorize everyone who is forced to sleep on the streets as being in this group would be a mistake. There are people who are homeless because they have lost their job during the recession that we have found ourselves in, and some people have been forced out of their homes because of domestic prob lems and mental illness. Another common misper ception of the homeless is that they are all uneducated and unskilled. The Washington Post reported in a story written last year about the demographics of the average homeless per son in America that 47 per cent of people on the streets in our country have some education past high school. Another 22 percent once had careers in such professions as teaching, accounting, law enforce ment and nursing. In the past. I've been crit ical of college students in general and Meredith stu dents in particular for being consumed with the life they live and forgetting about others who may not have it as good we do. When I heard this story I wasn’t completely surprised because 1 know how col lege students have a ten dency to ignore the world around them. However, I was frustrated that even after recent events like September 11 th and the sniper attacks, some stu dents are still consumed by their own lives and do not give a thought to what other people go through on a daily basis. This may seem “obnox iously extreme and liberal,” but 1 hope our generation wakes up soon to realize things go on outside our comfort zones There are people around the world, and right here in Raleigh, who live lives that make many of ours look like a fairytale. Chapel Hill is buzzing about The Mayflies KASEY OVERTON Staff Writer Tired of the usual, mainstream pop music that infects our heads day after day? Well open up your ears to the sounds of The Mayflies USA. This pop-rock band out of Chapel Hill has an origi nal sound that takes you away from those boring tunes on the radio. Even though The Mayflies call Chapel Hill home, don't expect to hear the typical Southern-rock style from these guys. With their new album. Walking in a Straight Line, The MayfMes experiment with sugary sweet vocal harmonies and melodic gui tar solos. Their sound is reminis cent of the days of The Lemonheads and Matthew Sweet mixed with the influ ence of The Beatles. The Mayflies’ ’’You Won't Find Me” reminded me of The Beatles classic song ’’When I’m 64" with its luscious harmonies one doesn't hear much anymore. Other songs, like ’’The Greatest Thing" and ’’123," showcase The Mayflies' tal ent to encompass every thing worthy of a pop-rock song. My favorite track is the romantic song "Ready to Go” because it has the best lyrics off the album. My favorite line is, ”I could wait forever/But it’s.better when you're ready to go.” The Mayflies give romance a different style as these guys capture in two sentences the essence of love. 1 will admit that The Mayflies is not a band 1 would usually listen to. 1 had to listen to their CD twice before 1 actually began to appreciate their style. But I think it is good to get away from the main stream music and listen to guys who actually know how to write and play a decent song. 1 will warn you that their music is so catchy it will stay in your head all day. But maybe that is the plan the band has for grabbing more fans. The plan worked on me because although 1 started out with a negative opinion of The . Mayflies, af^er listening to their music 1 changed my mind about them. To check out The Mayflies USA. head to Go! Room 4 in Carrboro on Nov. 25 and be pre pared to enjoy music you may have written off in the past.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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Nov. 6, 2002, edition 1
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