CAMPUS NEWS
Sovember SO, 2005
2
I’m a Meredith Mom...No, really, I’m a Meredith Mom
Monisha Morrison
Staff Writer
College is an excit
ing time of transition and
growth for those who are
fortunate enough to
embark on this journey.
Here at Meredith College,
we have our own melting
pot of students from all
walks of life, who each
bring something spe
cial to our campus.
However, with
in the Meredith com
munity, we have a
smaller community of
students we often don't
think about — Mothers.
There are many mothers
enrolled here at Meredith
College, both traditional
and nontraditional. The
enrollment office
here couldn't pro
vide an exact number
of enrolled mothers.
However, just ask around
in your classes and you
will be surprised to see
how many students
are also mothers.
The role of student-
mother is not an easy one.
Just ask Meredith student
Becky Forbes. Becky is a
non-traditional student
and mother of three who
says, "Yes, I find it very
hard to balance family
and sdtool. The role of
mother is a permanent job
involving participation
24 hours a day 7 days a
week. I love being a moth
er, but I also love being
a student. Even though I
would love to pull my hair
out sometimes, I would
not trade this college
experience for the world."
College is very
time consuming with
classes, homework,
club meetings and
trying to fit a social life
somewhere in between.
Just imagine having all of
those responsibilities plus
getting the kids ready
for daycare, cooking
dinner, and taking
the kids to practices.
Here at Meredith College
we have an organization
called WINGS (Women
in New Goal Settings).
WINGS acts as somewhat
of a support group for
"Nontraditional" stu
dents who are "students
that are married, live off
campus, enter Meredith
through the 23+ program
or even young mothers."
Organizations such
as these are wonder
ful, especially for
mothers who need
someone who can relate to
thejoyandstressthatcome
along with balancing
roles. WINGS is the only
organization of its kind
here at Meredith, but
many students would
like to see a club dedi
cated to the mothers
of Meredith College.
Being a college student
takes a lot of determina
tion and hard work. It
takes ten times as much
effort to push yourself
when you have to dedicate
time to being a devoted
mother as well. Moms
who chose Meredith are
fortunate to have a com
munity of students here
who are just like them.
However, what do
Meredith moms want
from those on the
outside looking in?
Becky Forbes summed it
up best in saying, "just
accept the student-mother
for who she is; a woman
educated by the real world
and striving to improve
life for herself and her
children."
Review of The Lion King
"Marvelous,"
"Visually Spectacular,"
"Amazing." Those are
just some of the com
ments people have
made about Disney's The
Lion King, presented by
North Carolina Theater's
Broadway Series South
at the Progress Energy
Center. The Lion King
was certainly all of those
things and more.
From mid August
through late October, a
national touring company
was in Raleigh present
ing The Lion King. With
a packed house nearly
every night, audiences
could not get enough of
the adventures of Simba,
Nala, Timon, Pumba,
Zazu, and Scar.
Fans of the animated
Disney movie saw the
same story, heard the
same award winning
songs, and recognize the
characters. Add the famil
iar elements to several
more African inspired
songs, complex and beau
tiful costumes, and a set
well designed enough to
convey the pridelands of
Africa, and you have two
and a half hours of pure
entertainment that you
wish would never end,
although you know it has
to, leaving the audience
with the only disappoint
ment of the entire show: it
does end.
Director and cos
tume designer Julie
Taymor has created
on the stage what most
people could never pos
sibly convey. Audience
members are swept away
from modem day Raleigh
and transported half
way around the world to
Africa. The costumes are
so spectacular and the
acting so convincing that
one forgets that there is
often an actor holding up
the puppet being focused
on, or behind the animal
as they^alk around. The
animal costumes often
resembles the characters
in the movie, but the stage
show adds an African
flair to them. Flowing
robes, beaded necklaces,
and natural materials add
to the beauty and maj
esty of the characters. In
group numbers, there are
a wide variety of animals
that walk across the stage,
including an elephant
that if one looks closely
enough can see that there
is someone inside each
leg, moving the massive
creature along. Caribou
are attached in sets of
three to sticks that a danc
er holds as he or she leaps
across the stage, convey
ing many Caribou run
ning and leaping three by
three through the land.
Even during the stam
pede scene, dancers stand
behind massive buffalo
masks, moving
them forwards
and backwards,
making the
audience forget
that they are
simply running
in place.
Aside
from the visu
als, the audience
is treated to a
funny, moving,
sometimes sad
story of an eager
at first, and later
reluctant king of
the pridelands.
It is ultimately a
story of real life.
a battle of good versus
evil, and while the good
prevails, it is not with
out trials and tribulations
and very devastating loss.
Audiences to this stage
production were not dis
appointed.
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