Volume XWIIII, Issue 12
EMcating Women to Excel
March 21, 2007
ON THE
INSIDE:
Campus Events
and News,
p. 2
HR Games,
p. 3
Uo You Know About l*eople With DisabiiitiesY
Do You Want to?
Editorial Page,
p.4
By Meredith Beeman
Staff Writer
"People learn at a young
age not to ask a lot of
questions about people
who are different from
them. Lots of parents
tell their children it's
rude to stare or ask ques
tions of people who have
disabilities. In order to
change tiie way people
think, it is important to
begin with ourselves and
change the way we think,
so we can show otiiers
that people with disabili
ties are people also," said
volunteer for Disability
Awareness Week Charis
Hill. Disability Awareness
Week was designed to
give students an oppor
tunity to change their
views about people with
disabilities and to get
students to ask questions
about disabilities.
On Mon., Mar. 19, ftiere
was a dinner and a panel
discussion with current
Meredi^. students who
spoke about disabilities
and why many find it so
awkward to ask questicais
about the effects that dis
abilities have on flie lives
of others. After the dis
cussion over dinner, there
was a viewing of the
movie "Murderball" in
Jones Auditorium. There
was discussion after
wards with a member of
the Raleigh quadriple
gic rugby team, Justin
Kchardson. Richardson,
answered many ques
tions, including "Are
you single?," in a very
open and relaxed man
ner. According to a vol
unteer, there were about
70 studeits in attendance.
On TUes., Mar. 20, there
was a Disability Support
Organization (DSC)
meeting open to Meredith
students that started at
8:30 p.m. The meeting
was open to the student
population to further
the attempt to challenge
many people's way of
blinking about men and
women who live witii dis
abilities.
On Wed. Mar. 31 at 7 p.m.
in Weatherspoon gymna
sium, Justin Richardson
andsomeofhisteammates
from tiie Sidewinders will
be giving a demonstration
of some of their rugby
skills and answering any
questions that students
in attendance may have.
This event can be counted
as a convocation and there
are door prizes for people
who choose to come.
While many may not per
sonally have a disability,
this week is designed to
increase awareness of
WEATHER:
how to speak to people
with disabilities. Q»aris
Hill speaks with the voice
of experience when she
says, "From a person who
does not have a disability,
but who does get injured
a lot, I know what it feels
like to be temporarily stig
matized. I cannot imagine
what it would be like, as
an atf\lete and very active
person, to have to give up
what I take for granted.
I think it's very impor
tant to become involved
in evCTits I do not know
very much about so I
can continue to bring my
many aspects of ignorance
to light." We encourage
Mereditti Students to hear
Justin Richardson's mes
sage on Wednesday, and
if you would like to get
more information about
the Sidewinders you
may go to their website
at http://wwwjicscia.org/
Sidewinders.htm.
’’Tea For Two”: A Woman’s Influence
TODAY: Cloudy. Low
46. High 56.
THURSDAY: Partly
cloudy. Low 53. High
74.
FRIDAY: Partly
cloudy. Low 56. High
80.
SATURDAY: Partly
cloudy. Low 55. High
79,
SUNDAY: Mostly
sunny. Low 51, High 78.
By Laurel Benedum
Staff Writer
Meredith sophomores
gathered Saturday morn
ing with their mothers in
an assortment of brist
ly-colored dresses at the
Marriott Hotel for the "tea
for two." The breakfast,
themed 'Tea by the Sea,"
entailed white linen table
clothes with centerpieces
made of floating candles
and assorted seashells.
Each guardian and daugh
ter received a teacup and
saucer and a drink holder
to take home. The emo
tional event began with
a meal consisting of vari
ous breakfast foods fol
lowed by multiple rounds
of coffee. Entertainment
after the meal included
songs performed by a
Meredi^ singing group,
"Encore." Following the
music, students watched
a slideshow featuring old
and recent pictures of stu-
deits with their motiiers,
setting a rather sentimen
tal mocxJ in ttie room.
After the slideshow,
sophomore Meredith
Alexander introduced
Professor Toni Parker,
who gave an articulate
and eloquent speech
about college experienc
es and the importance
of family. She told the
audience, "If you think
your first two years have
gone by quickly, just
wait until the next two."
Although emotional at
times, Parker kept the
message light as well in
talking of her own fam
ily when they acted as
caretakers on her moth
er's behalf: "...the middle
sister, Toni,—yes, there is
another one, came..."
Parker's speech tugged at
the heart strings of many
students and guardians
as some began to tear up.
There was another swell
of emotion to come.
Following ■ Parker's
SEE TEA;
PAGE 3.