Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / March 29, 2007, edition 1 / Page 3
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THE PEOPLE^S FORUM March 2% 2007 Editing I was pleased to see the publi cation of my article, "Justice for All," in the Meredith Herald a few weeks ago. However, I was disappointed to see that the very important conclusion was completely cut out. I was also dismayed to see that the article was changed to dose in mid-sentence. 1 was not consulted on either of these choices. I would like to submit more articles to the Meredith Herald, but as a leader on campus do not feel comfort able doing so, knowing that my work may be changed without my consent. I hope that this problem is something the staff of the Herald will take steps to correct. Heather Blanchard Freedom of Speech I am not sure what is worse - the students who defaced Meredith College's campus with hate speech, or the fact that The Herald is censonng students from voicing their thoughts and opnnions in an appropriate and school-spon- sored newspaper. The journal istic integrity of this newspa per is quite questionable; do we support the voices of all students, or just the one or two that serve on the editorial staff? If The Herald and its editor were to practice good, ethical journalism, then maybe students would not have to go underground to prciduce a paper worthy to be read. I do not just want to hear about Comhuskin' and field trips -1 want to know about politics, social issues, or religion. We should not shy away from controversy, but embrace it through thoughtful, respectful dialogue. If our college news paper isn't going to do that, then I would like to see that funding go elsewhere - per haps by providing emergency contraception (the morning after pill) in the student health center? Oh wait, I probably shouldn't talk about reproduc tive and sexual health in the paper; wouldn't want to give Meredith Angels a bad reputa tion for being "promiscuous". Tiffany Stokes Alternate Publication I was very sorry to ieam that a group of students chose to dis tribute an alternate publication in newsletter format to some members of the Meredith com munity this week. It is trou bling that these students have not looked into the possibility of working on the staff of the Herald. Having put together several issues completely on your ovm, you could have used the help. I looked briefly at this other publica tion and noticed an accusa tion of censorship. It would seem beneficial for the accuser to locrfc into the distincHon between censorship and edito rial responsibility. This is one of many things that can be learned by showing up week after week and carrying out the many tasks involved in publishing a newspaper. Gen erally this has been a dif ficult year for the Herald, as Meredith students seem less interested in commitments of this kind. Still, I commend you for your efforts, and I hope that this controversy will foster new levels of involve-.' mentixtU^iwyrepaper. Rebecca IJupcan ' • • Assortate Professor, English Eating Disorders I am writing to express my concern with the editorial you wrote in the Meredith Herald on March 14,2007. Your article contains many assertions that have little to no basis in reality and makes no attempt to ana-' lyze the issue in an objective manner. Although I under stand an editorial's purpose is to convey the writer's opinion, 1 find it a bit disconcerting that a journalist could fail to pro-' vide concrete facts in support of that opinion and could so conveniently ignore an enhre other side of the story. I'd like to start with your asser tion that models are discrimi nated against due to their weight which has an obvious bias towards thinner women. You then go on to point out that the "Spanish Association of Designers decided to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18 in September 2006." First, body mass index is not a measure of weight, but a measure of body fat based on weight in relation to height. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute have the following categories for BMI^: • Underweight = 18.5 • Normal weight = 18.5- 24.9 • Overweight = 25-29.9 • Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater As you can see, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is categorized as nor mal weight and below 18.5 is categorized as underweight. Thus, the Spanish Association of Designers was requiring the use of models with a heakhier BMI. The average BMI for top models is 16.3 according to data from the National Eating Disorders Association^. If you truly want to address discrimi nation, you cannot ignore the fact that underweight (by the definition above) models rep resent a small portion of the population yet are predomi nant in the modeling indus try. Most samples designed for models are well below (usually size 2 or under) the average size 12 that women wear. If anything, underweight modds have a competitive advantage in the modeling industry. In seeking models much thinner than the average population the modeling industry has gen erated a false image of what is healthy and normal. You said that, "undoubtedly, clothes can be draped much more dra matically on an elongated thin figure than on a standard 5 ft 4 in woman." Your statement promotes the idea that thinner is better. You also ask, "Why should those of us with good metabolisms be criticized or prejudged for our blessing?" May I ask why you consider it a blessing? Does that mean that those of us who are normal weight are cursed? All joking aside, I don't see how your arguments promote a healthy self-image for any other size category than your own. I find your obvious bias towards being thinner at odds with your desire not to be prejudged. 1 must also disagree with your belief that, "government force to regulate healthiness [rein forces the] huge emphasis that we already put on appear ance." You also argue that "Americans will continue to eat unhealthy fattening foods regardless of posted nutrition facts, just as we continue to smoke and ignore the printed warning." What factual data is this based off of? A Washington post article^ from 2006 states that in the US, smoking is at an all time low. It goes on to state that, "The drop was a result, they said, erf factors that include the sharply higher cost of cigarettes, restrictions on cigarette advertising and a shift in public perceptions as the dangers of smoking are more aggressively and widely publicized." Government can indeed impact piublic percep tion of what is healthy and normal and should do so vdren it will lead to a healthier popu lation. Thankfully, there is at least one point we can agree on. You state that, "Talk is cheap. It is high time that we shift this exhausted focus to something that will actually produce a change." How about taking the money you were going to spend on those dresses and donating it to feed the starving kids in Africa. It would have a much more immediate and meaningful impact than any thing you personally attempt ed to do about the war in Iraq. Adriana Samaniego : SAVE DARFUR T-SHIRTS NOW IN CATE CENTER If you have ordered a Darfur Aware ness t-shirt, they have now come in and you may come pick yours up on the first floor of the ^ Cate Center They will be available for pickup until this Friday (Mar. 30). The D Staff herald(;^m eredith.edu Editor Laurel Benedum Staff Writers- Christy Nash Shiara Molina Morgan Ericson Meredith Beeman Taryn Oesch Monisha Morrison The Meredith Herald is published by the College throughout the academic year. The paper is funded by the college and through independent advertising. All advertisements should be sent to herald@meredith. edu The opinions expressed in the editorial columns do not necessarily reflect those of the college administration, faculty, or student body. Published by Hinton Press The policy of this paper requires that submis sions be made forty-eight hours before publica tion, allowing time for consultation between staff and contributors; that articles not exceed 750- 800 words; that letters to the editor not exceed 200 words; and that contributors sign all submis sions and provide necessary contact information. The editor and staff welcome submissions meet ing the above guidelines.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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March 29, 2007, edition 1
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