Volume XXV, Issue 4
Educating Women to Excel
September 26,2007
Art Alive and Well on Meredith Campus
ON THE
INSIDE:
Features
p. 2
Features
p. 3
Features
p. 4
Features
p. 5
And more Features
p. 6
WEATHER
TODAY: Mostly Sunny.
Low 66, High 90.
Thursday: Partly
Cloudy. Low 66, High
89.
Friday: Sunny. Low 59,
High 87.
Saturday: Sunny. Low
55, High 8L
Sunday: Sunny. Low
59, High 79.
Monday: Partly Cloudy.
Low 60, High 81.
Source: www.weather.
com
Information retrieved
Hies. Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.
Amber Caudle
Contributing Writer
Being a commuter
with up to four hours
between my classes. I've
recently rediscovered
the beauty of Meredith's
campus. Aside from the
art-laden walking trail to
the NC Museum of Art,
the Chapel side garden,
and the usually quiet
and empty amphitheater,
some of the most aesthet
ically stimulating sites
on campus are indoors.
Whereas the outdoor
splendor is here to stay,
as long as weather per
mits, the tiiree art exhib
its around campus are
Crystal Thornton
Contributing Writer
Orientation day at
Meredith College was a
hot and sticky summer
day. As I walked into
the Campus Police and
Security office to get my
CamCard and parking
decal, I felt as ^ough my
clotites were soaked in
sweat. The air condition
ing felt very good and I
greeted the gentleman at
tite desk with a big smile,
relieved to be out of U\e
heat. He made a com
ment about my brightly
colored hair and stated:
"You're a free thinker, I
can tell". This comment
seemed odd to me. What
is free thinking? Could
thinking be anything
but free? Aren't we all
thinking freely? Is it pos
sible tt\at any of us are
not making informed
decisions that are in our
best interest? These ques
tions have complicated
only temporarily avail
able for appreciation.
Currentiy displayed
in the Gaddy-Hamrick
Art Center is the 26^ NC
Photographers' Biennial
Exhibition. The exhibit
features spectacular
works in a range of pho
tographic media from
NC photographers. The
competition has been
organized by Meredith
students and will
remain on campus until
November 4.
Also displayed
along the main hall
way in Gaddy-Hamrick
is "Digital Imaging in
Italy," the product of a
answers but I would Uke
to share one conclusion. I
have decided that people,
especially young people,
are losing their ability to
tt\ir\k freely, especially
when it comes to con
sumerism and purchases.
Music and movies of
today are telling these
yovmg people which
decisions to make when
they make purchases.
Consimierism is prevail
ing in music and movies,
and they are becoming
giant advertisements
instead of expressional
pieces.
My first example of
this has to do wi^ music.
There are two ways that
advertising is infiltrating
music. The first is blatant
product placement in
the music itself. Fergie, a
modem pop artist, sings
about specific brand
names that she chooses
to wear. Many rap art
ists mention expensive
brand names for cars
three-week adventure
to Italy made by art and
non-art Meredith majors.
The theme of the exhibit
is a contrast between old
and new, and the pho
tographs do a wonder
ful job of recreating the
experience of traveling
abroad.
Passing through
Johnson Rotunda, I've
often taken notice of
many interesting works
of art, usually contribut
ed by Meredith students.
The exhibit currently
featured in Johnson until
November 18 showcases
a diverse collection of
accomplishments by
or watches in the actual
music. Everyone knows
the famous song 'Air
Force Ones', an entire
song in which Nelly dis
cusses a particular brand
of shoe. This influences
young kids massively in
their decisions of which
clothes, shoes, or other
accessories to buy.
My second example of
consiunerism in art is the
artist using their fame to
influence young people
through advertising. The
lead singer of a band
called Nickelback cur
rently endorses a brand
of jeans called True
Religion jeans. Bob Dylan
endorses Apple's itunes.
Fergie can be seen in
Candies shoes ads, often
wearing a pastel-colored
dress and doing house
work. Ads like the latter
speak volumes to young
women about tiieir role
in society, but all of the
ads are effectively sell
ing a product using the
Meredith graphic design
graduates titled "In the
Media." Anyone, espe
cially freshmen and
sophomores, interested
in graphic design or pre
sentation media should
stop by to experience
Meredith graduates in
action.
Whether your inter
ests are aesthetic or more
practical, anyone with
extra time or the simple
desire to wander arovmd
tiie campus should take
advantage of the various
art works currently on
display.
music artist's image. The
musician, whether of
rock, pop or folk music,
has a certain image, and
that image is exploited
by corporations to make
money off of impression
able yoimg people.
Movies are also an
art form, perhaps art
in its most modem
form. Product place
ment in movies has been
huge for decades and
many will remember
the famous scene in ET
involving Reese's pieces.
Cast Away was a movie
in which a huge part of
tiie plot centered aroimd
FedEx's packages and
business. Runaway Bride
also had a scene with a
funny but effective plug
for FedEx's timely ship
ping. Try and picture
100 people sitting in a
tiieatre, staring blankly
ahead, mesmerized by
a flashing screen. There
Thinking cont. on pg. 6
Free Thinking?: Expression vs. Consumerism