Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Dec. 1, 2010, edition 1 / Page 8
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Whines & Honor Code Overheard collected by April Richard Dear Professors, I’d greatly appreciate if you’d let me know before I buy the textbook if I’m actually going to use it. Your $300 textbook is not the $300 textbook I need. Despite popular belief I do not have an extra $2000 to drop on unneeded textbooks (es pecially if that textbook is offered online). Sincerely, your most adoring student Dear Meredith, As a RA struggling \vith enforcing your “30ft away from the build ing smoking policy”, could you by chance relocate the ash trays away from the entrances to the building and off the balconies into a policy abiding distance. So I can stop getting crap about it when I’m just trying to do my job. • Dear girl at the Student Body Fo rum, For some reason you seem to think that student body only refers to you. Might I inform you that it doesn’t it? Therefore, no one has to or needs to arrange cooking class sign-ups around your work and class schedule for your personal convenience. So for my personal convenience, please shut your mouth! To the professors who schedule exams before reading day: Please give me a break so i can study. Emily Gamiel, Staff Writer A few weeks ago, as I was sit ting in the Honors lounge in Joyner, several English majors, including myself, were quietly discussing upcom ing assignments and the stress of the end of the semester while waiting for our next class to begin. A trio of chatty girls entered the room and, I heard them complaining about their over whelming assignments in their English classes. “Do you know of anybody that would write a paper for $100?” one questioned. “I just have so much to do, I would pay $150 if somebody would read the book and write the paper” another one stated. After five minutes of plot ting ways to cheat and plagiarize, they went on to chat about their plans for the weekend. I wanted to shout, “maybe if you would lay off your nightlife style you would have time to read the book and write your own paper!” While those of us who will actually read that book and will do the research are slaving away at our desks each night, hearing that fel low Meredith students are trying to buy a paper is offensive and disrespectful. And, honestly, what college student has 100 extra dollars laying around to pay for an English paper? After the fire of frustration burning inside of my head had cooled down, I began to analyze what the Hon or Code actually meant to me. When I was just a ripe freshman living in Barefoot dormitory and just beginning to accustom myself to the environment at Meredith, I didn’t quite under stand what all of the hoopla about this Honor Code meant. I remember going to the ceremony, lighting my candle, and reciting the statement of honor with the members of the class of 2012. I promised not to cheat or steal and to respect fellow.Meredith students. I could handle that reasonable agree ment. Since that ceremony, two years have passed and my affiliation with Meredith College has grown stronger and deeper. I have “just expe rienced it,” the Meredith experience, that is, and come to understand the values we, as students, are expected to uphold. These values include respect ing the Honor Code and all of its aspects, including cheating. The first two sentences "of the Meredith College statement of honor state that, “We, the Meredith Community, are com mitted to developing and affirming in each student a sense of personal honor and responsibility. Uncompromising honesty and forthrightness are es sential elements of this commitment.” Without dependable students to uphold the “uncompromising honesty and forthrightness,” the Honor Code is not credible and rendered pointless. Students should take responsibility for their assignments, as well as their moral ethics. I have learned at my time at Meredith that gaining knowl edge is the top priority. Therefore, if a student cheats his or her way through a class and takes nothing away from the course, he or she has defeated the pur pose of attending class, and even college in general for that matter. I am striving to graduate Meredith College with an education that will support and sustain my future, meaning that I will abide by the Honor Code and, even though it may be grueling at times, learn the material that each professor presents to me and individually complete all assign ments. Our decisions today will deter mine the results of tomorrow, meaning that in order to keep the valued reputa tion that Meredith College currently holds, present students must follow the same guiding principles that have been around for decades. So, to these girls and all others with thoughts and preceding actions meant to destroy the Honor Code, I ask: why would you at tend a school with an esteemed reputa tion in academic honesty only to abolish what students and faculty members have been endorsing for decades? Not only were these three girls planning on intentionally breaking the Honor Code, but they were belittling those that spend precious time reading books, writing papers, and studying texts. So, show tnore respect for your school, professors and fellow students as the choices we make during our time here will affect future generations and uphold the high standards and integrity of our school. Habitat for Humanity at MC Emery Lai, Courtnie Winn, Samantha Tyson, Caroline Easterlin, Kim Maynor, Kim Demetres It all started as a class project. Our Families in a Global Context class was meant to study and memorize the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These are eight goals that were agreed upon by the 189 UN member states, all of which are to be achieved by the year 2015. Our group was meant to bring attention to the first MDG which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger worldwide. Therefore, we decided to work with Habitat for Humanity, an organiza tion that seeks to eliminate homelessness and poverty housing. Habitat for Humanity is a non profit organization that builds affordable homes for those in need while promoting self-reliance through homeownership. A common assumption associated with Habitat is that the organization builds and gives away these homes. However, potential homeowners are required to live in Wake County, have a stable income, must be able to make modest mortgage payments, as well as commit 250 “sweat equity” hours in the construction of their home and other’s homes as well. Habitat for Humanity is in nearly 90 countries, helping 1.75 million people and has built over 350,000 houses worldwide. The or ganization helps individuals live a more stable life with an energy efficient home and a no profit mortgage. The houses are also financed by affordable loans. The monthly mortgage payments made by the family living in the Habitat home is then used to construct even more Habitat homes. All funds and materials are donated and the majority of labor is volunteered. Through our Families in a Global Contexts class, our group has been able to work directly with Habitat for Humanity, specifically with their Women Build project. Stereotypi- cally, construction is a male-dominated field. The purpose of the Women Build program is to construct houses solely built by women. It is another branch of Habitat for Humanity that is specifically for women who wish to learn more about construction and making a difference in their community. This allows women to get involved in a non-intimidating envi ronment. The great thing about Women Build is that the program brings women together from all walks of life, creating life long bonds of friendship by building millions of other women and children a house and home. Overall, Women Build has constructed more than 1,750 houses alone and although Women Build fo cuses on empowering women, men are also welcome to volunteer. Helpers are not required to have any background in construction. Women Build has training provided at many of their sites. If you would like to get involved, please visit Habitat for Humanity’s web site www.habitat.org. Also visit our Face- book page, Women’s Build for Habitat for Humanity.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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Dec. 1, 2010, edition 1
8
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