m HERALD
February 12, 2014
Meredith Surveys Students on Religious Views
Beth Langley, staff writer
On Mar. 1, Meredith students will receive an
email asking them to complete the Campus Religious
and Spiritual Climate Survey. This survey will gauge
the diversity of different religious and cultural back
grounds found on Meredith’s campus.
While this is a national survey, Meredith is
excited to use the results to better accommodate its
students. The purpose is to see how students feel to
wards backgrounds that are different from their own,
and use that information to make them feel more
welcomed. The results of this survey will help the Ad
missions Office and Residence Life, as well as other
areas on campus welcome students in a way that will
make them feel most comfortable.
This is a religious and spiritual survey, but
it is for all students regardless of beliefs. Associate
Professor and Program Coordinator of Religious and
Ethical Studies, Dr. Shannon Grimes, says, “I want
to emphasize this includes people who aren’t re
ligious or who may be spiritual but aren’t religious
or atheist.” Dr. Grimes adds that the survey will ask
questions such as, “How do you feel about an inter
faith space on campus, and how would you want it to
look?”
The survey is not a test about different re
ligions and cultures. It gauges the attitudes of stu
dents about these topics. Dr. Grimes expects the stu
dents will take the time to reflect on their own beliefs,
as well as the beliefs of others.
Students are encouraged to take the survey
in order to make sure the results are as accurate as
possible. Prizes will be awarded to randomly selected
participants, as well as an opportunity to have lunch
with President Allen and discuss the importance of
“While this is a national
survey, Meredith is
excited to use the results to
better accommodate its
students ”
religious diversity on campus. The results of the sur
vey will be available in August and will be discussed
and implemented in 2015. It has not yet been decid
ed how the results will be distributed. Dr. Grimes is
open to suggestions and would appreciate students’
input on how they would like the results to be deliv
ered. Suggestions can be sent to Dr. Grimes or Rev.
Stacy Pardue, Campus Chaplain.
Moral March:
“Forward Together, Not One Step Back!”
Jenny Gerardo, staff writer
More than 80,000 people par
ticipated in the Moral March to sup
port a diverse arrange of social and
political movements on Saturday, Feb.
8. The march was the largest protest in
the southeast since 1965. Among the
80,000 thousand people who marched
together down Wilmington Street Sat
urday morning chanting “Forward To
gether, Not one Step Back!” was a small
group of Meredith students. Two Mer
edith College students in attendance
were Rebecca Wyatt and Lourdes
Camacho, both social work majors.
“The Moral March was a unique oppor
tunity to see people from many causes
join together and stand for justice and
equality,” commented Wyatt.
Camacho was also excited to
take part in an organized protest for
the first time and felt that her time at
Meredith made the event more mean
ingful. “I am working with home
less women and low income fami
lies. I could identify so much with
the inequalities addressed during the
march,”.she said. Currently complet
ing an internship at Urban Ministries
as part other social work major, Cama
cho added “I was very excited to take
part in my first march, especially when
a Meredith social work student, Allison
Pappas, was so involved.”
photo courtsey of Jenny Gerardo
Meredith students, Allison
Pappas and Taylor Hudgins were in
volved as a part of Planned Parent
hood, one of the 150 partners of the
Historic Thousands on Jones Street
(HKonJ). As an intern for Planned
Parenthood, Pappas’ primary duty was
to help increase college participation
and recruit 500 supporters. Hudgins is
Planned Parenthood’s Affordable Care
Act intern and helped with organiza
tion during the march.
Pappas explained that The
Moral March was a continuation of the
Moral Monday protests that occurred
in the summer of 2013. The movement
started in 2006 vdth the formation of
the HKonJ People’s Assembly Coali
tion. Over the course of seven years it
has accumulated 150 partners. On Sat
urday the president of the NAACP, Rev.
Dr. William J. Barber and many other
local North Carolina leaders stated that
it was necessary for people to come to
gether to fight the “non-progressive”
actions of the North Carolina General
Assembly.
STAFF
Editors: Jessica Feltner, Editor in Chief. Julia Dent, Managing Editor. Cody Jeffery, Assistant Editor. Lucia Rynka-Estevez, Layout Editor.
Marlena Brown, News Editor. Maitlyn Healy, A&E and Sports Editor. Rachel Pratl, Editorial Editor. Caitlin Davis, Copy Editor.
Staff Writers: Katy Koop, Alyssa Mathewson, Isabel Benson, Jenny Gerardo, Anita Holliday, Fantasia Evans, Kelly Wallace, Beth Langley
The Meredith Herald is produced by students throughout the academic year and is printed by Hinton Press. The paper is fuiided by the College and through inde
pendent advertising The opinions expressed in the editorial columns do not necessarily reflect those of the college administration, faculty, or student body.
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