Une /AeJie/fM MeJiald
September 28, 2016
Summer Abroad in Spain; "I did not feel particularly homesick"
Seung Pang, Staff Writer
Grabbing books and brochures
from every table at the Study
Abroad Fair, Katie Murphy already
knew that she wanted to study
abroad when she was a freshman.
Murphy sat on the floor of her room
and dog-eared every program that
she was interested in. Finally, she
decided on the United Kingdom
Meredith Program. But once wasn’t
enough, because she loved her
first study abroad experience so
much that she went abroad again
this past summer to Spain.
Led by Dr. Wade, Murphy
began her adventure in the capital,
Madrid, with ten other Meredith
students. “My first impression of
Spain was that it was beautiful
and laid back,” she said. She
was surrounded by spectaoular
architecture, city markets, open air
plazas, and people walking around
town together. During lunch time,
the city closes shops so everyone
goes home to enjoy lunoh with
their families. “I just felt a sense of
calmness,” Murphy said.
A week after, Murphy traveled to
an old small town, Santiago de
Compostela, to the north of Spain.
There, she took classes with
other international students in a
university and made a new friend
from Canada. “Sinoe the university
is in town, locals are used to having
students around and they love to
hear us using Spanish,” she said.
“The people were all incredibly
kind and willing to talk to us.”
Daily schedule of life was
very different in Spain. Murphy
would wake up at 8 in the morning
to leave the house to walk to school
around 8:40. After classes end at
2 in the afternoon, she and other
students, along with their families,
would eat lunch together and siesta
(an afternoon rest or nap) until 5.
Then, everyone would meet up
for an aotivity or just walk around
town until dinner at 9. After that,
they would go out again to watch
a soccer game for the Euro Cup or
to go get chocolate con churros.
“We would go home for the night
around midnight,” she said. “It took
a while to get used to.”
While in Spain, Murphy
ate lots of seafood, breads,
and fresh vegetables, and
became accustomed to eating
bigger meals. Her favorite were
“pimientos de Padron,” flaky and
delicious little green peppers from
a town about 30 minutes away
from the city called Padron. “My
host mom would put them on the
stove in Spain’s ‘special’ olive oil,”
she said. “I still dream about them
sometimes.”
A day trip to Cape Finisterre
was the best thing that happened
to her. Meaning “the end of the
known world,” Cape Finisterre
was the reason that people used
to believe that the world ended
before they found out it is not flat. “I
could completely understand why
people thought that; the sky and
the sea blend together perfectly at
the horizon,” she said. “It was one
of the most beautiful scenes I have
ever seen in my life.”
Throughout her time
in Spain, Murphy did not feel
homesick. “I was too busy trying
to absorb everything Spain had
to offer to think about home too
much,” she said. “If I can navigate
my way around Spain in Spanish, I
know I can thrive in my time here at
Meredith College.”
A photo of Katie at in Cape Finisterre, Spain (Photo credit: Katie Murphy)
Freshmen Vote for Class Representatives
Rachel Crawfard
The Meredith class of 2020 held
their first class elections from
Monday, September 19th to
Tuesday, September 20th. The
results, released the night of
polling, are as follows:
President: Alii Barrow
Vice President: Carol Jablonski
Cornhuskin’ Co-Chairs: Zoe
Raymond and Lindsey Scott
Stunt Co-Chairs: Becca Edmonson
and Whitney Pepper
Honor Council Representatives:
Lindsey Norris and Sofia Mazzola
Student Life Representatives:
Kiana Bradford, Allie Kvasnicka,
and Calla Terrell
Alii Barrow, the Class
President of 2020, said she knew
she wanted to be involved in
leadership from the moment she
joined the Meredith community. “I
decided to run for a SGA position
because I felt it was the right fit for
me and it would give me the perfect
opportunity to show my leadership
skills, as well as put my strengths
to use,” Barrow said in an interview.
Barrow was involved in student
government in high school, but
she expects her time as freshman
class president to be a brand-new
experience. When asked what she
is most excited about for the year,
Barrow said, “I am most excited
about my opportunity to help each
and every member of 2020 find
their voice and make their first
year in Wonderland all they have
imagined it would be!”
Two more additions to the
freshman SGA board are Lindsey
Scott and Zoe Raymond, the co
chairs for the class of 2020’s first
Cornhuskin’. Scott and Raymond
said that their deoision to run was
motivated by a desire to make sure
every member of the freshman
class had the opportunity to be
involved in Cornhuskin’. Before
coming to Meredith, Soott and
Raymond were both involved in
sohool spirit activities like Spirit
Club, cheerleading, and theater.
As the new Corn co-chairs, they
are excited about promoting olass
unity, and of course, in their own
words, “FINALLY being able to
experience the best Meredith
tradition ever!”
Correction for Title IX Article
In the September 14 story on Title IX, Dean Ann Gleason was quoted incorrectly. Her actual statement was: “The significant physical and emotional
effects of sexual violence interfere with a student’s ability to fully pursue her oollege education and experience. There are resources, support and
assistance we can provide at Meredith College for students who experience sexual violence, even if the violence occurred off campus - for more
information, access the Meredith College Title IX website at www.meredith.edu/title-ix.” The Herald regrets this error in quoting.