THE MEREDITH
HERALD
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meredithherald.com
March 2, 2022
Meredith Campus Police Partners with Private Security Firm
By Rachel Van Horne, Associate Editor
On Feb. lo, the Meredith
College community received an
email informing them that Mer
edith has recently partnered with
private security firm Guaranteed
Monitoring and Security Services,
LLC (GMSS), to provide supple
mental campus security in addi
tion to Meredith’s Campus Police.
The Meredith Herald reached out
to both Jean Jackson, Vice Presi
dent for College Programs, and A1
White, Chief of Campus Police, for
statements regarding this recent
addition to campus security. They
responded in a joint statement.
According to their state
ment, the decision to partner with
a private security company was
made by members of the Executive
Leadership Team (ELT), including
Chief White, President Jo Allen, Dr.
Jackson and Tammi Jackson, Vice
President for Business and Finance.
Dr. Jackson and Chief
White said, “The pandemic has put
enormous pressures on schedul
ing-changing workforce num
bers, dedicating an officer to check
Campus Clear at the gatehouse and
occasional needs for isolation [and]
quarantine all compound the usual
challenges of scheduling an opera
tion that is always on duty.”
“Like many other col
leges and universities, Meredith
Meredith Sets Record on Giving Day 2022,
By Shae-Lynn Henderson, Staff Writer
Feb. 22 marked Meredith’s Meredith set a higher goal for Giv-
7th annual “Make It Count for
Meredith” day, a day of giving
dedicated to donating “in honor
of a strong woman.” Meredith’s
goal was to raise $750,000, but by
the end of Feb. 22 they surpassed
that goal by more than $400,000,
raising a total of over $1.16 mil
lion and setting a record for Giv
ing Day donations.
Last year, the college had
set a goal to raise $600,000 in 24
hours. By midnight, the 2,698 do
nors had exceeded the fundrais
ing goal by more than $150,000
dollars. Because of this success.
ing Day 2022.
Erin Cleghorn, Director of
the Meredith Fund, attributes a
large portion of the day’s success
to the alumnae class gift agents
and to volunteers. Cleghorn ex
plained that these volunteers and
agents “send messages to their
classes, set challenges and goals
and update their classes through
out the day.” Similarly, the Alum
nae Association brings “creativity
and energy [that] make[s] a big
difference,” according to Cleghorn.
Cleghorn said that to her,
that the annual event is a “great
is deploying a hybrid security
operation made up of our own
employees and specialists con
tracted to serve as well during this
challenging time,” they explained.
“As always, the safety and security
of our students, faculty, staff and
visitors are at the forefront of all
of our decision-making.”
Dr. Jackson stated, “We
are very fortunate to have se
cured, thanks to the research
done by Chief White, an agency
founded and headed by a gradu
ate of a small college who un
derstands the culture of safety
and respect we cultivate here at
Meredith.”
Raising Over $1M
way to pay it forward to
the next generation.” She
said she also believes
Giving Day is important
because it “gets [Mer
edith’s] alumnae excited
about giving back to Mer
edith College.”
“They use it as an
opportunity to honor the
friendships they’ve made
and the teachers who
inspired them,” Cleghorn added.
After Giving Day, Cleg
horn noted that it is a time to
give thanks to all those who
contributed during the 24 hours.
The GMSS website states
that it has “over 20 years of secu
rity experience.” Other clients of
GMSS include entertainment com
panies, nail salons and restaurants.
Dr. Jackson and Chief
White said GMSS officers “are
currently in a period of orientation
and training...to learn the duties
and expectations we have of all [at
Meredith].” To allow members of
the Meredith community to iden
tify campus police from GMSS
staff, Meredith security staff will
continue to wear black pants with
burgundy or gray shirts, while the
GMSS staff will wear all black.
Russia-Ukraine War’s Possible Impact on College Students
By Olivia Slack, Co-Editor in Chief
On Feb. 24, Rus
sia launched their invasion of
Ukraine after a long period
of increased militarization on
the Ukrainian border. Russian
forces arrived on the outskirts of
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Friday,
Feb. 25, but as of March 1 they
have not yet advanced to the city
center.
This is the first major war
in Europe in decades, and while it
is taking place far from U.S. soil,
impacts of the Russia-Ukraine
War have already been seen in
America. The Herald spoke with
Dr. Jeffrey Martinson, Associate
Professor of Political Science, to
discuss how the Russia-Ukraine
War may impact Americans, and
particularly college students.
“I think the main effects
will be fear and discomfort, not
just emotionally but also fi
nancially,” Dr. Martinson said.
“On the fear side we've seen the
ugly reality of an expansion
ist regime’s goals revealed. The
financial discomfort that I believe
students will notice...is because
the West's main response to the
Russian invasion has been financial
and diplomatic. Basically, Russia
is being ‘canceled’ as a country at
this moment. In so doing, we incur
many costs of our own.”
Dr. Martinson explained
that because Russia is a “top 20
economy,” the sanctions and other
economic punishments nations
around the world have imposed
on Russia will mean “decreased
economic growth and higher prices
around the world,” particularly
because Russia’s main exports
are fossil fuels. Additionally, U.S.
support of Ukraine will mean the
country spends less on other priori
ties like student loan forgiveness or
climate change.
However, while Dr. Martin
son acknowledges the emotional
and financial effects that those in
the U.S. will feel due to the Russia-
Ukraine War, he also said he be
lieves that things may not be as dire
as some predict.
“I've heard a lot of base
less hyperbole from students [of all
ages] about the end being nigh,” he
said. “The rhetorical question as to
whether such an outcome is pos
sible doesn't even merit a reply,
if only because many things are
possible. The more meaningful
question is whether such an out
come is probable, to which the
answer is absolutely not.”
Dr. Martinson pointed
out that even during the Cold
War, a period that some have
begun comparing the Russia-
Ukraine War to, most Americans
continued to live life as normal.
“Over those five decades
numerous invasions, including
in Europe, and crises brought the
U.S. and Russia—then the Soviet
Union—to the brink of war,” he
explained. “Yet, despite that, life
went on—rock ‘n’ roll was in
vented, the civil rights movement
occurred, men landed on the
moon, bell bottoms were in style
and Madonna made great songs
and bad movies.”
When asked how students
can get involved, Dr. Martinson
said, “I think the first thing you
can do is educate yourself on the
situation and its history—with
reliable resources! Contact your
representatives at the federal.
Photo by Molly Perry
“We want our donors to know how
much we appreciate them and are
grateful for their support,” she
said.
state and local levels. Ask them to
make a statement, or better yet,
enact a policy that helps. I think
this last advice is especially poi
gnant because it is this very right—
to be heard in government—that
Ukrainians are fighting and d3dng
to protect,”
Dr. Martinson added that
there are many humanitarian
organizations that are collecting
donations for relief right now.
He suggests sticking to “the big
names,” including the Red Cross,
Amnesty International and Doc
tors Without Borders.
Finally, Dr. Martinson re
minded students that they should
not “hate” Russians or Russia.
“Let's remember that
Ukrainians and Russians lived
together peacefully for decades,”
Dr. Martinson concluded. “Ask
yourself, how did they come to
despise each other so much? What
were the conditions, what did
their leaders do, what did they
themselves do, to generate such
animosity? And, how is my society
the same or different from theirs?”
Read the full story on our website.