Too Many Traditions, Too Little Time
If they were going to
attempt to make-up this many
events, it may have been more
efficient to send a survey ask
ing students which traditions
they would like to make up and
prioritize those instead of all 14
of them. While I know that I am
not required to attend all of these
events, I feel obligated under the
guise of “experiencing Meredith.”
I have managed to find my
place at Meredith in the Meredith
community without participating
in most traditions. In my opinion,
most seniors and juniors have
adapted to life at Meredith without
these traditions and adding them
now just adds stress to our already
busy schedules. In the last two
years it has been difficult to make
connections online, but it was
possible. I recognize that to some
students traditions have been the
backbone of their college experi
ence, but I think it adds a lot of
pressure on those responsible for
making decisions and executing
the traditions.
Yes, the planning and
project management opportuni
ties that come with being a chair
or co-chair of an event are invalu
able. However, similar opportuni
ties were created in other ways on
campus throughout the COVID-19
pandemic and were available off
campus as well.
Ultimately, I do think that
I am excited to potentially partici
pate in one or two more traditions
prior to graduation. I look forward
to having a formal, even if it is
outside, just to dress up one more
time with my peers. However, I do
not think it was necessary to try
and make-up every single missed
tradition. Between Formal, Stunt,
Tea for Two, Fire and Water, Ring
Dinner, 22nd Night, Crook Hunt,
Senior Family Night and more,
there is way too much to accom
plish with less than half of the
semester remaining.
Letter to the Editors: Why Students Aren't Running for Campus Positions
By Charlie Hatch, Contributor
Recently, an article titled
“Why Don’t Students Run for
Campus Positions?” was pub
lished on The Meredith Herald’s
website. The author expressed
frustration that people were not
running for positions and how it
has negatively impacted campus
boards. Although it is understand
ably frustrating to have a small
board, not once did the author ask
students why they weren’t running
for campus positions. To have
more student leaders, we need to
ask: why aren’t students running
for campus positions?
There is a lack of empathy
and understanding for students
who don’t run for positions. This
attitude towards the student body
is extremely similar to the admin
istration’s attitude to marginalized
students who are advocating for a
better Meredith. Rather than seek
ing to improve the process, the
burden and blame are placed onto
students to create an inclusive
environment for all students. It
makes it seem as though students
are lazy or have no logical reason
to not run for campus positions,
and neither is true. It also makes
it seem like Student Government
and event positions are the only
ones where students can make a
difference on campus. Addition
ally, it is an extreme privilege to
be continuously listened to and
treated well throughout one’s
term—a privilege that is not af
forded to numerous students who
run for positions.
Serving on multiple cam
pus positions requires a time com
mitment and emotional capacity
that not everyone can maintain.
Just because someone can serve
in multiple positions does not
mean everyone else can, nor is it
their fault. My previous Student
Government Association (SGA)
position was serving as a class
representative for the Senate. I
applied for the position mostly
because I learned about it from the
campus-wide email after elections
were over. Although I was excited
to serve, I did not realize just how
demanding being a Senator was
going to be. In addition to the two-
hour time commitment every oth
er week, I had two other positions
(with one of them having assigned
homework), and I was in class and
at work from early in the morn
ing until 5:30 p.m. The 30-minute
“break” I had in between was most
often the only time to myself I had
that day.
Oftentimes, I didn’t
sleep much because of the toll
my responsibilities took on me.
The more students advocate for
the student body, the more it
has learned of the percentage
of people that are students and
employees. The demand for SGA
representative positions does not
allow much room for students to
work, go to school and serve.
I recently applied for and
accepted the position of the new
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
(DEI) Chair. I originally did not
run for the position because of
the negative experiences I had on
other DEI-based boards at Mer
edith. However, once I learned the
position would be part of SGA and
work with the new DEI Coordina
tor, I ultimately decided to apply.
There were five other applicants
besides me applying for the same
position which leads me to an
other point: just because students
are not running for the same posi
tions does not mean they are not
running for them at all. Students
choose positions based on their
interests and this position was
the best chance to achieve some
positive change for marginalized
students on campus.
During the interview, I
learned that not only is the DEI
Chair required to attend all SGA
meetings every Tuesday from
5:30-7:30 p.m., but they are also
required to have their own board
meetings during the week. Being
that this is a new position, there
will likely be additional meetings
to lay the foundation for the future
of this position. This is essentially
a part-time job with no compensa
tion. I’m not asking for compensa
tion but instead trying to display
how demanding SGA executive
positions are.
The article also criticized
the process of applying for posi
tions after filing week closes and
students can no longer run. The
argument was that those who
choose the applicant choose their
friends and therefore the process
is rigged. However, this ignores
that this already happens during
elections. Those who want to focus
on diversity and inclusion and give
detailed explanations of how they
will achieve that often lose to those
who are popular among the class,
regardless if those candidates
break numerous campaign rules.
This attitude of applicants also
dismisses the accomplishments
of those who are chosen to serve.
I would like to think I was chosen
because I was the most qualified
candidate for the position.
Numerous of my friends are stu
dent leaders who have held cam
pus-wide positions, and I’ve seen
how they are treated. I have seen
the emails from their classmates
aggressively asking for informa
tion that was provided in an earlier
email. I have seen staff members
put more responsibilities on stu
dent leaders than their position
called for because their original
support dwindled as time went on.
My friends are not alone in their
experiences and I’m sure other
student leaders have shared their
frustrations with their friends. It
takes a special group of people to
do the joh effectively while also
displaying a positive attitude re
gardless of the way they’re treated.
Finally, the idea that stu
dents not running for positions is
“unjust” discounts the true prob
lems on campus. It is unjust that
students who are Black, Indig
enous and people of color (BIPOC)
do not have resources on campus
to guarantee their success at a
predominantly white institution
(PWI). It is unjust that Meredith
continues to violate the American
Disabilities Act (ADA) with little
to no consequences. It is unjust
that two religion professors were
met with hostility when they asked
for a small prayer room for reli
gions other than Christianity. It is
unjust that Meredith’s admission
policy for transgender and gender-
nonconforming people is similar to
“don’t ask, don’t tell.” Just because
one perceives something to be
unfair does not mean it is unjust.
What is unjust is the way Meredith
as an institution and its leaders
treat their marginalized communi
ties. Additionally, it is unjust that
all work to improve campus life
for marginalized communities is .
placed on student leaders who are
part of those communities, not that
organizations don’t have enough
people to be on their boards.
Students are not running
for positions because “they just
don’t want to.” They’re not running
because these positions are similar
to having a second job, the way our
current student leaders are treated
and interactions with students who
are a danger to marginalized com
munities. We need to re-evaluate
the way we treat our student lead
ers and make sure they are given
respect.
STAFF
Olivia Slack and Elinor Shelp-Peck, Co-Editors in Chief. Rachel Van Horne and Aminah Jenkins, Associate Editors.
Ally Cefalu, A&E Editor. Molly Perry, Features Editor. Freya Dahlgren, Opinion Editor.
Staff Writers: Maggie Barnhill, Piper Carriere, Shae-Lynn Henderson, Anna Prince, Mia Russell, Evelyn Summers, Hannah Taib, Melissa Taylor, Haileigh West.
Podcasting Director: Sofia Gomez. Copy Editor: Cady Stanley. Staff Photographer: Elisabeth Sinicrope.