News and Events
Highlights:
- Professor Emeritus Happer Completes Holocaust Survivor Book: http://www.meredith.edu/marketing/archivesdetails.php?id=8919 NEW NEWS
- History Student Participates in Reach the World Program : http://www.meredith.edu/marketing/archivesdetails.php?id=8660 NEW NEWS
- International Coverage for Prof's Presidential Analysis: http://www.meredith.edu/marketing/archivesdetails.php?id=8430 NEW NEWS
- Congressman David Price Discusses the Presidential Selection Process: www.meredith.edu/enews/announcement_details
- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Addresses Meredith Audience: www.meredith.edu/enews/announcement_details
- Nobel Peace Prize Winner Speaks at Meredith: www.meredith.edu/mcnews/shirin-ebadi-speaks.htm
- Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin Visits Meredith: www.meredith.edu/mcnews/doris-kearns-goodwin-speaks.htm
- Meredith Magazine, Fall 2005: featuring "Arabic, International Studies at Meredith Lead to New Career Paths"
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History Honors Society Inducts New Honorees
Meredith College and Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, inducted three more Angels into its ranks recently. Seen above are (l-r) Meghan Howlett, Lindsay Ross, and Sharon Way. Admission to the society is reserved for the highest achievers in the History major. Great work!!
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Meredith's Fountain of Knowledge Becomes History Hall of Famer
On October 14, 2011, Meredith College Associate Professor of History Dan Fountain was inducted into the Historical Society of North Carolina during the Society’s fall meeting held on the campus of UNC-Charlotte. The Society was founded in 1945 and is dedicated to the study and promotion of North Carolina history. Admission to membership is by nomination only and the Society is limited to a total of 75 active members. Dr. Fountain was nominated for membership by Ansley Wegner, a research historian for the North Carolina Office of History & Archives, Dr. Jeffrey Crow, Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Office of History & Archives, and Dr. William Price, former Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Office of History & Archives and Meredith College professor . (Fountain, Wegner and Crow are shown in picture)
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Icelandic Dispatches: 2011 Edition
Up in the Land of Ice , Meredith student Hannah Thornton (above, at Gullfoss) writes:
“After lunch, we drove to Geysir and Gullfoss, and after a partly bumpy ride that served as a wonderful butt massage and glorious fields of lambs and fouls, we arrived at Gullfoss. Gullfoss is one of Europe’s top ten most beautiful waterfalls. What is interesting about this waterfall is that it is not in a mountain like most waterfalls are known to come from. Gullfoss used to be just a river flowing along, minding its own business, but when the North American continental plate and the European plate started to split apart, it made a huge trench. The water had to go somewhere, so it went down in the form of a waterfall. The water mist made rainbows that made me very happy. I was able to get a picture of the end of one of the rainbows, and let me tell you: there was no pot of gold. Now, I can say that I have been to the end of a rainbow! I can check this off my bucket list, though I don’t think it was there in the first place, however, if I had thought of it at the time then I would have put it on there. "
Glad you enjoyed the rainbow, and the massage!
To read more about this year's Icelandic exploits, click over the Internation Programs site here.
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Three More Smart People for the Smart People Crowd
The Department had the privilege of initiating (l to r) Rebecca Stephenson, Erin Huber and Allison Barnes into Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history. Congrats ladies!!
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Dr. Smith Hosts Liberty in North Korea Film on March 17, 2011
Be in Ledford 101 at 7 pm on March 17th for this important event!!
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Fountain Book Clarifies Relationship Between Slavery & Christianity in America
Dr. Fountain's recently published work, Slavery, Civil War & Salvation (LSU Press, 2010) has unsettled previously held views about the role of Christianity in American slavery, and is getting press for it. In it, Dr. Fountain shows that the long-held notions about an early embrace by slaves of the christian faith is unsupported by the evidence, and this is raising eyebrows in high places like Yale and Columbia. Read one such account of his revolutionairy findings, and the academic reaction here. If further interested, Dr. Fountain is always willing to field questions or comments during office hours or class time. Do yourself a solid and look him up!
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We're Finished !!!!!
Whew, what a year it was! While we all recharge our energy cells and prepare for another one, we can remember some of the more enjoyable highlights as we scroll though past dispatches on this "News & Events" page. And to those in the sections below, we can add some wonderful Winter and Spring happenings such as:
The Spring Reading Day Bash, which - to the astonishment of all involved - was the first in a long time to NOT include thesis presentations by honors students. On the upside, in their absence, we had even more time to celebrate the winners of the Lemon award and Grubbs award, Amanda Eubanks and Lachelle Pulliam, respectively. There are two of the highest honors awared by the department each Spring, and Ms. Eubanks and Ms. Pulliam join a long list of accomplished recipients (many of whom appear in those nostalgic dispatches below.)
In April , the department was blessed with a number of high-profile visits from international human-rights advocates. On April 7th, Haleh Esfandiari (click here for more info) led a stimulating discussion on the situation of Iran and the Middle East as part of a History Department and Broder-Wallace Fund sponsored event. Two nights later, the Liberty in North Korea (here) group again visited Meredith to address the plight of North Korean refugees. Finally, on April 15th, well-known activist, Anna Baltzer (here), presented to a packed Modern Middle East class on her experiences of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The department also inducted two new members to the Phi Alpha Theta national honor society for history. Seen below holding their induction certificates are (L-R) Terri Jones and Hannah Hipp, surrounded by previous inductees (L-R) Virginia Tharrington, Katie Nagel and Brittany Forlidas.
March saw the Meredith Model Arab League team compete in its third thrilling Southeast Modern Arab League summit at Converse College, this time as the ever-exciting Yemeni delegation. At the conference, sophmores Leila Strickland and Suzanne Watts were each awared for their work. Mumtaz ladies!
Lastly, March also saw the addition of two new Angels to the History & Political Science department - Zoe and Clara (or is it Clara and Zoe?) seen below. Dr. Martinson's wife gave birth to the two girls on March 3rd, and all have been doing well since.* Whether ovis aries or homo sapiens, we love all our children here in History & Political Science!!
Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer to all our Meredith family, whether they be near or far, graduated or still toiling, history, poli sci or international studies!!
*Note: regular readers might have already noticed Dr. "Webmaster" Martinson's lack of updates to "News & Events" during the Spring semester. Critical thinkers can apply the abovereferenced paragraph to develop their own theories as to why this might have been the case. :)
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The U.S. Michael Novak of Six Sheep in This Country
Dr. Novak was recently exposéd in the Icelandic publication, Visir.is, about his interest in the country, his three-year-old Meredith exchange program, and - most importantly - his love for his burgeoning flock of Icelandic sheep. The caption above is taken from a Google translation of the original article, available here.
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A Celebration of All Things Chinese
Students from across the Meredith campus recently learned about many different aspects of Chinese culture [including its delicious cuisine! - Ed] at an event co-sponsored by the History & Political Science department. Professor Jing Ma (pictured above, left), who is Meredith's exchange professor from Dalian, China, hosted the event along with Drs. Smith and Happer. Everyone enjoyed the food, games, singing and a Chinese-language movie to round things out. Meredith's Chinese language students (pictured above) even wowed the group with their exceptional linguistic skills. Wanhui!!
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Smashing THE WALL !!!
What an amazing celebration of history and politics! Here's how Meredith's marketing guru Melyssa Allen described it:
"
Meredith College held a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, on November 9.
The event featured speakers, music and the smashing of a replica of a portion of the wall.
Meredith’s Berlin Wall replica, located on the lawn outside the Northwest corner of Gaddy-Hamrick Art Building, withstood several swings from sledgehammers before it finally fell.
The commemoration was sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science and the Department of Art. The event was organized by Assistant Professor of Political Science Jeff Martinson and the wall was built by Assistant Professor of Art Warner Hyde.
Meredith College held a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, on November 9.
The event featured speakers, music and the smashing of a replica of a portion of the wall.
Meredith’s Berlin Wall replica, located on the lawn outside the Northwest corner of Gaddy-Hamrick Art Building, withstood several swings from sledgehammers before it finally fell.
The commemoration was sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science and the Department of Art. The event was organized by Assistant Professor of Political Science Jeff Martinson and the wall was built by Assistant Professor of Art Warner Hyde. "
Pictured above are (1) Dr. Lutz Kube, former resident of East Berlin, recounting for the crowd his experiences on the night and early morning of November 19-20th, 1989; (2) Senior Mary Blocher knocking some blocks off; (3) Dr. Smith pulverizing the oppressor's ediface; and 4) a stunned Dr. Martinson recapping the glorious night in historical context.
Many thanks to those students, faculty and staff who contributed their time, money and energy to the effort. Long live freedom!!
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Liberty in North Korea Film on November 10, 2009
The film Seoul Train, presented by members of the non-profit organization LiNK (Liberty in North Korea), chronicles the struggles of North Korean refugees in China today. These refugees have managed to escape famine and persecution in their own country, but are still not free: when caught in China, they are often arrested and forcibly repatriated. [Which Dr. Fountain's Global Slavery class is addressing by sending letters to the Chinese Ambassador to protesing this forcible repatriation of North Korean refugees.] With the help of a multinational group of activists, some of them are making their way via a modern-day Underground Railroad to re-settlement, usually in South Korea, the United States, or Europe. The film traces the fates of a few of these brave souls as they make their way towards freedom. LiNK members will answer questions after the film.
For more information visit: www.seoultrain.com
This event is free and open to the public.
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Political Science Pundit Parade
Those attuned to the political punditry may have heard some recent contributions made by Meredith Drs. Frazier and Martinson. Dr. Frazier's book review of author Rachel Simmon's Cure of the Good Girl appeared in the News & Observor and can be seen here. He also commented in an AP story about the "nasty tone of current politics" and did a follow-up interview on the same subject on radio station WCCO in Minneapolis. (Those stories can be accessed here and here.) And Dr. Martinson commented on the foreign policy of Gov. Perdue's trip to China and Japan for a WRAL story, which can be watched here. Way to go!
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Meredith Active in Holocaust Remembrances
Dr. Happer writes with news about her Holocaust Experiences class and related matters: "One of my students Mary Katheryn Howard is now Meredith’s official representative on the North Carolina Holocaust Commission [and] two survivors, Gizella Abramson and Morris Glass, have visited the class and talked about their experiences during the Holocaust."
Thank you, Ms. Howard, Dr. Happer and class for your work on this important subject.
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Icelandic Dispatches
Recently returned from the icey Norden, Dr. Novak writes:
“When I was at Skalholtsskoli in Iceland over fall break I was able to take part in an international conference on “Post-Reformation Literature in 17th century Iceland.” I even made a brief presentation and offered (timidly) a few scholarly comments. The average temperature outside was 0 centigrade and the average wind speed 40-60mph. Great weather for a conference! But the school and church have been there since 1056 and afforded a great setting. I now understand why there used to be underground tunnels between the cathedral, the lodgings and the school.
Sadly, two of my lambs did not make it through the rigors of summer pasture in the mountains of Iceland. The flock is back down to 6.”
In the pictures above, Dr. Novak crouches amidst frozen mist spires (L) while in the valley horses graze in the wind shadow of the snow capped mountains (R).
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Nobel Laureate Meets His/Pol Students
During her visit to Meredith, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai held a special session with students in Joyner Hall. Above is Tenzin Dekyi presenting Dr. Maathai with a gift that offset carbon emissions from her trip from Kenya to the United States (including her stays in NY and Cleveland) and also a whole day's worth of electricity at Meredith College. This was done through NC Green Power and Meredith offset 9.5 tons of Carbon!!!
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Somewhere Over the Rainbow in Iceland...
Drs. Novak and Grathwohl and their seven Meredith students arrived safe, if tired, in Iceland this week. Their greeting: five separate and amazing rainbows on their way to their Skalholt home! Read more and see pictures from their journey at http://www.meredith.edu/traveljournals/iceland/default.htm.
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Meredith History & Political Science Graduates Never Cease to Amaze!
Bittersweet though it is, the department says adieu to the graduates of 2009. They leave Meredith to take up a variety of positions in business, government, non-profit and academic pursuits. Take, for example, the smiling graduate above, Phylicia Quay, who is about to head off to graduate study in Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in England. Congrats to all the graduates and remember: keep in touch!!
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Fall Reading Dash Bash: Much Bash, Little Reading
In contrast to recent occasions, this semester's Bash contained no senior or honors presentations, so the time was spent exclusively on honors and festivities. Katy Nagel won the Alice B. Keith Senior Scholar Award, and Janine Dubé won the Frank and Carolyn Grubbs Award for Future Teachers, Dr. True-Weber was recognized for her accomplishments with the Meredith Habitat for Humanity house, and Allison Rice won the drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Target. Congrats ladies! Other honors included...
Phi Sigma Alpha
Society member Natalie Linton ceremonially inducts (l-r) Kellie Betts, Lindsey Gobush and Molly Link into the Meredith chapter of the national political science honor society, Phi Sigma Alpha. Reserved for rising seniors, students must show consistent academic and extracurricular excellence in order to achieve this honor. Great work!
Frank Rogers Returns to Work with the * D for Sabbatical Year
[Note: Portions of this section redacted for national security reasons.] Dr. Frank Rogers recently returned to his place of former employment with the * D in * D D. (A photo of Dr. Rogers in earlier years is here.) Dr. Rogers, much-beloved by students and colleagues alike was an integral part of the department, teaching courses in political science, history and international studies. For the next year, however, he'll be spending his time not with students but with and from places like . Above, Dr. Rogers receives a plaque recognizing his many contributions to Meredith. We'll miss you Frank!
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Meredith Pie Throwing Charity Meets Never Again!
Do you know what happens when a Czech-descended, born-in-Cleveland, Great-Battle-of-Chagrin-Falls veteran gets threatened with a pie in the face? He fights back! Years of Doormatism and Thereisnosecondma'amitis have engendered in our Dr. Novak (aka, Never Again!) a Samsonesque strategic sensibility: you may take me down, but I'm taking you with me!
This all comes back to pies, because Never Again! generously(?) offered to take a pie in the face for the cause of charity. Specifically, it was to honor the efforts of Meredith's "Pennies for a Cause" volunteers, who, through their tireless efforts, ensured that Meredith won the intercollegiate fundraising competition this spring. What the hapless pie throwing Sam Povich didn't know was that Never Again! had two cans of Silly String waiting to unload on his attacker's face. As Never Again! noted, "She never even saw it coming!"
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Lincoln Visits Meredith on Occasion of 200th Birthday
Well, not Lincoln, but his spirit, channeled through Dr. Novak (above, right), engaged in discussion with the similarly possessed Dr. McElreath (above, left; Matthew Brady, perhaps?) The ghost of America's first Republican president felt right at home among Meredith's Angels, and especially appreciated the 21st Century feast of cheeses, crackers and punch that rounded out the grand celebration, sponsored by the History & Politics Club.
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Public History Students Interview Community of Ex-Tenant Farmers
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Don't Mess With Djibouti
Meredith's Model Arab League team (an offshoot of the Model UN Club) sent ten delegates to the Southeastern Model Arab League Conference at Converse College this month. Representing the Republic of Djibouti, the Meredith dignitaries succeeded in staving off invasion, bringing in new investment and development and contributing to the general progress of the member countries. Working toward these goals above are Ashley King (L, scrutinizing a proposal) and Spenser Taub, Ashley King, Heather Bettman, Emily King and Rebekah Snyder (R, winning over the conference with their smiles). Don't be fooled world! Behind those smiles lurks a powerful Djibouti. (Read more about the trip here.)
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These Gals Are So Bright, We Gotta Wear Shades
Meredith College and Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, inducted two more Angels into its ranks recently. Seen above are (l-r) Kathryn Nagel, Virginia Tharrington (new member), Amanda Gresham (new member) and Lindsey Cooke. Great work!!
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Digging Discourse with Dr. Donald
The department is pleased to welcome Dr. Roderick "Kevin" Donald, visiting assistant professor, who will be teaching History 250: Introduction to Archaelogy this Spring. The course promises to cover a number of interesting areas, including theory, methodology, legal and ethical issues and more. Be sure to say "hi" when you see him, and welcome Dr. Donald to Meredith!
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Reading Day Bash Ties Record for Most Presentations
The department's semi-annual Reading Day Bash provided a perfect example of precision PowerPoint pacing, with a record-tying six presenters partaking in the pageant. From Model UN to colonial America to Southern rock, the topics range far and wide, however one quality remained constant: the excellence of the presentations. On behalf of the enlightened and grateful audience: great job ladies! (Below, clockwise from the top left are Sanji Silva, Afnan Boutrid, Lindsey Cooke, Kandace Lewis, Sarah Harmon and Ella Frazier.)
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Meredith Delegates Avert War at Southern Regional Model U.N. Conference in Atlanta
The Meredith MUN delegation represented the countries of Israel and Indonesia at the 2008 SRMUN conference. Among the diverse group of sixteen delegates were majors in political science, history, international studies, communications, and mathematics, two freshman, two three-time participants and one four-timer! Congrats for a job well done by this amazing group! Pictured below are, left to right, Dr. Martinson, Spenser Taub, Sanji Silva, Amanda Chartier,Tenzin Dekyi, Ashley King, Kellie Betts, Heather Bettman, Sarah Delphey, Kim Richtman, Meredith Mathney, Sara Sider, Ashley King, Angenette Burns, Holley Smart and Afnan Boutrid (not pictured, Dr. Novak).
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History & Politics Club Members Travel Through Time!!
History & Politics Club members Natasha Shainakava, Katie Nagel, Danielle Beck, Kelsey Ginsberg, Phylicia Quin, Jacqueline Daloisio, Ellent Carter and Spenser Taub led by advisor Dr. McElreath, journeyed back in time, visiting historic New Bern, North Carolina. In addition to serving as the state's first capital, New Bern also was the site of an important battle during the War of Northern Aggression and (on a happier note) is the birthplace of Pepsi! In the upper picture, Belles Daloisio and Carter assimilate to the locals' dress habits, while in the lower one students and hosts Rob & Laura Overman listen to native Nelson McDaniel describe some of New Bern's facinating history.
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New Angels for Phi Alpha Theta
Meredith College and Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, were pleased to recently induct
(l-r) Eryn Ritter, Lindsey Cooke and Kathryn Nagel into this esteemed group. Great work ladies!
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Dr. Novak (AKA Skalla Grimur) and Angels in Iceland
Dr.s Novak and Grathwohl led Meredith's first study abroad program to Iceland this past summer, staying for a month at a church and school 1000 years old and studying Icelandic history, literature and contemporary culture. Given the northern latitude, it did not get dark once the entire time. And where else could you:
have a personal session with the U.N. Ambassador?
visit Parliament with the leader of the Green party?
be surprised by a geysir even when you know it's coming?
stand at the site where the continental shelves are separating and span mountains from North America to Eurasia?
see sunset and sunrise at the same time?
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History & Politics Club Take Historic Trolley, Encounter Historic Figures
Four members of the History & Politics Club and Dr. McElreath recently took the Historic Raleigh Trolley tour, focusing on the Capital City's history and culture. They also toured the Mordecai House, the oldest home in the City today. While on their tour, they ran into History Depatment Chair Michael Novak, moonlighting with his banjo for a special event at at the Mordecai estate. (Right image above: Brittany Forlidas, Ellen Carter, Jacqueline Daloisio, Brittany Morgan.) In October, the H & P Club is planning a trip to New Bern to see the Tryon Palace and the birthplace of Pepsi! For information, contact Katie Nagel or Dr. McElreath (mcelreat@meredith.edu).
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Meredith MUN Team Wins Award at Model Arab League Conference
Once again led by President Emily King and advised by Dr. Martinson, the Meredith MUN team participated in an intercollegiate simulation of international affairs. For the first time, however, this was at an additional Spring conference, the Model Arab League, held at Converse College in Spartanburg, SC. Meredith's team performed exceptionally at the event, with Emily King garnering a Chair's Commendation for her efforts on the Joint Defense Council. Basking in the afterglow of a job well-done are (L-R) Jee-In Hur, Emily King, Tiffany Durand, Laura Hart, Lindsey Cooke and Danielle Beck (not pictured: Amanda Chartier.) Mumtaz ladies!
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History Honor Society Honors New Inductees
Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, was pleased to initiate new members on March 20. Pictured left to right are President Jenna Burnham; new initiates Patricia Chartier, Stephanie McRae and Angie Rush; Vice President Afnan Boutrid. Congratulations to them all from the Department of History and Political Science!
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Meredith Students and Faculty Rescue Historic North Carolina Site
Meredith Students, Faculty and Alums all pitched-in to help rescue/recover the remains of the Historic Latta House of Raleigh. The Latta House, the last remaining building of Latta University, sadly burned down last year. Mordecei Historic Park Asst. Site Manager (and Meredith Alum) Erin Callis asked Dr. Fountain and his Public History majors to help out with the salvaging of historic materials from the rubble. Terri Jones, Stephanie McRae, Michelle Palmore, Phylicia Quay and Dr. Fountain answered the call by spending a cold day sorting and moving bricks and other materials from the remains. Seen above are Terri Jones (in black) and Dr. Fountain (in red) moving their mountains.
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Model United Nations Delegation Marches on Atlanta!
Led by President Emily King (right) and advised by Dr. Jeff Martinson, the largest Meredith M.U.N. delegation yet set out to Atlanta to represent both Italy and Iraq at the Southern Regional Model United Nations Conference. They held their own admirably among delegations from 65 other colleges and universities. Decorum, Delegates!
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Phi Alpha Theta Inducts New Members
The History Department was pleased to induct (l-r) Jenna Burnham, Michelle Palmore, Sarah Harmon and Afnan Boutrid into Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in History. Congratulations!
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Meredith Students Attend Leadership Conference in D.C.
Senior Tiffany Medford (second from right) led a group of Meredith students to a weekend leadersip conference in Washington, D.C. Organized by the Public Leadership Education Network, the sessions introduced students to careers in public advocacy, law, and a variety of other areas. The first of many such trips, we hope!
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Faculty: 19 -- Student-Athletes: 2!!!
Many watched -- some with skepticism -- as Dr. Fountain zeroed in on the opening delivery from the student-athlete kickball team. They should have been looking up . . .
because that's where he sent it. The first of many in what turned out to be a rout!
Better luck next year, kids!
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Strange Phenomenon in Iceland
Local Icelandic bloggers reported that an odd stranger had established an unusual rapport with the geothermal forces. Recent posts indicate that he and a colleague will bring a group of Meredith students back to study there in summer, 2008.
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Meredith Students Achieve Top Honors
Meredith students celebrated their graduations recently, and not just in Raleigh! In the uppermost picture stands a beaming Stephanie Byrd with "some of [her] faves" Drs. Novak, Martinson and Frazier. No less enthusiastic is the smiling woman the the next picture, Sarah Margaret Tullos ('05), freshly vested with her Master's degree in Near Eastern Studies from the Kevorkian Center of NYU. Three cheers to this season's Meredith grads whether near or far!
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Reading Day Celebration Lauds Graduates, Honored Faculty
Topping off the fun-filled event, Phi Sigma Alpha member Nicole McGuiness (not pictured) inducted new members (left to right) Whitney Sorrell, Ashley Vaughan and Ella Frazier. Congrats to these new members of Phi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society!!
Rosie and the Riveters? No, but part of the Reading Day Celebration dedicated to honoring one of our longest-serving faculty members. Longtime friends and colleagues from across the Meredith campus assembled to celebrate Dr. Rosalie Gates’ recent transition to Emeritus status. Above, she’s embraced by several of them, (left to right) Novak, Vitarbo, Frazier, Fountain, McElreath, Martinson, Rogers and Page.) Congrats Rosalie, and we’ll be seeing you!!
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Students Meet Pulitizer Prize-Winning Author
On March 27th, historian Gordon S. Wood spoke to audience at Belk Dining Hall about his new book, Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different. The event was sponsored by the John Locke Foundation and attended by several History and Political Science luminaries. Standing behind the seated Dr. Wood below are some of them:(from left to right) Dr. Fountain, Megan Anderson, Whitney Perry, Stephanie McRae and Monique Powell.
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History Honors Awarded
Congratulations to the most recent group of Phi Alpha Theta inductees!! Phi Alpha Theta is a national honor society of students of History, whose members have maintained high GPAs in both their general and History-specific coursework. Pictured below with their certificates and honor cords are: Leigh Ann Alford, Genevieve Boisvert, Stephanie Byrd, Tara Mitchell, Whitney Perry and Monique Powell. Great work ladies!!
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Dr. Happer Discovers Life in Office Rain Barrel
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Lands the Great Beast
Those readers who follow this page will remember that Dr. Happer has been taking about 15 gallons of water through the roof of her Joyner office every time it rains. She returned from some weeks away over the break to discover that there was life in her barrel! "I don't know what it is," she said, "but if it's big enough to catch it's big enough to eat and I'm going to get it before it gets me." The pictures below display her valiant efforts.
After finding that the Beast liked Velveeta Cheese, Dr. Happer broke several fishing poles and lines trying to catch it. Finally, donning special protective glasses, she rigged a trapper's noose line from her ethernet cable and hauled it out. Specialists from the Biology Department are now trying to determine its species and why it emits nuclear radiation. Stay tuned!
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Senior Honors Presentations and Shindig
Honors students Leslie Harris and Tara Mitchell presented their Senior Thesis findings to a full house of majors, faculty, friends and a variety of people who showed up for the free food. Tara Mitchell (top left) discussed the impact of economic change on women's roles in the colonial North and South to a rapt audience. Leslie Harris (bottom right) discussed the Palestinian organization Hamas with supporters in the peanut gallery. All photos courtesy of Dr. Frank Rogers, Surveillance.
And, as predicted, Novak won the Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle rematch despite much advance abuse.
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The New Joyner Hall
17 Gallons in Dr. Happer's rain gauge!
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Model United Nations delegates shine at Southern Regional Model U.N. Conference in Atlanta.
Congratulations to this year's MUN delegation, who very successfully represented The Netherlands in the company of about 800 student delegates from forty colleges and universities. With eight first time delegates and only five experienced members, this year's groups proved themselves remarkably effective from the dais and in caucus, where they wrote, sponsored and or signed resolutions in every venue. Pictured below are, left to right, Hamida Saleh, Jackie Neustel, Danielle Beck, Angie Burns, Ha Tran, Emily King, Leslie Harris, Eryn Ritter, Chauffer Michael Novak, Courtney Crute, September Pinckney, Jessica Coates, Advisor Dr. Jeff Martinson, and Penetta Craig.
Below. Left to Right:
Danielle and Courtney drive a hard bargain in caucus; Jessica and Ha draft a working paper.
Meanwhile, Penetta and Leslie ponder their next speech from the Dais.
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| Senior Thesis Research Leads to Venezuela | |
| by Melyssa Allen | |
For many students, digging a little deeper into their senior research project might mean getting a few more books from the library. For Meredith senior Jessica Coates, doing more research meant traveling to Venezuela. Coates spent three weeks in Venezuela with Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org), on what the human rights organization calls a Reality Tour. This summer program in Venezuela is the basis of Coates’ senior thesis on aspects of that country’s political system. “Being there for three weeks was like a semester’s worth of learning,” said Coates, who participated in a language school to improve her Spanish, and visited Caracas and Mérida. Coates said her interest in Venezuela politics began in the spring of 2005, when she took Latin American History, taught by Débora Maldonado-DeOlivera, and Liberation Theology, taught by Margarita Suarez. The two courses were Core 200 linkages in Meredith’s General Education program. Prior to these classes, Coates was unfamiliar with Latin American history. The Latin American History and Liberation Theology classes “changed my life…it opened my eyes to our neighbors to the south in a big way,” Coates said. |
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Venezuela, the world’s fifth leading producer of oil, was of particular interest to the political science major because of the way the country uses its oil profits to fund social programs, such as free health care, education and employment training initiatives. While there, she toured employment training sites, as well as a textile cooperative and a trout farm, which was Coates’ favorite. “They are very proud of their success [at the trout farm],” Coates said. “Their plans include gaining organic certification, building a hotel for eco-tourism and teaching organic farming classes.” For her senior thesis, Coates is exploring community action in Venezuela. During her trip, she was able to attend a community council meeting. The one she attended was a mobile community meeting with the mayor of Mérida. “I really saw how the community action works…the councils are the biggest symbols of the power that the people [in Venezuela] have,” Coates said. “They are designed so that everybody gets to be heard. Coates has spent two semesters working on her project. She has found her real-life experience this summer important as she completes her project this semester. “I went there with a blank slate…I feel like I left with more questions than answers, but I got what I wanted, which was a human connection to my topic,” she said. “From this experience, I gained perspective…now when I write about Venezuela, I’m writing about friends.”
After graduating in December 2006, Coates plans to return to Venezuela before exploring graduate school options.
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Phi Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society for History, welcomed (left to right) Tara Newton, Charlotte Roberts and Jenny Braswell into membership at an induction ceremony on October 19, 2007. Congratulations!!!
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Dr. Michael McElreath recently took his North Carolina History class on a field trip to Historic Stagville. This large site north of Durham features numerous historically significant structures, including the late 18th-century Bennehan House, four two-story, four-room slave houses, a pre-Revolutionary War yeoman farmer's house, and a massive timber framed barn, as well as a modern visitor center and the Bennehan Family cemetery. Pictured below are the group at the site and also learning about slave life from a site interpreter.
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Team Meredith at World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Championships
While on the Honors Fall Excursion to Asheville, NC., Honors Scholar and Teaching Fellow Leslie Harris led Drs. Novak and Fountain to enter the 26th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Championships at the Southern Highlands Craft Center. The team practiced hard for hours to master this new and subtle skill, then joined contestants from as far away as Tennessee in fierce competition. Dr. Fountain sustained a career ending injury to his index finger, but not before winning a Moon Pie for his efforts. Dr. Novak made the final round, but crashed to fifth place and his own Moon Pie. Leslie Harris went on to finish second in THE WORLD, receiving as her prize a gold plated Whimmy Diddle. Congratulations to all!
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New Full-time Faculty
Please join the Department in welcoming new faculty members Jeffrey Martinson (left) and Michael McElreath (right). Dr. Martinson, who holds his degree from The Ohio State University, will specialize in international relations. Dr. McElreath, whose degree is from The University of Pennsylvania, will specialize in modern U.S. history and teacher licensure.
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Spring 2006
Farewell, for now, to dear old Joyner.
Drs. Novak and Fountain say a happy goodbye to Joyner Hall for the summer, as they prepare to set up temporary office space on First String.
But why leave? Take a closer look at the ribbon below.
Oops!!!
But we return to new paint, new carpet, new climate control, offices on the second floor and air that is made safer by special ultraviolet lights in the HVAC system. Now that IS something to smile about.
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Model UN Delegation Hits the Big Apple
Congratulations to this year's Model United Nations delegation, who received an invitation to the national Model U.N. conference in New York, where they joined over 200 delegations from around the world in a week of exhausting but exhilarating hard nosed diplomacy. Pictured here as they prepare to depart Raleigh via Amtrak on April 10 are (front row, left to right,) Jackie Neustel, Courtney Crute, Jessica Coates, and (back row, left to right,) Mackenzie Carter, Kelly Johnson, Emily Collins, Meredith Taylor, Erica Oakley, Rose Wilson, Leslie Harris, Tara Mitchell and Angenette Burns. Hiding somewhere is their fearless advisor, Dr. Gregory Vitarbo.
Declassified photo of may show Dr. Rogers at work in his other "career". (Click "Back" to return.)
