Meredith Staff Member Places in Photography Contest
By Betsy Rhame, '01
Wendy Gem, an academic technology specialist in Technology Services, was recently awarded second place in a juried photography competition sponsored by Women In Photography International (WIPI). Gem entered the conceptual category in the online photo exhibition for works by women photographers in the contest which had a theme of "Beauty: Camera Eye of the Beholder."
Gem's image is of a mosquito and was made using the electron microscope in the Science and Math Building. Then she used PhotoShop to add color to the image.
Gem first used the electron microscope while training Larry Grimes, professor of biology on its computer equipment. He already had mosquito slides prepared from his research that Gem began to explore.
"It just opened my eyes to this world I've never seen before," she said. "What I was looking at was the form and the shape. It reminded me of flowers."
Gem's photo combines photography and biology, and she plans to continue her work by photographing plants under the microscope.
"The fusion of art and science ... is the perfect way to learn," Gem said.
The exhibition is posted online at www.WomenInPhotography.org until September.
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Students Share Study Abroad Experiences on College's Web Site
By Melyssa Allen
Each summer, Meredith students participate in College-sponsored study abroad programs in locations such as the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. This year, faculty, staff and others can follow along with their adventures, thanks to the new "Travel Journals" section of the College's web site.
The web site includes journal entries from students participating in Meredith's study abroad programs. Faculty program leaders are also sharing their experiences on the site. The new web pages are an extension of the web journals kept by the Meredith group that traveled to Sri Lanka this winter.
In their journal entries, many students have reported that their feelings have changed from early homesickness to later feeling that their locations abroad were truly "home away from home."
Italy/Switzerland program participant Julie Allred wrote, "I remember arriving in our beautiful little town of Sansepolcro feeling a bit lost and afraid. I was over 4,000 miles away from my home and my family and everything else familiar. However, I soon learned how to adjust and adapt to my surroundings. Italy is such a beautiful country, and it had so much to offer a small-town girl from North Carolina!"
Another theme that runs through many of the journals is the idea that traveling abroad has helped the students feel empowered.
Liz Yaros said in one entry about a travel break during which students take independent trips in small groups, "On the bus ride back, I honestly had a feeling of empowerment that I had never felt in my life. The four of us navigated through setbacks, stood up for ourselves, pushed through hard times and exhaustion, braved a world we'd never seen, done things unimaginable, and we did it on our own. I felt as though I could do anything."
Rebecca Newton, a student in the Spain program, said in her journal that studying abroad has changed her. "I'm learning so much, and not all in the classroom. It would not be possible for me to come back from this trip without being somehow changed by the people and experiences that I've encountered." Many students also used their journal entries to encourage other students to travel.
Carrie Lawson said "Italy is amazing. This has been the best experience of my life. I never thought I would ever see so much. I have learned a lot about the Italian culture...If you have the opportunity to study abroad...DO IT!"
Students and faculty will continue to send journal entries throughout the summer. To read more, visit www.meredith.edu/traveljournals/.
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