Meredith Hosts Business Etiquette Presentation and Dinner
By Allison Ladd, '05
On Tuesday, January 25 Meredith hosted a Business Etiquette Presentation and Dinner that was open to students from Peace, NC State and Meredith, as well as Meredith alumnae. The event was sponsored by the Career Center and Meredith's chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management.
The guest speaker was Ann Marie Sabath, founder of At Ease Inc. and author of Business Etiquette in Brief, who teaches business protocol and etiquette to companies and colleges around the country. Throughout the evening Sabath gave lessons and pointers on how to act, dress and present oneself in a business setting. Approximately 125 people attended the seminar.
The night was split into two parts - a presentation and a dinner. The presentation covered many topics and situations including making a powerful first impression, how to dress business professional and business casual, important follow up interview questions and the art of mingling.
Meredith student Alison Barefoot, '05, said she learned "skills on how to introduce someone when you have forgotten his or her name, and how to approach someone and start a conversation."
Between the presentation and the dinner participants had the opportunity to mingle and network with alumnae and other students. During the etiquette dinner, Sabath taught the group how to properly eat in front of potential or current employers with a menu of difficult to manage food.
Sabath "covered every situation I could possibly think of that could arise in a business scenario, and I was impressed with her vast knowledge of the subject," said Jonathan Miller, an NC State student.
Sabath aimed to make the evening fun and comfortable while teaching students how to have confidence in any situation.The skills Sabath taught that night, "may seem natural to many people, but…are often overlooked when preparing for interviews and business functions" said Kristen Scott, a senior at Meredith.Scott also commented that "having proper etiquette positively reflects what kind of person you are to everyone around you, and not only demonstrates competence but respect too."
Meredith's Career Center offers several opportunities throughout the year to prepare students for their future.This is the second year that Meredith has held a presentation on business etiquette. Marie Sumerel, Career Center director, said "We offered the presentation and dinner to teach students how to respond appropriately in business and formal situations."
Scott said, "I feel that I have gained confidence and a competitive advantage over other students my age because of these events."
For more information on programs offered by The Meredith Career Center, visit www.meredith.edu/career/.
Meredith to Host Women Administrators in North Carolina Higher Education (WANCHE) Conference
Meredith College will host the annual conference of the Women Administrators in North Carolina Higher Education (WANCHE) on March 15-16.
President Maureen A. Hartford will be a featured speaker at the conference, with an address titled "Leading With the Heart." Other speakers include UNC-Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo.
Women Administrators in North Carolina Higher Education (WANCHE) is North Carolina's response to the challenge of the American Council on Education's National Identification Project (ACE/NIP) for the advancement of women in higher education administration. Operating as a network rather than as a membership organization, WANCHE is led by a state coordinator who is appointed by the ACE director of the National Identification Project and an executive board of administrators representative of public and private, two- and four-year colleges and universities. Participation in WANCHE is open to all women administrators, as well as to other women and men who subscribe to its vision, mission and goals.
Visit www.roanokechowan.edu/WANCHE/Home2a.asp for more information on WANCHE.
Technology Consultants to Aid Development of Meredith Technology Plan
By Betsy Rhame, '01
As part of Meredith College's Vision 2010 strategic planning initiative, the Campus Technology Committee (CTC) is partnering with Kaludis Consulting, a higher education technology consulting firm, to examine the role of technology on campus. Klaudis representatives Gwen Weaver and Elliott Haugen will visit campus several times during the semester to assess Meredith's existing technology and to interview members of the Meredith community. Kaludis will report their findings to the CTC so a new campus wide technology plan can be developed and implemented.
"[Kaludis] will assist the Campus Technology Committee who is responsible for writing the plan," said Mickey Brandstadter, Meredith's chief information officer.
Representatives came to campus beginning the week of February 14 to begin talking to members of the Meredith community. Brandstadter says they are targeting "naturally meeting groups" at their regular meetings to gain perspective on technology at Meredith. Kaludis representatives spent their first week with the senior management team and technology services.
"The initial part is just getting to know us," said Tom Butler, the project director for the Meredith Technology Initiative and the director of user support services.
Next, Weaver and Haugen hope to talk to students, faculty, staff and alumnae.
"They want to leave no group out," Brandstadter said.
After collecting data and seeing how the Meredith community uses technology, Kaludis Consulting will assist the CTC in assessing the data, reviewing campus goals and existing plans, finalizing the plan, and finding ways to communicate the plan so that the entire campus can become involved and aware. Kaludis will have the results of the study ready to release by the end of the semester to coincide with the Vision 2010 planning process.
In the meantime, all members of the Meredith community have the opportunity to let the representatives know what they think about technology on campus. Brandstadter encourages interested groups or individuals to contact him at ext. 8828 or
brandstm@meredith.edu.
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"A Tide of Hope" Reaches Across Campus
By Betsy Rhame, '01
The students, faculty and staff of Meredith College have responded in many different ways to the relief effort for victims of the tsunami in Asia. The college has set a goal of raising $25,000 to donate to Save the Children, a nonprofit child-assistance organization.
Several professors have incorporated awareness of the disaster and the affected area in their classes. As a requirement for her Child Welfare class, Gail Kenyon, assistant professor of sociology and social work, requires that students complete 20 hours of service work. In the past students have often chosen to work in a local agency. However, this semester Kenyon has two students who will dedicate their service hours to tsunami relief efforts and will join forces with the Social Work Club to accomplish their goal. Tsunami relief relates directly to what she teaches in her Child Welfare class.
"When disasters happen, children become more vulnerable to child exploitation," Keynon explained.
Students learned about Sri Lanka and the tsunami first hand in assistant professor of religion and philosophy Pamela D. Winfield's Introduction to Asian Religions class. Betty Webb, professor of English and director of international studies, and her husband, John Rose were guest lecturers.
"The media can't report the kind of truly personal stories that…John Rose and Betty Webb told us about," said senior Ginger Alexander.
Carol Hazard, associate professor of chemistry, covers tsunamis every semester in her classes. She uses graphics to show how a tsunami forms and moves, and the amount of damage it can do. She also talks about tsunamis throughout history. Though she hasn't taught about tsunamis yet this semester she will in the next few weeks. But students that had her class last semester had a full appreciation for how a tsunami is formed and what it is capable of after the disaster in Southeast Asia occurred. Many of those students emailed Hazard after the tsunami to talk more about what they had learned.
"They were somewhat stunned, understanding that these things…are not predictable," Hazard said.
Hazard says that earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the movement of the earth's plates, or plate tectonics. There are a couple of plate edges that come together at the area devastated by the tsunami, and these edges occur at different places all over the planet.
"I like them to be aware that things can happen," Hazard said. "It can just as easily happen here."
In addition to providing learning opportunities for students, tsunami relief efforts are also taking place across campus.
At the beginning of the semester the Meredith Supply Store held a fundraiser in conjunction with Follett Higher Education Group, and all of the funds went directly to the American Red Cross.This relief program started January 10 and ended January 31.During this time, Meredith students were able to donate at the cash registers as they paid for their books and many students took advantage of this opportunity to help.
Mary Ann Reese, the supply store manager, said that Follett collected about $175,000 for the Red Cross. "(Meredith) contributed to that amount," she said.
Meredith's student athletes are raising funds as well. Jackie Myers, Meredith's athletics director reported that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is leading a fundraiser for the athletic department. The goal is to raise at least $100 per team.
Myers said that SAAC is hoping to go above and beyond their goal with help from friends and family members, Myers said.
SAAC is planning to present a check at the end of the semester to Campus Minister Sam Carothers for the Save the Children Fund.
Freshman Jennifer Hilton coordinated an event co-sponsored by Meredith and the N.C. Storytelling Guild to raise money for tsunami victims. A Story Tsunami Festival was held in Jones Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 1-4 p.m. and Meredith partnered with the N.C. Storytelling Guild.
According to Coordinator of Volunteer Services Lynne Wheatley, this event is one of four across the state and is in conjunction with the National Storytelling Network. All contributions/donations will be directed to Save the Children. The N.C. Storytelling Guild split the contributions with Meredith, and these funds will be put toward Meredith's $25,000 goal.
Click here to visit "A Tide of Hope" tsunami relief web site
Women's Studies Sponsors Spring Events
By Kelly Jones, '05
Meredith's Women's Studies program is sponsoring a number of events throughout the spring semester, with particular focus on women's history month in March.
Jack Huber, chair of the Psychology Department at Meredith College, will present research on Wednesday, March 16. Huber's lecture is open to the public and will be held from noon until 1 p.m. (Location TBD).
On Monday, March 21, Joan O'Barr will present a talk about her work in women's education to faculty and students in Ledford 101 at 10 a.m.O'Barr is the founding director of Women's Studies at Duke University.O'Barr's presentation "How I Told My Parents I Took a Women's Studies Course" will discuss personal stories of how knowledge gained through women's studies applies to in real life situations.She will explore some women's studies history and share the experiences of women's studies students from many colleges.
On Tuesday, March 22 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. a live band, "Rocket Fire," will perform in the quad in front of Belk Dining Hall.Smores will also be provided.
On Tuesday, March 29, Margarita Suarez will give a presentation from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Wyatt Room in Belk Dining Hall.Suarez is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Meredith College. Suarez's lecture is open to the public.
"My hope is that the Women's Studies program will be an important part of the Meredith education that seeks to prepare women to think critically about personal, political and social issues; that sensitizes them to the questions of social justice; and that empowers them to act as ethically minded professional leaders and responsible citizens," says Sherry Shapiro, director of the Women's Studies program.
Other Women's Studies events that were held in February include a "Zine Project," Feb. 21-25, which encouraged students to add their own thoughts, drawings, poetry and stories to express their "Meredith experience" in a Meredith "Zine." A zine is any publication put together and distributed by the creator or creators for love and not profit. On Thursday, Feb. 24, Joan Shapiro discussed her work on ethics, leadership and women with Meredith faculty.Shapiro is a professor of educational administration and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Temple University.
