Journalist Judy Woodruff Discusses Voting, Media
By Melyssa Allen
Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff, who attended Meredith College from 1964-66, returned to campus on April 23, 2008. During an afternoon session for the Meredith community, she fielded questions about voting, the media and presidential politics.
Calling the vote for president “the most personal vote that we cast” Woodruff said intangible qualities can determine who a voter chooses. She described these intangibles as who voters “want to look at on television…to get good news and bad news from…who [they] want leading the country into war.”
Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS. She is a senior correspondent for PBS’ “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and is the editor of the show’s 2008 election coverage.
In her years as a reporter, Woodruff said that she has seen journalism change.
“The reason I wanted to get into journalism was the opportunity to learn both sides of an issue…over time, much more of a premium has been given to journalism presenting an opinion.”
She noted that news programs have been providing more analysis rather than coverage of an issue or event.
“It is not always easy to determine what is analysis and what is opinion…some reporters are more comfortable blending the two,” Woodruff said.
While on campus, Woodruff offered her own analysis of the 2008 presidential election, including the impact of young voters.
“A great story of this election is the young voter turnout,” Woodruff said. “Turnout among young people is up phenomenonally” from 2000 and 2004.
As an example, Woodruff said that the turnout of young voters in the Democratic party’s Iowa caucus was up 400 percent from 2004.
“There is something going on in the young generation…as if it was a generation waiting to be beckoned.”
Woman of Achievement Lecture
Woodruff delivered a public lecture at 7 p.m. in Jones Auditorium. During this lecture, Woodruff covered topics ranging from the historic implications of the 2008 election, the decision facing super delegates and election predictions based on past trends.Woodruff called the current race the most exciting election she has ever covered.
”Something is happening this year—people are interested and paying attention,” Woodruff said.
While discussing the sometimes negative aspects of politics, Woodruff said American democracy in action is “not a pretty picture at times [but] that’s our democracy…that’s how we work things out.”
Woodruff’s talk was Meredith’s second annual “Woman of Achievement” lecture.
Meredith freshman Anna Beavon Gravely said Woodruff’s lecture gave the campus a closer view of politics from an accomplished journalist.
“Having Judy Woodruff come to Meredith and talk about her experiences and her expertise makes politics personal…I respect her greatly for what’s she’s done as a woman involved in politics,” Gravely said.
The “Woman of Achievement” lecture is part of the 2007-08 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Presidential Lecture Series. The inaugural “Woman of Achievement” lecture was delivered in April 2007 by Meredith College alumna and internationally known Biblical scholar Phyllis Trible.
Meredith Students Earn Awards for Research
By Melyssa Allen
Meredith students Jessica L. Loehman and Preethi Sriram have both recently earned awards for their research efforts.
Loehman’s psychology research was awarded by the North Carolina Psychological Association. Sriram received an award from the North Carolina Academy of Science for her presentation of undergraduate research in biology.
Loehman, a junior psychology major, received the North Carolina Psychological Foundation President's Award for Undergraduate Research at the spring conference award on April 28, 2008. Her research project “Strategy Training Using a Multiple Levels of Processing Task,” explored ways to improve memory even when participants were not aware of the training procedure. The study is a continuation of prior research with her faculty sponsor, Professor of Psychology Rosemary Hornak.
In May, Loehman will travel to the meeting of the Association for Psychological Science in Chicago, Ill., to present additional details on her work. The Meredith College Undergraduate Research Program has helped fund Loehman’s work by awarding her a summer grant in 2007 and travel funds to present her work in Chicago this month.
Sriram, a senior biology major from Cary, N.C., received the John Bowley Derieux Research Award, which is given to undergraduate students who present work at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Academy of Science. This year’s meeting was held March 29.
Students are judged on their oral presentation as well as the design of their research questions and methods. Two to three students are recognized per combined section.
Sriram received recognition in the Ecology/Environmental Section for her presentation, “Effects of PPCP's on Corbicula fluminea (Mollusca, Bivalvia) of various age classes.” The faculty sponsor for her research is Francie Cuffney, associate professor of biology.
Sriram and Loehman also presented research during Meredith’s Celebrating Student Achievement Day.
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Meredith will hold its Spring Commencement exercises at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 11, 2008, in McIver Amphitheater.