Dedication Ceremony for Martin Hall Held
By Melyssa Allen

The former Hunter Hall formally received its new name on September 30, in a dedication ceremony honoring Meredith alumna Margaret C. Martin, who has a 75-year history with Meredith College.

Board of Trustees Chair Eugene Langley called the newly named Margaret C. Martin Hall a "fitting tribute to Margaret Martin's contributions to Meredith College."

Langley noted that Martin has "left her fingerprints on every part of Meredith College" as a student, alumna, staff member, faculty member, member of two boards and as a philanthropist.

Martin, who served as student government association president during her senior year, graduated from Meredith in 1930 with degrees in Latin and history. Following graduate study at Columbia University, she served as an instructor and later an assistant professor of Latin and English at both Meredith and NC State from 1953-62. She has also been a member of the board of trustees and the alumnae association. From 1964-1970, Martin served as Meredith's director of alumnae affairs. She was the second person to hold the position.

SGA President Mary Hemphill, '04, called Martin an "example of accomplishment…a great student, great leader, great educator and most of all, a great woman."

President Maureen Hartford noted that it is "especially fitting that Martin Hall houses the department of foreign languages because if (Martin) was still teaching, her office would be in this building." The newly renovated Martin Hall houses the department of foreign languages and literatures along with the department of human environmental sciences (HES).

Speaking on behalf of HES faculty and students, Marie Chamblee, dean of the School of Health and Human Environmental Sciences, described the ways the building's new features will provide "learning spaces that encourage opportunities for collaboration, making connections and meeting challenges."

Garry Walton, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said that the building's "gathering spaces contribute to conversations outside of classrooms," while the classroom design facilitates conversations in class.

Faculty and students are "just now beginning to discover the building's potential for teaching and learning," Walton said.

Forum Allows Meredith Students to "Meet the Candidates"
By Kelly Jones, '05

On Thursday, Sept. 30 Meredith Votes hosted a "Meet the Candidates" forum, which gave the Meredith community an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the candidates and campaign representatives. With all the media attention focusing on the presidential election, "Meet the Candidates" organizers recognized the importance of local politics. Campaigns for all races in Meredith College's district were invited to send representatives.

Approximately 25 candidates and/or representatives came, including incumbent NC Supreme Court Associate Justice and Meredith alumna Sarah Parker. Signs, posters, programs and stickers filled the tables of Belk Dining Hall.

Students were excited to discuss matters with the campaign representatives and the representatives were enthusiastic about the turnout from the Meredith community.

Allison McCarter, a junior at Meredith, said "Meet the Candidates" gave her a chance to realize what really matters to her when she votes in November.

"It isn't about Republican versus Democrat. It is about which candidate stands for what I believe in," McCarter said.

Clyde Frazier, professor of politics, leads "Meredith Votes" in their efforts to encourage students, faculty and staff to become involved with voting. Frazier said events like "Meet the Candidates" gives students an opportunity to learn more about candidates running for office.

Frazier said "Meet the Candidates" was not only helpful for students to learn about the campaign representatives and the political parties they represent, but also the forum was helpful for the representatives.

"This kind of event is worthwhile for the candidates, many said that they were glad they came because it gives them the opportunity to contact a group of voters that they have a hard time connecting with in other ways.  Many of these candidates don't have the funds to run lots of ads so they have little way to get their message out to students," said Frazier.

"Meet the Candidates" organizers hoped the event would help Meredith voters to recognize the names of the campaigns that attended and to remember the candidates' viewpoints when voting in November.

Paige Walston, a senior in "Meredith Votes," believes that "the opportunity students had to talk face-to-face with candidates and representatives on a more personal level will increase Meredith's voting turnout. Overall, "Meet the Candidates" was a great success and I hope to see the Meredith community out at the polls on November 2."

Meredith to Present Lectures Focusing on Women's Issues
By Melyssa Allen

The month of October is filled with special lectures focusing on women's issues, culminating in an inaugural event for Meredith College's new women's studies major.

The new major, launched this fall, builds on a minor that has been offered for 10 years. Women's studies explores how gender is socially constructed through complex interactions with sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, as well as national and regional identity. The speaker series presents women as leaders, scholars and activists.

National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy will speak on Monday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. in Meredith's Jones Auditorium. Gandy's lecture, "Reinventing Community NOW: Women, Equity and Civic Engagement," is free and open to the public. Gandy will discuss important political issues and how they relate to women. For more information, call ext. 2897.

Alexander Sanger, grandson of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, will speak at a luncheon and book signing on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Belk Dining Hall. This event is co-hosted by Planned Parenthood of Raleigh. In his new book, "Beyond Choice: Reproductive Freedom in the 21st Century," Sanger considers both sides of the abortion debate through the lens of the debate's history. Cost is $35. For more information or to RSVP, call Planned Parenthood at 919-833-7534.

Religion scholar Susannah Heschel, associate professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College, will speak on Monday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Auditorium. This event is being held to inaugurate the women's studies major. Heschel's lecture, "When Jesus Was an Aryan: Protestant Theologians in Nazi Germany," is free and open to the public. Call ext. 2857 for more information.

Four School of the Arts Faculty Members Hold Leadership Roles in Professional Organizations
By Melyssa Allen

Meredith faculty members often teach students qualities such as leadership and professionalism not just in the classroom, but also by example. Four School of the Arts faculty members are demonstrating the importance of leadership by holding offices in national professional organizations.

Lisa Fredenburgh, associate professor of music, Jack Roller, assistant professor of music, Fran Page, professor of music, and Becky Bailey, dean of the School of the Arts, all hold leadership roles in professional organizations relating to their fields.

Fredenburgh, director of choral studies, is the National Chair, Women's Choirs Repertoire and Standards Committee for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Page is president of the southern division of MENC: the National Association for Music Education and Roller is the secretary/treasurer of the Southeast Region of the Collegiate Orchestra Directors Association (CODA). Becky Bailey is the vice president for the southeastern region of the National Art Education Association.

Belonging to ACDA "helps me stay current, which augments my skill as a choral conductor," Fredenburgh says. "I try to model (for students) an artist in continual growth, and one willing to risk and come up with new ideas. I think this helps them see themselves one day in that situation."

Page says MENC, an organization with over 100,000 members at the national level and over 30,000 members in the Southern Division, "provides a wealth of publications that benefit music educators in all areas of teaching…engages in partnerships that promote music education with business and industry, and seeks to bring recognition to music (and all arts education) through lobbying initiatives." MENC's Southern Division board meeting, with leaders representing all 11-member states, was held at Meredith on Sept. 11-12.

Roller's organization, CODA, was formed two years ago by "a small core of collegiate orchestra conductors who realized that there was no organization that addressed only the needs and concerns of the college level orchestra," he says. The group, which held its first national convention last summer, now includes more than 100 members from across the nation.

Both Fredenburgh and Page were members of their organizations' student chapters while in college, and encourage Meredith students to take advantage of this opportunity.

"Student music educators attend meetings on campus and attend state, and sometimes division and national conferences, that provide them with insight into the profession (for which) they are training," Page says. "They often learn teaching strategies and gather materials that will be beneficial to them in the future."

All four agree that belonging to professional organizations has been beneficial.

"(CODA members) now have the ability to share ideas and information relating to recruiting, budget, salaries, music libraries and a host of other topics pertaining to our positions…every member has a voice through this unique forum," Roller says.

Fredenburgh also sees networking with other music professionals as a benefit.

"Networking with colleagues is a tangential benefit that keeps me connected to my field and continues to open the flow of information and ideas in the profession," Fredenburgh says. "I meet conductors from all over the country that are working on similar and often very different ideas. This open exchange of ideas…is invaluable to me, and therefore my students."

Bailey says that another benefit of serving a professional organization at the regional or national level is "you really can make a difference. You are responsible for representing literally thousands of teachers and countless students in such a way that their interests, and the field of art education, are furthered."

Note to Readers: Please send information about your participation in professional organizations to Melyssa Allen, "In A Nutshell" editor, at allenme@meredith.edu

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