Feb 16, 2022

THE MEREDITH

@meredithherald

HERALD

@meredith_herald @meredith_herald meredithherald.com

February 16, 2022

Black History Month at Meredith

By Evelyn Summers, Staff Writer Black History Month is an annual celebration of Black Americans’ achievements and an opportunity to reflect on their contributions in American history.

According to NPR, Black History Month’s theme this year is “Black Health and Wellness.” This theme honors medical providers and scholars as society “enter[s] the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected minority communities and placed unique burdens on Black health care professionals.”

Carter G. Woodson, also known as the “Father of Black History,” picked February as Black History Month because it coincides with the birthdates of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Fredrick Douglass, two men who were involved in the abolition of slavery.

To gain insight on what it's like to be a professor of color at Meredith, The Herald reached out to Dr. Alisa Johnson, Associate Professor of English and Assistant Dean of Arts and Humanities.

“I have spent most of my life in predominantly white institutions,” Dr. Johnson said, “some

of which were quite difficult, and I have been very pleased by the amount of support that I have received [at Meredith].”

However, she stated that while she has felt supported overall, there have been a few concerning interactions. “There were a few occasions during my first year of teaching when I was asked by campus police to show my ID as I was entering or leaving Joyner,” she explained. Overall, though, Dr. Johnson said her transition to Meredith was “fairly easy” and she has “felt respected and appreciated, especially for [her] teaching.”

Dr. Johnson said that she appreciates Meredith’s awareness “that [the College] could be more inclusive and diverse” and finds that its steps towards accomplishing that are “very encouraging.”

However, she said she remains “concerned that the college has not been able to hire and retain more faculty of color, because one way to improve the environment for faculty of color is to employ more faculty of color.” She explained, “The presence of a diverse pool of faculty sends the message that an institution is inclusive and accept-

Resources for Career Decision-Making at Meredith

By Maggie Barnhill, Staff Writer The Office of Career Planning (OCP) is a resource for Meredith students and alumni available to them starting their freshman year. According to the OCP’s website, students can receive help in “selecting a major, assessing skills and talents, securing internships and participating in mock interviews.”

Students can visit the OCP on the second floor of the Cate Center during business hours to speak with the front desk team or schedule an appointment through their Handshake account.

According to Dana Sumner, Director of the OCP, students can participate in “personalized career counseling appointments on a variety of topics including job and internship search, interview prep, salary negotiation, resume and cover letter reviews, LinkedIn reviews and more.” Sumner said students also attend employer events like the Career Fair, Mock Interview Week and more. Students can register for these events through Handshake.

Sumner explained that Handshake “provides students the ability to curate a personalized job and internship search.” She

said, “Students have the ability to customize their preferences and career interests on their Handshake profile, meaning the content they see when they log into Handshake is selected just for them.”

Sumner recommends using Handshake alongside LinkedIn when job searching and making career related decisions.

The OCP’s MyMeredith page also has a variety of virtual resources for students such as “interactive, self-paced learning modules” and an online copy of the Career Planning Workbook.

Meredith Mentors is another program available to students. This program “serves as a professional networking platform specifically for the Meredith community,” according to Sumner. This resource is available to current students, alumni, faculty and staff who want to “connect with one another for informationsharing, mentoring and asking career-related questions.”

These resources are available to Meredith students while in school and post-graduation.

To contact the OCP, call 919-7608341 or email career@meredith. edu.

ing of difference.”

Dr. Johnson said that when she began working at Meredith years ago, there were “far fewer open discussions of racism on campus than there are today, even though racist incidents happened.”

“The campus’s current antiracism efforts have created spaces for more discussion, and I am impressed by the number of students and faculty willing to become involved,” Dr. Johnson said.

“If we follow through with our efforts to become more inclusive, we will see change. But change probably won’t happen as quickly as we want it to—it never does.”

While people may celebrate Black History Month in February, Dr. Johnson stated that “for African American scholars, every month is Black History Month.”

“I enjoy the public attention given to the contributions

Photo by Elinor Shelp-Peck

of African Americans during the month—the number of programs and events seem to grow each year, and that fact is very affirming,” Dr. Johnson said. “I especially love the attention paid to artists and their works…The variety of art on display this month makes my heart sing.”

“Black History Month is the perfect occasion to read James Baldwin,” Dr. Johnson concluded.

“I’d like to include one of my favorite Baldwin quotes: ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’”

President Allen Advocates for Increase of Federal Pell Grant

By Shae-Lynn Henderson, Staff Writer On Jan. 18, President Jo Allen, ‘80, wrote a piece for The Hill advocating for the increase in the Federal Pell Grant. Dr. Allen discussed the benefits of the increase for students and their future in her article while separately discussing the impact of financial assistance for Meredith students and students at other colleges and universities.

The Federal Pell Grant is funded by Congress through the appropriations process. This process is when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees hold hearings to look into budget requests and needs of federal spending programs. The Pell Grant is a need-based form of financial aid that does not need to be paid back. Students who have demonstrated financial need are eligible for the Pell Grant and are identified when they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Dr. Allen said she chose to write an article for The Hill because it is an outlet legislators read, and they’re the ones who have the power to increase the Federal Pell Grant. In her article, she argues that “Pell Grants

have failed to keep pace with cost increases” and now cover less than 30 cents on the dollar when they once covered over half the cost of college, on average.

In order to fix this problem, Dr. Allen advocates for doubling the Pell in her article—this would increase the maximum award from $6,500 to $13,000. She cites the Gender Policy Institute’s research, which found that doubling the Pell Grant would cut students’ college loan debt in half.

Dr. Allen told The Herald that in addition to the arguments she makes in her The Hill article, she is passionate about ensuring students who choose to attend private colleges get the same government aid as students who attend public universities. Dr. Allen said that as a “past Chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the largest organization engaged in political advocacy for private colleges in the U.S.,” she keeps up to date on legislative matters regarding education and is currently focused on the “disproportionate funding for public versus private higher education.”

Continued on page 2.

News

President Allen Advocates for Increase of Federal Pell Grant

By Shae-Lynn Henderson, Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

“Students who choose private higher education typically do so not only for personal reasons… but largely because they see the institution as their ‘best fit,’ meaning it is most likely to offer the kind of experience, environment, support…and opportunities they desire,” Dr. Allen said. “They should not have to amass disproportionate debt to make that choice.”

Dr. Allen said she views the investment into the Pell Grant as an “investment in the future” that “dramatically enhances the number of people enjoying datasupported college benefits [like] salaries, security, etc.” While she

at Meredith at the same time, that did not receive a Pell grant herself tuition assistance was important to while at Meredith, she said she our famcan still ily.” attest Dr. to the Allen benefit emphaof legsized that islative 95% of grants.“I Meredith did benstudents efit from receive a legisneed lative and/or grant for meritcollege Image courtesy of the Meredith based asstudents Marketing Department sistance and said that whose parent(s) was a prisoner of war, as my father was she believes “we all benefit from financial diversity as much as any in World War II,” Dr. Allen said. other form of diversity.”

“With my sister and I being here

Dr. Allen said that access and affordability is an important consideration for her, especially when “the low level and declining value of Pell funding have created a dramatic impediment to students for whom affordability is a lynchpin in their decision to go to college.” Her hope is that students can see the importance of “advocating for themselves and others from different circumstances.”

“I hope our students have the intellect and compassion to know that differential finances dramatically impact those who do and do not go to college,” she said, “and that college educated citizenry is a benefit to all.”

Meredith Community Discusses Banned Books Controversy

By Cady Stanley, Copy Editor

A banned book is a book that has been removed from a library, school or school system due to its contents. According to Laura Davidson, Dean of the Carlyle Campbell Library, the most common reason behind banning books is “to protect younger readers from something the complainant finds offensive.” She says common topics that insight such action among parents and others “include sexuality, racist language and magic.”

Dean Davidson told The Herald that she does not know of any books banned from the Carlyle Campbell Library. She also said that the library celebrates Banned Books Week every fall. This is an event led by the American Library Association (ALA) to raise awareness of censorship and to “celebrate the freedom to read.”

In the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), as with every library or school system, there are policies in place to guide the processes of both ban-

ning and reinstating books into libraries. However, Dr. Jennifer Olson, Director of Undergraduate Programs in Education, pointed out that “policies and procedures are being circumvented [by], for example, showing up to a school board meeting and requesting that a book be removed.”

Kali Ranke, ‘22, is an education student currently studentteaching at Cary High School; she told The Herald that at one such board meeting, she heard “parents and librarians agreeing and disagreeing” on banning books. Dr. Olson provided another example of a policy breach as “criminal complaints against WCPSS for ‘distributing obscene and pornographic material’” have been filed as an “intentionally inflammatory way to get attention.”

Dr. Kelly Roberts, Professor of English and Program Coordinator for 6-9 and 9-12 English Licensure, said that The Bluest Eye, The Wizard of Earthsea,

Thirteen Reasons Why, Wintergirls, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Color Purple, Catcher in the Rye and Speak are some of the books that have been challenged by parents in Wake County. She said, “These books were challenged instead of outright banned… and I think WCPSS does an excellent job of respecting kids and protecting free speech.”

Regarding the College, Dr. Roberts told The Herald that “much to Meredith's credit, no one asked to see a booklist when I proposed a new course on banned books a few years ago.”

Dean Davidson also told The Herald that banning books “takes staff time and attention away from providing services within the community” and “often becomes an act of discrimination —regardless of the motivation of the individual or group.” Dr. Olson also pointed out that “fighting for all students' rights for access to

Threats of Violence on Local HBCU Campuses

materials can be exhausting” for teachers.

Hannah Porter, ‘22, a student-teacher in a first-grade class at North Ridge Elementary School, told The Herald that “banning books limits the learning that students can participate in.”

“It is impactful when students can see themselves in the books that they are reading,” Porter said. “If books are banned, especially within the context of race, we are doing a disservice to those students who represent different cultures and ethnicities.”

Ranke and Porter both told The Herald that they have not had direct experience with banning books. However, Ranke said that she has “heard of a multitude of books being banned in Wake County, most of those books regarding LGBTQ+ and racial topics,” and of “children's books regarding queer identity and being transgender being taken off shelves.”

Read the full story on our website.

By Freya Dahlgren, Opinion Editor

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Across the United States, campuses of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been threatened by violence.

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) was a victim of these threats on Jan. 4, 2022.

In an interview with PBS, Michelle Cooper from the U.S. Department of Education said “the timing of these threats to coincide with Black History Month was a likely attempt to exploit tensions among some factions of our society.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been involved in finding out the source of these threats and how to target them so they do not continue. In an official statement, the FBI said, “These

threats are being investigated as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes.”

NCCU, the eighth largest HBCU in the United States by enrollment, has been a victim of bomb threats on campus. According to WRAL, “all campus buildings were under lockdown for several hours as law enforcement investigated.” Six other universities and colleges—Xavier University in Louisiana, Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk State University in Virginia—were all also placed on lockdown on the same day as NCCU.

Meredith Provides KN95 Masks for Students and Staff

By Rachel Van Horne, Associate Editor On Feb. 7, Meredith College announced that the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) has approved an order of KN95 masks to be used in helping Meredith stop the spread of COVID-19. Distribution of the masks began last week.

Students, staff and faculty can pick up their 10 free KN95 masks from the Campus Store in the Cate Center. Students are required to show their CamCard in order to receive their free masks.

The campus store is open Monday

through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

At this time, KN95, N95, KF94 and surgical masks are being recommended for better protection against COVID-19 and its variants.

Sites in Wake County are also distributing free N95 masks.

To find out more, please visit the Wake County website regarding locations for pick up.

Arts & Entertainment

Student Artist Spotlight: Hannah Schneider

By Anna Prince, Staff Writer Hannah Schneider, ‘22, is the 2022 Penland Partner Scholar for Meredith College. This is a program that will allow Schneider to study at Penland School of Craft over the upcoming summer. There she will be exploring “nontraditional photographic techniques” such as “cyanotypes and non-toxic caffenol” that she was introduced to in a two-week course called Topics in Photography. When she returns to Meredith in the fall, she will present this work.

“I never had a passion for photography until I started studying photography at Meredith,” said Schneider. “I never dabbled with photography outside of taking random pictures on my phone of my pets…I decided to take Digital Photography I as a sophomore in the Fall of 2019 for an elective for my Graphic Design major. During that

course, I learned the foundation of photography, and I met Professor Shannon Johnstone, who is now a close mentor of mine. She showed me with her series Landfill Dogs how photography could lead to quantifiable change for causes that you are passionate about.”

Schneider’s latest project was motivated by this need for change alongside her battle with anxiety. “I am very driven by my anxiety," she said. "it gives me the motivation to create pieces that are centered around topics that I am greatly passionate about, like climate change, overpopulation, isolation, existentialism, or even anxiety itself.”

Schneider also uses her photography to capture calming influences in her life, like her pets.

“Dogs provide comfort and calmness against the storm that anxiety

brings intermittently,” she said.

Another one of Schneider’s projects fought against pitbull discrimination, utilizing her talents to spread awareness about the animals that help her deal with her anxiety.

A third of Schneider’s pieces, Utopia, “dictates a future where humans are gone, critical ecosystems are restored, and the Earth has reclaimed itself, no longer disintegrating because of climate change and overpopulation. I fully believe that photography has the potential to open up the eyes of others and lead to change.”

To aspiring artists, Schneider said, “I would definitely advise other artists to not be afraid to try a new technique or medium. You never know if it may lead you to a new passion or outlet. It could be a bust, which would be no harm

Photo courtesy of Hannah Schneider

done, or you may find that it takes over your work and gives you a new life path you had never considered prior…I would never have predicted that I would be graduating just four years later as a graphic designer and photographer. Life is unpredictable.”

Hillsborough Street Restaurant Recommendations Courtesy of The Herald Staff

By Elinor Shelp-Peck, Co-Editor in Chief

Photo by Elisabeth Sinicrope

The area surrounding Meredith College is filled with a wide variety of food. The number of options may be overwhelming to some, so The Herald staff decided to compile a list of go-to orders at each restaurant within one mile of Meredith.

Beansprout Chinese (0.4 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck, Co-Editor in Chief: The General Tso’s chicken dinner with egg fried rice

Ally Cefalu, A&E Editor: Chicken chow mein and an egg roll Olivia Slack, Co-Editor in Chief: Sesame chicken with egg roll and fried rice Brickhouse Sports Bar & Grill (0.3 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck: The CAT wrap with sweet potato fries Ally Cefalu: Fried pickles Bruegger’s Bagels (0.5 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck: A better bacon cheddar on an asiago parmesan bagel Ally Cefalu: The Herby Turkey sandwich on an everything bagel Freya Dahlgren, Opinion Editor: Western on an everything bagel Aminah Jenkins, Associate Editor: Sriracha Honey Sunrise on an

everything bagel and a twice-baked hash brown Jasmin & Olivz Mediterranean (0.3 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck: The pesto chicken panini with a side of hummus and pita or fries and jasmin sauce.

Ally Cefalu: Chicken and chickpea rice bowl with olives, tabouleh, and tzatziki sauce Freya Dahlgren: The Chicken Zaki with a side of fries and Jasmin sauce or Hummus and Pita Cady Stanley, Copy Editor: Chicken pita pocket with pesto, mozzarella cheese, and tomato Lucky Tree (0.4 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck: Hot honey latte with cayenne pepper and oat milk

Freya Dahlgren: Vanilla maple iced latte Cady Stanley: Hot lavender latte Waffle House (0.4 mi) Elinor Shelp-Peck: A chocolate chip waffle with a side of hashbrowns and black coffee.

Ally Cefalu: Two waffles, one plain, one chocolate chip Freya Dahlgren: Pecan waffle with scrambled Eggs and coffee Cady Stanley: All-Star Breakfast with chocolate chip waffles, cinnamon-raisin toast and apple butter, bacon, eggs over-easy and hash browns scattered smothered and covered Read the full story on our website.

How Social Media Influences the Fashion Industry

By Melissa Taylor, Contributing Writer While scrolling on the fashion side of Twitter, one will be greeted with pictures of Saint Laurent heels and Mugler gowns.

These archives, saved or retweeted on the phones of fashion fanatics worldwide, are inspiring careers.

Many rely on the internet to gather knowledge about the industry, and social media can alter the lens of how we view fashion over time. This daunting tool has now evolved into many social apps where you can meet friends, create relationships, network and market.

This career path of content creation becomes a lifestyle, and growing an audience with your online presence creates a powerful force that the industry is only beginning to become familiar with.

Social media has caused fashion to be a simple practice to make

money. The industry has become so progressive in the 21st Century, to the point where many teenagers run a small clothing business through their phone without any education or training.

Social media has put the fashion industry in a chokehold and created successful careers every day, even for those without an educational background or training in fashion. While integrating into the industry has changed from an in-person connection to an online connection, the passion still lies with emerging talent. The Herald spoke with two fashion majors, Angie Prada, ‘25, and Janey Medina, ‘25, to find out how social media has impacted their time in fashion.

Prada explained how she uses social media to showcase outfits and as a work portfolio in

order to be noticed in the industry.

She said, “I really want to work in the industry either as a buyer, stylist or designer/assistant designer.

I really want to someday have my own brand and be able to make a positive impact within the fashion industry by bringing sustainability and inclusiveness through my brand and work.” She mentioned that promoting sustainability and inclusiveness was a goal she has to make a positive impact on the industry. Sustainability is currently a trend in social media. Even here we can see how social media is influencing aspiring designers to think twice and think nice.

“I think social media is and will always play a huge role in my career,” Prada said. “I think it will be a great tool to not only share my style/outfits and my work as a designer but to also spread aware-

ness about sustainable and inclusive fashion within the industry.”

“As I’m starting out, posting my designs [and] attending social events will help boost where I’m trying to go in my career,” Medina said. “It will also help me gain much more confidence as well as experience when it comes to building strong links to success.”

After talking with Medina and Prada, it is apparent that social media has become vital to creative entrepreneurs. A person taking an interest in a creative career has to recognize the importance of social media presence and the quality of content posted, especially in fashion. Social media has become a leading $905 billion dollar industry with social apps at the forefront, and the fashion world has capitalized on that.

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Opinion Being Black on Campus at Meredith

By Aminah Jenkins, Associate Editor Feb. 1 marked the beginning of Black History Month. In the beginning of February, Meredith College made an informational Instagram post about the origins of the month and where people could learn more about it.

While I understand the intention of the post was to provide support, my experience at this institution does not make me feel that way.

My college experience has never been a normal one. The paradoxical relationship between my love and criticism for the institution is not fully understood, especially by those with different experiences.

My decision to come to Meredith was influenced by a number of factors, with race being at the forefront. I didn’t choose a historically Black college or university (HBCU) because they didn’t offer programs I was interested in—often due to a lack of funding and support. While many of the predominantly white institutions (PWI) that I looked at did, they lacked something of equal importance—a supportive social environment. I knew that my identity would play a significant role in my experience at both institutions. At an HBCU, I felt they would recognize the barriers I faced as a Black person in and outside of higher education. At a PWI, I feared that I would constantly have to fight for my barriers to be addressed.

I was cognizant of this during my college search process. But Meredith, a PWI, sold me a campus that welcomed my presence.

At admissions events, current students seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. Counselors told me about the vibrant student life and the traditions that brought students together. My primary reason for attending Meredith were the academic opportunities, but it was nice knowing that I had the option to be included in social events.

But when I arrived at StartStrong, this changed. I was the only Black student in my group and no one spoke to me, including my student guides. Students rolled their eyes during icebreakers and refused to sit near me during informational sessions. The exclusion extended well into the academic year. Few students spoke to me in my classes. Cornhuskin’, a tradition touted for its class unity, was marked by students who intentionally ignored me and other Black students. I tried my best to continue participating in hopes of a positive change. It didn’t take long for other Black students in our class to stop attending all social events, and I soon followed suit.

I was fortunate enough to have professors that made me feel welcomed, but I heard several stories of ones who did not wel-

come others. Stories of professors who intentionally ignored Black students or made comments about sensitive topics like police brutality circulated. This made me wary of taking classes with new professors, fearing that I would have similar problems. In my time here I have been able to find Black faculty and staff members that I trust, but many of them have since left. Towards the end of my first semester, I felt betrayed. I was promised a campus environment that was accepting of who I was, but I received one that made me feel ashamed of it.

Meredith has a pattern of ignoring Black students’ experiences on and off campus. In the summer of 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, President Jo Allen sent a campus-wide email about Meredith’s “time of civil unrest.”

Like many Black people, Black Lives Matter was about more than a moment for me—it was my life.

Vague acknowledgements of these problems weren’t new to me, and it isn’t uncommon for predominantly white spaces to speak nonchalantly about issues that don’t impact most of their communities. Community-wide pushback led by our Black Student Union prompted a followup statement of apology that referenced Black Lives Matter by name. This statement was a

glimpse of how leadership at Meredith often treats Black students.

Being Black at Meredith comes with a price. Meredith has never truly acknowledged my experience for what it is. Positive aspects of my story—mainly my academic successes—are tokenized as a way to persuade potential students to campus. The negative aspects of my story are overlooked or downplayed so as to not disrupt the experience they sell to other students.

Many times I have been tasked with solving issues I did not create. Black students are called on by committees and faculty groups to provide input on antiracist initiatives the college has undertaken.

However, it is difficult to find comfort in these initiatives when rejection or criticism of my experiences feel like an invalidation. Our opinions about the lack of diversity on campus or inconsistencies in how rules are applied come from personal experience.

Meredith still has a long way to go supporting Black students on campus. There shouldn’t be such stark contrast in how someone is treated as a prospective student versus an enrolled one. We are forced to give up so much when coming to college. The problem can’t be relegated to a single department or area of student life—it’s a campus-wide issue.

Belk Dining Hall Needs to Cut Ties with Aramark

By Evelyn Summers, Staff Writer Trigger warning: mention of disordered eating Nutrients in the meals you eat help to sustain daily activities, protect your cells from environmental harm and repair any cellular damage that may occur.

However, at Meredith’s Belk Dining Hall (BDH) it is almost impossible to maintain a nutritious and well-balanced diet.

Belk Dining Hall has many flaws such as student reports of

insects and hair in the food. I understand that worms and flies can be sources of protein, but I don’t want to find them in my broccoli.

In BDH’s defense, they are understaffed, and the average pay for the food service workers at Aramark— the company that runs BDH—is $10.64 per hour according to Payscale. It’s hard to keep flies and bugs out of the food when you’re the only staff member in your area.

There are simply not

enough options in BDH. The gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan selections are incredibly limited, but even when it comes to food with no dietary limitations there are very few options. I came to Meredith on a vegetarian diet and now I am no longer able to live that lifestyle because of BDH. I have yet to speak with a student who does not agree that the food is of poor quality. The meat, in particular, has made mul-

tiple of my friends sick.

A lack of good quality food can affect every part of life biologically. Your body will start to increase production of cortisol, leaving you stressed and “hangry.”

It can also cause your metabolism to slow down, making it harder to gain or lose weight.

ite snack? Answering these questions gives you a pantry to fulfill your every hunger and thirst need.

The biggest thing I have learned while living at Meredith is that every student living on campus should have bottled water or a water filter. Not every room on campus has a sink in their room,

and it’s important to stay hydrated!

Breakfast in college should be fast and convenient, especially when you’re running late.

Read the full story on our website.

Healthy Cooking Hacks

By Melissa Taylor, Contributing Writer Campus-wide opinions about Belk Dining Hall tend to be less than glowing. Of course, everyone will have their opinions, but we can only change what we can control: ourselves. College is hard, especially when you don’t have great choices for food. However, every dorm building and

Oaks apartment is equipped with a kitchen, so why not learn how to cook?

The first step of cooking is the grocery list. Creating a complete grocery list starts with answering three questions: What am I going to drink? What am I going to eat for meals? What’s my favor-

Read the full story on our website.

STAFF

Olivia Slack and Elinor Shelp-Peck, Co-Editors in Chief. Rachel Van Horne and Aminah Jenkins, Associate Editors.

Ally Cefalu, A&E Editor. Molly Perry, Features Editor. Freya Dahlgren, Opinion Editor.

Staff Writers: Maggie Barnhill, Shae-Lynn Henderson, Anna Prince, Mia Russell, Evelyn Summers, Hannah Taib.

Contributing Writers: Emma Johnson, Melissa Taylor, Lauryn Turner, Haileigh West.

Podcasting Director: Sofia Gomez. Copy Editor: Cady Stanley. Staff Photographer: Elisabeth Sinicrope.

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