FEATURE: Organization Spotlight: Iris Initiative
One of the newest clubs at Meredith is the Iris Impact Initiative. Approved during the Fall ‘24 semester, Iris’s constitution states that the club aims to “provide the student body of Meredith College with an opportunity to explore their interests in service by providing a plethora of service topics.” The Herald spoke with President Lizzy King, ‘26, about what motivated them to form the club and their plans for the future.
Iris Impact Initiative was created to provide opportunities for members of the Meredith community to give back. King shared that they have always been passionate about volunteer work and giving back, but grew frustrated with how challenging it can be to find individual service opportunities. After speaking with some friends who shared her frustrations, the idea for Iris Impact Initiative was born. King explained that “Basically, [Iris] network[s] the opportunities for the student body to be involved with,” with the goal of making volunteer work more accessible to members of the Meredith community. So far, club members have volunteered at a Hospice care center, worked to stock the Daisy Trade pantry on campus, and were involved in the Corn Unity Service Project with Rise Against Hunger. Moving forward, King hopes that the club will continue to provide opportunities for Meredith students to work together to better the Meredith community.
One of the events King shared she is “most proud of” is Iris’s upcoming blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross. The Red Cross’s website explains that “every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” and King shared that Iris is aiming to help meet that need through the blood drive. Hosted in the Human Performance Lab in the Communication and Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences Building (CHESS) on Feb. 14 between 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., donations will be processed by the Red Cross and go on to help treat sick people throughout the Triangle.
Students looking to get involved with Iris Impact Initiative can follow their Instagram at @iris.impact and keep up to date with upcoming club events through Halo Happenings. Anyone interested in signing up for the upcoming blood drive on Feb. 14 can sign up using the Red Cross link or by clicking on the link provided in the club’s Instagram bio.
By Clary Taylor, News Editor
NEWS: LA Wildfires and Its Impact
As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Wildfires continue to rage on since the first Palisades fire on Jan. 7 followed by the Eaton Fire which still rages on. These wildfires have caused the evacuation of thousands of LA residents and, according to NBC News, the death of at least 28 people. As of Jan. 22, the Palisades fire has destroyed 6,662 structures and damaged 890, as per The LA Times. It continues to state that the Eaton fire has destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged 1,073. The latest Hughes fire has caused immediate evacuations and road closures.
The impact of these fires are not only happening now, but could also happen to have long-term effects. According to a Colorado State University article, “LA fires: Health impact of long-term exposure to wildfire smoke is poorly understood − and a growing risk,” the short-term exposure to the wildfire smoke “can trigger asthma attacks and cause lung and cardiac problems”. The article mentions that the impact of long-term exposure hasn’t been fully understood, but a study in 2023 found a wide range of harmful chemicals in wildfire smoke. These chemicals include hydrogen chloride, benzene, toluene, and metals like lead and arsenic, Colorado State University lists. Due to the impact of short-term exposure, it is only a matter of time until we see the signs of those who have suffered long-term exposure to the LA wildfires.
Despite the losses, Californians are gathering around the victims impacted by the fires, from incarcerated firefighters to celebrity volunteers. From Meredith, it could seem like there’s nothing that the community can do but according to AP News this is not the case. There are several organizations that individuals can support in helping the people impacted by this event.
For children, there is the Boys and Girls Clubs of Malibu who are “offering free counseling, case management and resource referrals for area families,” as per their website. The AP News article continues to say that the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu is “collecting donations to provide emergency grants and, when its facilities can safely reopen, it will create an emergency relief distribution center”.
In addition, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is working with more than 600 partner agencies to feed displaced households. According to AP News, they are “ accepting cash donations, food donations at two sites, and volunteers”.
The nonprofit Watch Duty “provides real-time updates on wildfire activity, evacuations, shelters and more via its free app”. They also rely on “donations and a team of 200 volunteers, gathering and vetting information from radio scanners and official sources, to do its work”. Access to information at this time is critical. According to Watch Duty, donating to them “ensure[s] that [their] service is here to stay, grow, and expand to help more people in more disaster-affected areas”.
To help those who have lost homes, Habitat For Humanity LA made the ReBUILD LA Fund that will “be used to help rebuild homes, offer rental and mortgage assistance and temporary housing assistance, and supply home furnishings,” according to AP News.
The article from AP News lists several other sources you can support and tips for supporting friends and family impacted by the LA wildfires.
By Destiny Calvin, Podcast Co-director
NEWS: MLK Day Activities Across Campus
Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister, activist and political philosopher. According to The King Center, “Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.” Dr. King’s efforts to end segregation made him one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement in America, according to the NAACP. In addition, The Freedom Forum shared that, “If there is one person from the Civil Rights Movement who created lasting change, it’s King.” King led several nonviolent protests. According to the Bill of Rights Institute, Dr. King led the Montgomery Bus boycott in 1955, which was a nonviolent bus boycott that lasted for 361 days. The March on Washington in 1963 was led by Dr. King, and it was on this day that King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, as noted by the NAACP. King is the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize and founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, according to The King Center.
As per USA Today, the federal holiday honoring Dr.King is observed every year on the third Monday of January, which was Jan. 20 this year. Dr. King is celebrated in January to coordinate with his birthday, which was on Jan. 15, according to the National Constitution Center. This federal holiday was established in 1983, but some states began celebrating Dr. King prior to the announcement of the federal holiday by celebrating his birthday, which these states began earlier in 1970, according to Britannica. Furthermore, The King Center shared that in 1968, “Dr. King’s wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, officially founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which she dedicated to being a ‘living memorial’ aimed at continuing Dr. King’s work on important social ills around the world.” According to their website, The King Center continues to hold events and lead in Dr. King’s honor, and it is now run by Dr. Bernice A. King, Dr. King’s and Mrs. Coretta Scott King’s daughter.
Meredith College held a series of events throughout the week of Jan. 20 to celebrate MLK Day and honor Dr. King’s legacy, including a reflection walk and an inspirational gathering. An off-campus service opportunity was held at Catawba Trail Farm on Jan. 18. According to the flier, Catawba Trail farm “works for economic justice, racial equity, and environmental sustainability–all things Dr. King stood for.” Monday, Jan. 20, through Friday, Jan. 24, was a week for reflection, service and action. Students were offered a pamphlet with a meditation walking path and guided reflection. According to a Meredith College article, in the Cate/Park Student Center, “students wrote down their hopes and dreams on a large banner, as well as completed coloring sheets with his quotes.”
The closing event of the reflection week was a gathering in Jones Chapel on Meredith’s campus to listen to speeches by Dr. King.
By Kailey Wurr, A&E Editor
A&E: What is Happening in the World of TikTok
Early January 2025, CNN reported on how the U.S. Supreme Court approved a motion to move forward with banning the social media app, TikTok in the United States effective Jan. 19. TikTok is a major social media app that was introduced in 2018 in the U.S. It’s known for its viral trends and cultural impact on fashion, music, food, and lifestyle, according to USA Today.TikTok could be considered a popular app with 170 million active users in the U.S., according to TikTok CEO and Reported on in Backlinko. It was arguably a safe haven for Americans in 2020 following the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. In the following years, apps such as YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat followed TikTok’s lead in introducing short video clips to their platform. According to USA Today, despite other social media apps making enhancements, TikTok has arguably remained the go-to social media app for more than half of the United States population. TikTok became a hotspot for cultural updates, news, shopping, and more. From BookTok, CookTok, fashion aesthetics and trends, MakeupTok, HairTok, MomTok, FitTok, and more, everything needed was in the palm of users’ hands in one little app. TikTok also hugely changed marketing. The way companies and brands marketed to connect with their consumers and audience was through TikTok trends and sounds. Duolingo is a prime example of a company that used the app and it’s a trend to its advantage for marketing. A recent TikTok on the company’s page followed the “You’re so funny” trend on the app, with the response “thanks [Duo] get[s] ghosted literally everyday,” mocking users’ inconsistency in using the language learning app.
Despite the benefits that TikTok brought to the U.S., the Supreme Court believed that it was a major security threat to the American people. According to A.P. News, in 2019, U.S. politicians began raising concerns regarding security threats with Chinese-owned apps. According to the same article, TikTok was eventually removed and banned from all military personnel phones by December 2019. In 2020, India banned the app due to security threats to the nation and President Trump proposed a TikTok ban. In June 2022, Buzzfeed reported that the Chinese government had repeatedly accessed user data and information, which led to a bill in 2024 by President Biden for TikTok to be sold to a U.S.-based company or partner by 2025. If TikTok didn’t sell to a U.S. partner by Jan. 15, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously voted to shut the app down for U.S. users on Jan. 19. President Trump stated that he would not allow TikTok to be removed from U.S platforms, according to AP News. On Jan. 19, the app shut down for approximately 18 hours, before being back available for U.S. users with a note thanking the help from President Trump for restoring the app, according to TikTok users.
Upon taking office, President Trump passed an executive order with an extension for the TikTok ban. According to the order, the Supreme Court ruling will be paused for 75 days and companies will continue to be allowed to use and work with TikTok, as per an NPR article. President Trump and his administration are currently working on a joint venture between the United States and unknown entities to secure the safety of the app and resolve security issues. Although servers were back on for U.S. users, companies such as Apple and Google decided to not take action with adding it back to the app store, as restoring the app for download would be illegal and subject to fines, according to NPR. Despite the law still being in effect, TikTok is still able to run on U.S. servers so long as President Trump can provide evidence of progress in breaking ownership of TikTok from ByteDance.
Tech companies are also on the fence about the ban and backing the company, because even if TikTok is to stay, there’s a possibility that President Trump may change his mind about the app and use the law against them, according to NPR.
While the situation is ongoing, those in the U.S. do have access to the app again. For now, TikTok users can hope that a solution is found. The Herald will continue following this ongoing story. Until then, users get to enjoy TikTokkers awkwardly coming back to the app after confessing their secrets and watching their favorite edits on repeat.
By Enfiniti’ Jones, Contributing Writer
A&E: Meredith Students Attend NRF Conference
Between Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, several Meredith students from the Fashion Department attended the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference. The NRF conference is nicknamed “Retail’s Big Show” by the company and is held in New York City, New York, according to the NRF. NRF is the largest retail trade organization in the country, according to the World Retail Congress (WRC). The NRF website describes this event as “the premier event for industry leaders to explore the latest trends, technologies and strategies that are transforming retail. With cutting-edge exhibitions, high-profile speakers and unparalleled networking opportunities, [those who attend] get the tools needed to change the retail game.” As per the WRC article, “for over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.”
The NRF Foundation is a college outreach program by its parent company, according to Meredith student Jennifer Bruton, who attended the conference. The NRF Foundation website noted that the foundation partnered with CVS Health to create a scholarship that gave selected students the opportunity to attend the conference and meet with retail leaders. One of the recipients of such scholarship is Meredith College senior Sharysse Ferguson. In addition to the NRF Foundation CVS Health scholarship, there were other scholarship opportunities that students could apply for, including the Ray Greenly Scholarship Fund, Rising Stars Scholarship and Bright Futures Scholarship, according to the NRF Foundation.
Seniors Jennifer Bruton and Serena Danieli were recipients of the Bright Futures Scholarship. Both Bruton and Danieli were referred to this opportunity by Dr. Eunyoung Yang, Professor of Fashion Merchandising and Design. To receive the scholarship worth $1,000, Bruton said she submitted a “250-word essay and an academic reference.” Ferguson was one of 20 recipients of the CVS Health Scholarship. According to Ferguson, she applied to the CVS Health Scholarship by submitting a “500-word essay and a 2-3 minute video, transcripts and resume” to receive $10,000. This scholarship gave Ferguson a full ride to attend the conference and a dinner with CVS retail executives.
This is the second year attending for Senior Serena Danieli, who said her favorite aspect of this year’s conference was the mentor experience through which she had the opportunity to learn from several retail leaders. Danieli shared that she has a job waiting for her post-graduation that she obtained through an internship that she was recruited for at last year’s conference.
Ferguson shared that her favorite part of the conference was that the “people who had won scholarships and had now transitioned into the workforce were now speakers and [that she] got to speak to one of them directly.” In addition, Ferguson shared that she learnt a lot and that “There is no bypassing the grunt work that you are going to have to do once you graduate and enter the workforce.” Ferguson also noted that “Networking is key.” For Danieli, the best parts were “the different companies that were there” and as part of that, she “got into Target, Tiffany's, Kohls.” Danieli noted that she was able to see their headquarters and see “people who actually work there and weren't recruiters.”
The students who attended also reflected on the NRF conference and the opportunities it creates for fashion students to network, learn and create. According to Bruton, “Junior year is the peak year to go because they are hiring for internships.” Students of other majors are also encouraged to attend the conference. Bruton said the conference is a “really great networking opportunity.”
Meredith’s Fashion Department has an annual fashion showcase that takes place on Celebrating Student Achievement (CSA) Day in April for seniors in the department to show what they have been working on in their last undergraduate year. Bruton and Danieli will have clothing pieces shown and Ferguson will be presenting her portfolio in the upcoming 2025 fashion showcase.
By Aynsleigh Penland, Contributing Writer And Kailey Wurr, A&E Editor
OPINION: Nostalgia Sucks: A Love Letter to Every Version of Myself
Nostalgia. An age-old blessing and curse that comes back in waves to brighten our days or make us feel a void at our very core. As I journey in my final semester of my undergraduate career, I have found myself talking about my time at Meredith A LOT (way more than it is probably healthy). I am sure my fellow seniors can relate when I say that pretty much everyone is pointing out our “last this” or our “last that” and asking if we are excited or nervous. Queue the nostalgia and dormant anxiety that creeps into my throat as I have no way to answer these questions. That is why I am here to tell you that nostalgia sucks and I hope it sticks around.
This one-sided love-and-hate relationship with nostalgia is not a new experience for me and I would put good money on my belief that it lingers for all of us in obvious or unexpected ways. Graduating is an exciting and scary milestone that has always existed in the back of my mind. As it becomes a reality, I realize how much time I have spent waiting for the next steps of my life to happen, wishing to finish a class or escape a stressful moment, just longing for a break. Now, I spend my time looking back and feeling so grateful for the experiences I have had and being more appreciative of the times that, in the moment, felt too overwhelming, and how much those moments have shaped me and turned out to be some of my favorites.
As classes started I felt really unmotivated and it was challenging to get my day going, which has typically been unusual for me. I spoke to a friend who described her own experiences and what she pinned down her feelings to be linked to and I did not think much of it until about midnight that day. It hit me like a ton of bricks that, much like my friend, I feel very sad, scared and excited about graduating. The reality of my last semester manifested into a form of nostalgia and letting go of some of the most formative years of my life.
You would think this realization would resolve the problem and I could move on, but instead, I found myself crawling down this rabbit hole of everything that has and will change. It is more than graduating, it is saying farewell to a home you have built over four years, going from seeing your friends every day to having to schedule a meeting time, no longer having the stability of a class schedule and stepping into the unknown. Nostalgia is a haunting figure that plagues every present moment and seeps into our memories as we try to cling to any reminder and comforting feeling that our past has given us. Nostalgia follows me everywhere and I haven’t even left yet.
This is not meant to send people spiraling down a deep pit of despair because I also believe that nostalgia is a beautiful thing, but man it sucks in the moment. How lucky are we to have these life-changing and meaningful moments that endure through thick and thin? I know that there are so many new things to look forward to and that I am not losing everything and everyone, but there is no escaping the fact that things are going to change and that feels like a gut punch.
Trust me, I am not actively seeking out these feelings, because I would much rather focus on what is to come. One minute I am making dinner and the next I am thinking about how I will never get my childhood back. I will often be walking or in the car and a simple smell or sight of something will transport me to a distant memory that disappears just as quickly, leaving behind this longing for a time you thought of so long ago.
Can someone tell me if I am the only one who feels this way? Yes, nostalgia is a cruel feeling that leaves a pit in your stomach, but it also fills that pit with the warmth of love that manifests itself as a memory. Yes nostalgia sucks, but I am okay with it sticking around if it means this is what it means to love and be loved.
By Shae-Lynn Hencerson, Editor in Chief
OPINION: New Year, An Ever-Changing Me
As the end of each year rolls around, we start planning vision boards, committing to challenges like 75 Hard (going 75 days of consistently doing something or not doing something), and setting ambitious goals for the new year. We declare that this year, we’ll become entirely new versions of ourselves, starting January 1. But honestly? I’m over it.
Every year, I fall into the same routine: scrolling Pinterest for aesthetic images to piece together the perfect vision board, drafting lists of things I won’t do anymore, and signing up for 6 a.m. workout classes—knowing full well they’ll be canceled (let’s be real, 8 a.m. is already a stretch for me). As I reflected on the past twelve months and tried to envision the next year, I realized I felt overwhelmed. At that moment, I hit pause and thought, I’m over this.
Yes, there are areas of my life I’d like to improve and habits I’d like to change, but I’m finally comfortable with who I am now. For years, I’ve set completely unrealistic goals inspired by those whose lives are worlds apart from mine. It always left me feeling drained and unmotivated, as well as a lack of success in my own journey.
Take my personality, for example—I thrive on the fine line between chaos and the “clean girl” aesthetic. For a long time, I strived to be that picture-perfect, fully polished version of myself. But after a year of studying for the Law School Admissions Test, preparing for post-grad life, and juggling everything else, I’ve realized that lifestyle isn’t fit for me right now—and maybe it’s not for others either. And guess what? That’s perfectly okay.
There’s no deadline for setting goals, adopting a new lifestyle, or reflecting on your life. The pressure to have everything figured out and perfected by January is exhausting. We have 365 days to grow, evolve, and learn. Who says what you dream of in January will even matter to you by March?
January can be a great time to start fresh, but it doesn’t have to be. New beginnings can happen at any time. There’s no rush to plan out goals, jump into a grueling challenge, or do a complete 180. Life’s beauty lies in moving at your own pace. Maybe January isn’t the season for a reset. Maybe April will be. Or August. And that’s fine.
Personally, I’ve started vision boarding year-round because dreams and goals shift. The things I wanted at the start of last year aren’t what I’m aiming for now, and that flexibility has made all the difference.
So here’s my advice: skip the pressure, embrace where you are, and let your new beginnings come when the time feels right—not because the calendar says so.
By Enfiniti’ Jones, Staff Writer
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